Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Corruption is a way of life in Afghanistan, and Afghans are not happy about it. A survey conducted by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime found that more than half of the population had to pay bribes to a public official last year, and nearly 60% of Afghans rank corruption as the biggest issue facing the country.
All told, the people of Afghanistan paid $2.5 billion in bribes in 2009—a figure that represents 23% of the country’s gross domestic product. The average annual income is only $425, but the average bribe was $160.
According to the UN report, customs officers led the way in taking payoffs (based on average value of bribes), followed by ministry officials, prosecutors, judges, land rights officials, tax/revenue officers, local government officials, police, nurses, doctors and teachers.
More than half (54%) of Afghans surveyed agreed with the statement that international organizations and NGOs “are corrupt and are in the country just to get rich.”
Afghanistan also ranked near the bottom of Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2009. Out of 180 countries, Afghanistan came in at 179. Only Somalia was rated worse.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Corruption in Afghanistan: Bribery As Reported by the Victims (UN Office of Drugs and Crime) (pdf)
Corruption Perceptions Index 2009 (Transparency International)
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