Study Finds 1 in 4 People Pay Bribes Worldwide

Study Finds 1 in 4 People Pay Bribes Worldwide
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Jul 10, 2013

Study Finds 1 in 4 People Pay Bribes Worldwide

(Image source: Transparency International)

BY MATT PICHT

A new report issued Tuesday by an anti-bribery watchdog highlights the growing problem of international corruption.

The study was conducted by Transparency International. Its Global Corruption Barometer surveyed more than 114,000 people in 107 countries. The group found one out of four people had bribed an official in the past 12 months. The study also revealed political parties, police forces and judiciaries are the most corrupt organizations worldwide.

And the problem is getting worse. More than half of the people surveyed, including 60 percent of Americans, said corruption in their country has increased over the past two years. (Via Deutsche Welle)

Nine of the top 10 most corrupt countries were impoverished African nations. A Nigerian entrepreneur told the BBC African corruption is difficult to fight because it has cultural roots.

“If I was to go and ask the chief for a favor, ‘I want this land appropriated to me,’ normally I would take a gift. … I would say codify it, so you put limits on it.”

Transparency International’s Executive Director Robert Barrington told Voice of America political change is critical to stemming the tide of corruption.

“Leadership from the top is critical in this. And when you look at the countries that have improved, perhaps Georgia and Rwanda compared to past surveys, it’s generally been politically driven governments.”

But The Christian Science Monitor says change can come from the average citizen as well, highlighting the numerous protests individuals have made against corruption.

“One of the more clever ones recently sprung up in India, where a group distributes fake bills with a zero denomination. Citizens who are asked for a bribe can hand over the ‘zero currency’ as a form of silent protest.”

Some more encouraging data from the report: Nine out of 10 respondents said they’d be willing to act against corruption, and two-thirds of those polled said they had refused to pay a bribe at least once.