21.11.2016

Due to certain discrepancies in interpretations of the recently published Global Corruption Barometer survey from Transparency International, we would like to clarify some information related to bribe taking in exchange for public services.

38% of citizens paid a bribe to authorities for public services.

10% of respondents dealt with public education (primary or secondary), 38% of them paid a bribe in exchange for a service. Similarly, 51% of respondents tried to get medical treatment in the public health system in the past twelve months and 33% of them had to pay a bribe. 6% requested assistance from public education (vocational), 31% received this service in exchange for paying a bribe. 10% needed help with official documents from the authorities, and 21% of them were required to do so in a corrupt way.  9% engaged unemployment services, and 9% paid a bribe for it. 19% tried to get social security benefits and 6% of them had to bribe officials.

9% of respondents had contact with the road police, 33% – paid a bribe.

So, the Global Corruption Barometer results should not be interpreted as, for example, 33% of Ukrainians paid a bribe to the police (out of a total of 14 million Ukrainian citizens*), 33% out of 9% (which equals approximately 1 mln. 300 thousand people). Thus, less of 3% of the population of Ukraine paid a bribe to the police in the past twelve months. And this is similar to other state institutions.

*According to the State Statistics service of Ukraine’s 2016 assessment, the population of Ukraine was 42 635 097 people as of October 1, (excluding temporary occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol).