What is corruption?
We define corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain.
Corruption erodes trust, weakens democracy, hampers economic development and further exacerbates inequality, poverty, social division and the environmental crisis.
Exposing corruption and holding the corrupt to account can only happen if we understand the way corruption works and the systems that enable it.
The basics
Corruption can take many forms, and can include behaviours like:
public servants demanding or taking money or favours in exchange for services,
politicians misusing public money or granting public jobs or contracts to their sponsors, friends and families,
corporations bribing officials to get lucrative deals
Corruption can happen anywhere: in business, government, the courts, the media, and in civil society, as well as across all sectors from health and education to infrastructure and sports.
Corruption can involve anyone: politicians, government officials, public servants, business people or members of the public.
Corruption happens in the shadows, often with the help of professional enablers such as bankers, lawyers, accountants and real estate agents, opaque financial systems and anonymous shell companies that allow corruption schemes to flourish and the corrupt to launder and hide their illicit wealth.
Corruption adapts to different contexts and changing circumstances. It can evolve in response to changes in rules, legislation and even technology.
See our anti-corruption glossary for more examples of corrupt behaviour
The costs of corruption
Political costs
Your freedom and rule of law.
Social costs
Your participation and even your trust in government.
Environmental costs
Your chance for a healthy environment and a sustainable future.
Economic costs
Your opportunity to build and grow wealth.
To fight corruption, we must embrace transparency
Transparency is all about knowing who, why, what, how and how much. It means shedding light on formal and informal rules, plans, processes and actions. Transparency helps us, the public, hold all power to account for the common good.
Seeking and receiving information is a human right that can act as a safeguard against corruption, and increase trust in decision makers and public institutions. However, transparency is not only about making information available, but ensuring it can be easily accessed, understood and used by citizens.
But transparency is only the first step to curbing corruption
We have learned from over twenty-five years of experience that corruption can only be kept in check if representatives from government, business and civil society work together for the common good.
Flagship tools: Why measuring corruption matters
To end corruption, we must first understand it. At Transparency International, we analyse the causes of corruption, its impact, and the most effective strategies to eradicate it. Our research methodologies and anti-corruption tools play a crucial role in exposing, measuring and reducing corruption worldwide.
The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is the leading global ranking of public sector corruption. Since its launch in 1995, the CPI has been widely credited with shaping the international anti-corruption agenda.
The Global Corruption Barometer (GCB) is the world’s largest public survey on corruption, collecting first-hand data on how people experience and perceive corruption in their daily lives. Since 2003, it has surveyed tens of thousands of citizens worldwide, providing unique insights into bribery, abuse of power and institutional trust. Complements the CPI by reflecting public perceptions of corruption.