An Afrobarometer survey has found that citizens' perceptions of the extent of corruption in Namibia have increased, although the share of those who think so has decreased significantly in recent years. 

These findings could significantly impact the upcoming elections due to public concern over governance and transparency.

65% of Namibians say corruption in the country has increased "somewhat" or "a lot" during the year preceding the survey. That is, however, a 13% drop since 2017.

Namibia is one of the countries that has made great improvements in public participation and transparency in its budget accountability process. This was revealed at Namibia's Open Budget Survey launch in Windhoek.

This is according to the 2023 Open Budget Survey Global Findings. 

Based on the survey's open budget index score, scaled from zero to 100, Namibia obtained a 54 in transparency in terms of how the public accesses information about how the government raises and spends public resources. 

This is compared to the 42 it scored in 2021. 

In the aftermath of Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) report, Namibia, maintaining its position at 59th with a score of 49, is under heightened scrutiny from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).

Graham Hopwood, the Director of IPPR, stresses the necessity of sweeping reforms across key sectors to address persistent corruption challenges.

Namibia's stagnant CPI ranking reflects stability but underscores the imperative for substantial progress in the fight against corruption.