# Land corruption URL: https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/land-corruption Type: Priority topic Published: 2020-03-13 Updated: 2020-03-18 --- Across the globe, **one in every five people has paid a bribe to access land services**. Land is much more than a commodity to be bought and sold, developed and exploited. For millions of people worldwide, land is **home**, **heritage** and **livelihood**. Land is life. It nurtures people, crops, animals, and ecosystems; underpinning the diverse cultures that make up the human family. Corrupt practices within land administration and management is known as **land corruption**. What is land corruption? *Externally hosted content may include ads. These aren't endorsed by or reflect Transparency International's views.* There are many forms of land corruption that affect people in both rural and urban areas. These include: - paying bribes during the land administration process; - women being sexually extorted in exchange for a land title; - women and young people being denied land rights; - when a community is excluded from participating in land deals between private investors and local authorities; - when urban planning is unaccountable and land speculation takes place; - when people are evicted from their land, unfairly compensated for their losses, excluded from participating in decision-making and denied access to relevant information. ## How does land corruption affect you? Whether it’s an opaque deal between private investors and local authorities, having to pay bribes during land administration processes, or customary laws that deny women their land rights, land corruption hits the poor and marginalised hardest. For young people, land corruption in rural areas can kill entrepreneurial spirit and restrict access to employment, driving migration to overcrowded urban centres. The consequences are food insecurity, an increased risk of conflict and a threat to traditional ways of life. Land corruption eats away at national economies and stands in the way of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. ![A rural village scene in Sierra Leone. A lush forest and two wooden huts populate the background. On the left side, a woman is walking on a dirt road that makes its way in between the houses. In the foreground, a pile of wooden logs is stacked on the rightside.](https://images.transparencycdn.org/images/land-corruption-main.jpg?auto=compress&fit=crop&fm=webp&w=1200) Photo: iStock.com / Roberto Nencini ## What needs to be done to stop land corruption? Recognising the role land corruption plays in eroding land rights and undermining sustainable development is a vital first step toward protecting people, cultures, economies and critical ecosystems around the world. Good land governance is a necessary first step to address land corruption. It and needs to be applied at the policy, legal, institutional and administrative levels. We can do this if we make land administration and management more transparent, efficient and participatory. ### [Read our topic guide to know more about how to stop land corruption](https://knowledgehub.transparency.org/product/topic-guide-on-land-corruption) [To the topic guide](https://knowledgehub.transparency.org/product/topic-guide-on-land-corruption "To the topic guide") ## Find out more about our work ### News [+ More](https://www.transparency.org/en/search/filter?priority=land-corruption&type=newsPost) ## [This beautiful land: Corruption, discrimination and land rights in Sub-Saharan Africa](https://www.transparency.org/en/news/beautiful-land-corruption-discrimination-land-rights-sub-saharan-africa) News • 18 April 2024 New report finds that corruption and discrimination impede the equal enjoyment of land rights in Sub-Saharan Africa. ## [Double harm when corruption meets discrimination](https://www.transparency.org/en/news/double-harm-corruption-discrimination-sdgs-leave-no-one-behind) News • 06 July 2021 We listened to the experiences of corruption among people facing discrimination and uncovered some disturbing patterns. ## [Announcing the theme for the 19th edition of the International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC)](https://www.transparency.org/en/news/announcing-the-theme-for-the-19th-edition-of-the-iacc) News • 05 September 2019 Designing 2030: Truth, Trust & Transparency ## [Blood diamonds and land corruption in Sierra Leone](https://www.transparency.org/en/news/blood-diamonds-and-land-corruption) News • 02 August 2019 A community in Sierra Leone has created powerful short videos documenting their experiences of corruption, forced evictions and a botched resettlement programme at the hands of a… ### Publications [+ More](https://www.transparency.org/en/search/filter?priority=land-corruption&type=publication) ## [Annual Report 2025](https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/annual-report-2025) Publication • 17 July 2026 In 2025, Transparency International pursued its mission to stop corruption and promote transparency, accountability and integrity at all levels and across all sectors of society. ## [Addressing land corruption in Africa: Recommendations based on the African Union's Land Governance Strategy](https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/addressing-land-corruption-africa-recommendations-african-unions-land-governance-strategy) Publication • 30 September 2024 This paper offers vital recommendations to combat land corruption in Africa, grounded in the African Union's Land Governance Strategy for sustainable progress. ## [Land corruption in West Africa](https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/land-corruption-in-west-africa) Publication • 10 July 2024 This policy paper presents an overview of land corruption in West Africa and provides recommendations for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to address it. ## [This beautiful land: Corruption, discrimination and land rights in Sub-Saharan Africa](https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/corruption-discrimination-land-rights-subsaharan-africa) Publication • 12 April 2024 This report explores the relationship between corruption and discrimination impeding the equal enjoyment of land rights in seven African countries. ### Projects [+ More](https://www.transparency.org/en/search/filter?priority=land-corruption&type=project) ## [Land corruption and urban land governance](https://www.transparency.org/en/projects/urban-land-governance) Project ### Blog posts [+ More](https://www.transparency.org/en/search/filter?priority=land-corruption&type=blogPost) [## From illegal mining to land grabbing: four stories of restoring land rights in Africa Claire Leduc 17 April 2026](https://www.transparency.org/en/blog/illegal-mining-land-grabbing-stories-restoring-land-rights-africa "From illegal mining to land grabbing: four stories of restoring land rights in Africa") [## How to ensure transparency in land governance to counter grand corruption: A practical guide Transparency Int'l 22 April 2025](https://www.transparency.org/en/blog/ensure-transparency-land-governance-counter-grand-corruption-practical-guide "How to ensure transparency in land governance to counter grand corruption: A practical guide") [## Effective climate action cannot be achieved without addressing land corruption Alice Stevens 12 December 2023](https://www.transparency.org/en/blog/effective-climate-action-not-achieved-without-addressing-land-corruption "Effective climate action cannot be achieved without addressing land corruption") [## Benefiting people and the planet: Why we must prioritise gender in anti-corruption and climate efforts Transparency Int'l 04 November 2022](https://www.transparency.org/en/blog/we-must-prioritise-gender-in-anti-corruption-and-climate-efforts-maldives-zambia-brazil "Benefiting people and the planet: Why we must prioritise gender in anti-corruption and climate efforts") ### Press releases [+ More](https://www.transparency.org/en/search/filter?priority=land-corruption&type=pressRelease) ## [Corruption-driven deforestation turbo-charges flood crisis in Sumatra](https://www.transparency.org/en/press/corruption-driven-deforestation-turbo-charges-flood-crisis-in-sumatra) Press • 19 December 2025 ## [Garífuna lands seized for palm oil ahead of COP30](https://www.transparency.org/en/press/gar%C3%ADfuna-lands-seized-for-palm-oil-ahead-of-cop30) Press • 07 November 2025 ## [Zambia: Mukula trade suspension welcome move, further audit needed for corruption allegations](https://www.transparency.org/en/press/zambia-mukula-trade-suspension-welcome-audit-needed) Press • 29 September 2021 ## Explore all priorities - [Asset recovery and the theft of public money](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/asset-recovery-and-the-theft-of-public-money) - [Business integrity](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/business-and-corruption) - [Climate crisis](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/climate-crisis) - [Defence and security](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/defence-and-security) - [Dirty money](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/dirty-money) - [Extractive industries](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/extractive-industries) - [Foreign bribery enforcement](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/foreign-bribery-enforcement) - [Gender](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/gender-and-corruption) - [Grand corruption](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/grand-corruption) - [Health](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/health-and-corruption) - [Judiciary and law enforcement](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/judiciary-and-law-enforcement) - [Land corruption](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/land-corruption) - [Political integrity](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/political-integrity) - [Public procurement](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/public-procurement) - [Right to information](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/right-to-information) - [Sustainable Development Goals](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/sustainable-development-goals) - [Whistleblowing](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/whistleblowing) Asset recovery and the theft of public money Business integrity Climate crisis Defence and security Dirty money Extractive industries Foreign bribery enforcement Gender Grand corruption Health Judiciary and law enforcement Land corruption Political integrity Public procurement Right to information Sustainable Development Goals Whistleblowing