American report: 16 African countries, including Benin, rank high in budget transparency.
Six African countries meet the minimum budget transparency requirements of the U.S. State Department, according to its 2026 report published on August 11. Among the African governments that remain below this threshold, nine made significant progress during the examined period from January 1 to December 31, 2025.
SUMMARY
Globally, Washington assessed 139 governments and the Palestinian Authority. The State Department classified 73 above the minimum threshold and 67 below it. Among these 67 governments, 14 nonetheless recorded significant progress.
The 16 African countries that meet the minimum level are Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mauritius, Mauritania, Namibia, Uganda, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, and Tunisia.
The nine African countries credited with significant progress are Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Liberia, Libya, Niger, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Senegal. They are among the 14 governments in this category globally.
Public, Comprehensive, and Reliable Documents
The assessment focuses on the public accessibility, completeness, and reliability of key budget documents. It also examines the transparency of public procurement procedures, contracts, and licenses, particularly in the exploitation of natural resources.
The 2026 report also emphasizes the importance of disclosing the terms of sovereign loans granted to foreign borrowers, including financial commitments and assets pledged as collateral. However, meeting the threshold does not constitute an overall rating of a country’s governance or economy: it meets the specific criteria set for this budget review.
These annual reviews are mandated by the U.S. Congress to help oversee the use of taxpayer funds related to foreign aid. The report specifies that the governments studied are mostly those identified as beneficiaries of U.S. assistance in the 2014 edition.
To compile the 2026 edition, the State Department says it used information from U.S. embassies and consulates, other federal agencies, international organizations, and civil society groups.
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