Flash Eurobarometer FL524 : Businesses' attitudes towards corruption

65% think that the problem of corruption is widespread in their country. Corruption is seen by 35% companies in the EU as a problem when doing business in their country. The extent to which corruption is perceived by respondents as a serious problem varies considerably across Member States. The highest proportions of companies for which corruption is a problem are seen in Romania (75%), Greece (74%) and Cyprus (72%), while the lowest proportions are observed in Denmark (6%), Estonia (7%) and Ireland (7%). More than three quarters of companies in the EU (78%) agree that too close links between business and politics in their country lead to corruption. 72% agree that favouritism and corruption hamper business competition in their country while 59% agree that bribery and the use of connections is often the easiest way to obtain certain public services in their country. Just under four in ten companies (38%) agree that, in their country, the only way to succeed in business is to have political connections. Less than four in ten companies (37%) agree that, in their country, measures against corruption are applied impartially and without ulterior motives.

Processed data

Processed data files for the Eurobarometer surveys are published in .xlsx format.

• Volume A "Countries/EU"
  The file contains frequencies and means or other synthetic indicators including elementary bivariate statistics describing distribution patterns of (weighted) replies for each country or territory and for (weighted) EU results.
• Volume AP "Trends"
  The file compares to previous poll in (weighted) frequencies and means (or other synthetic indicators including elementary bivariate statistics describing distribution patterns of replies); shifts for each country or territory foreseen in Volume A and for (weighted) results.
• Volume AA "Groups of countries"
  The file contains (labelled) frequencies and means or other synthetic indicators including elementary bivariate statistics describing distribution patterns of (weighted) replies for groups of countries specified by the managing unit on the part of the EC.
• Volume AAP "Trends of groups of countries"
  The file contains shifts compared to the previous poll in (weighted) frequencies and means (or other synthetic indicators including elementary bivariate statistics describing distribution patterns of replies); shifts for each groups of countries foreseen in Volume AA and for (weighted) results.
• Volume B "EU/socio-demographics"
  The file contains (labelled) frequencies and means or other synthetic indicators including elementary bivariate statistics describing distribution patterns of replies for the EU as a whole (weighted) and cross-tabulated by some 20 sociodemographic, socio-political or other variables, depending on the request from the managing unit on the part of the EC or the managing department of the other contracting authorities.
• Volume BP "Trends of EU/socio-demographics"
  The file contains shifts compared to the previous poll in (weighted) frequencies and means (or other synthetic indicators including elementary bivariate statistics describing distribution patterns of replies); shifts for each country or territory foreseen in Volume B above)and for (weighted) results.
• Volume C "Country/socio-demographics"
  The file contains (labelled) weighted frequencies and means or other synthetic indicators including elementary bivariate statistics describing distribution patterns of replies for each country or territory surveyed separately and cross-tabulated by some 20 socio-demographic, socio-political or other variables (including a regional breakdown).

For SPSS files and questionnaires, please contact GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences: https://www.gesis.org/eurobarometer