The world's largest public opinion poll on corruption, conducted by Transparency International, shows that more than 1 in 4 people bribed in the last 12 months

Berlin, July 9, 2013 - More than one person in two believes that corruption has worsened in the past two years, according to Transparency International's largest public opinion poll on corruption, but study participants also believe that they can make a difference and have the will to take action against the bribe.

The Global Corruption Barometer 2013 is a survey of 114,000 people in 107 countries and shows corruption is widespread. 27 percent of respondents paid bribes to access public services and institutions in the past 12 months, revealing that there was no improvement over previous surveys.

However, almost 9 out of 10 people surveyed said they would act against corruption and two thirds of those who were asked to pay a bribe declined, suggesting that governments, civil society and the business sector need to do more to mobilize people to counteract corruption.

"The level of paid bribes remains high worldwide, but people think they have the power to stop corruption and the number of people willing to fight power abuse, secret transactions and bribes are significant," said Huguette Labelle, president of Transparency International.

The Global Corruption Barometer 2013 also found that in too many countries, the institutions that people rely on to fight corruption and other crimes are not being viewed with confidence. 36 countries see the police as the most corrupt, and in these countries, an average of 53 percent of people have been asked to pay a bribe to the police. 20 countries see the judiciary as the most corrupt, and in those countries, an average of 30 per cent of those who came in contact with the judiciary were asked to pay a bribe.

"Governments must take this cry against corruption from citizens and respond with concrete actions to increase transparency and accountability," Labelle said. "Strong leadership is needed, especially from the G20 governments. In the 17 countries surveyed in the G20, 59 percent of respondents said their government is not doing a good job in fighting corruption. "

Politicians themselves have much to do to regain confidence. The Global Corruption Barometer 2013 shows a crisis of political confidence and a real concern about the capacity of these institutions responsible for bringing criminals to justice. In 51 countries around the world, political parties are seen as the most corrupt institutions, and 55 per cent of respondents believe the government is driven in favor of special interests.

Politicians can lead through the power of the example by publishing wealth statements for themselves and their immediate family. At the same time, political parties and individual candidates have to reveal where they receive their money to make clear who supports them financially and to discover possible conflicts of interest.

Throughout the world, people's assessment of their leaders' efforts to stop corruption is worse than before the financial crisis that began in 2008, when 31 percent said their government's efforts to fight corruption were effective. This year, the rate dropped to 22 percent.

"Governments need to ensure that there are strong, independent institutions with adequate resources to prevent and reduce corruption. Too many people are affected when these institutions and basic services are undermined by the scourge of corruption, "Labelle added.

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Transparency International is the global civil society organization that is leading the fight against corruption

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