Corruption Report

The fifth international corruption barometer report presented in Berlin Thursday, Dec. 6, -- 3 days ahead of International Corruption Day on Dec. 9 -- revealed some surprisingly pessimistic attitudes.

In Germany, 69 percent of those questioned said they expected corruption to get worse in the next three years, 77 percent believe the government is failing to tackle corruption effectively. Only Britain (72 percent) and the Netherlands (73 percent) have a bleaker outlook.

Bulgaria (32 percent) and Romania (36 percent) were confident that corruption can be dealt with. Both countries, however, have been chastised by the European Union in the past for not doing enough to combat corruption.

An overall global average of 54 percent of people said they believed corruption would get worse, compared to 43 percent four years ago. Only one in three were convinced that anti-corruption measures actually work.

Dirty politics

Germany's gloomy predictions for the future problems could be a result of grand corruption cases and a perceived lack of political commitment to do something about them.

This low public faith in government efforts to clamp down on corruption reflects a broad unease triggered by corporate corruption scandals -- such as the Volkswagen and Siemens cases in Germany.

But it's not just Germany. The watchdog asks respondents across the globe which institutions they see as most affected by corruption. Like most years, the institutions entrusted to represent the public interest in political decision-making are seen as the dirtiest.

"Our experience has shown that it is commitment at the top that will make or break efforts to fight corruption," said Cobus de Swardt, Transparency International's managing director. "These troubling numbers show that government faces a crisis of legitimacy, with the potential to undermine democratization, stability and the protection of human rights."

Petty bribery rampant

But ultimately, poor families are the hardest hit by demands for bribes in developed as well as developing countries.

Globally, the police are the institution most frequently reported to demand bribes, but medical services also stand out as a common source of bribery demands in Europe. In Latin America, Asia-Pacific and North America, petty bribery in the judiciary is a serious problem.

"The police and the judiciary in many countries around the world are part of a cycle of corruption, demanding bribes from citizens," de Swardt said in a statement. "This troubling finding means that corruption is interfering with the basic right to equal treatment before the law."

Petty bribery is at its most widespread in Albania and Senegal, where 30 percent of respondents said they had been required to pay bribes to various authorities for access to services. Other countries with similarly high levels include Cambodia, Cameroon, Macedonia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Romania.

"This year's Global Corruption Barometer has made it clear that too often, people must part with their hard-earned money to pay for services that should be free," said Transparency International Chair Huguette Labelle. "And they do not see enough commitment when they look to their governments and leaders.

"We are heartened though, that the public is increasingly demanding the accountability of the very institutions that most affect their lives, as this is a powerful driver of change," she added.

Between June and September, Gallup International on behalf of TI quizzed 63,000 people in 60 countries on their attitudes toward and experience of corruption.