India Has Highest Bribery Rate Among 16 Asia-Pacific Nations: Transparency International Survey

According to the Global Corruption Barometer for the Asia Pacific Region released by Transparency International on March 7, in Berlin for 16 Asia Pacific countries, India tops the list for being the most corrupt nation.

• The Transparency International (TI), an anti-corruption global civil society organisation, surveyed 21,861 people in 16 countries across the Asia Pacific region between July 2015 and January 2017 about their perceptions and experiences of corruption to present the report.
• According to the survey, about 69 percent of the population in India paid bribe to get their work done.
• India was followed by Vietnam (65%), Thailand (41%), Cambodia, Pakistan and Myanmar, each with 40%.
• Besides, China (26%) was one of the least corrupt nations and it was the lowest in Japan (0.2%).

Highlights of the Report

The report said that nearly 7 in 10 Indians paid bribe to access public services.

• More than 40% of the respondents viewed that corruption had increased over the past twelve months.
• In India, 53% respondents said the government was doing well and only 35% said the government was doing badly in the anti-graft fight.
• 63% of the respondents in India said that individuals had the power to fight corruption.
• Besides, the report said that approximately 90 crore people across 16 countries in Asia Pacific including India and China are estimated to have paid a bribe to access public services.
• The report stated that in India (73%), Pakistan (64%) and Thailand (46%), poorer section of the society mostly paid bribe to get things done while in China, the richer sections were more likely to pay a bribe. 
• In India, 59% respondents reported the highest bribery was paid for procuring government healthcare services and even identification related documents. Bribes paid for education were next on the list with 58% having reported doing so.
• As per the survey in the Asia Pacific region, police topped the list of public services which often demanded bribe with about 30% respondents across the region stating that they paid a bribe.
• The TI concentrated on bribes paid for procuring six key public services like public schools, public hospitals, official documents (such as identification card, voters card), public utility services, the police and courts.
• The TI suggested that governments must take effective steps do more to deliver on their anti-corruption commitments. It said that corruption exists without proper law enforcement.

About Transparency International (TI)

Transparency International (TI) is an international non-governmental organization which is based in Berlin, Germany, and was founded in 1993.

• Its nonprofit purpose is to take action to combat corruption and prevent criminal activities arising from corruption.
• It publishes the Global Corruption Barometer and the Corruption Perceptions Index.
• The Global Corruption Barometer published by Transparency International is the largest survey in the world tracking public opinion on corruption. It surveys 114,000 people in 107 countries on their view of corruption.