In a survey carried out in 2021, respondents were asked whether they had to pay a bribe in certain types of contexts and interactions, for example with public and/or police officers. The share of respondents who answered affirmatively to these questions was combined into a percentage that represents the bribery victimization rate. Among the Latin American countries surveyed, such rate for police officers has remained relatively steady in the past few years, between 11 and 12 percent. However, bribery asked by public officials had a significant increase between 2018/2019 and 2021, reaching ten percent in the last mentioned year.
Share of respondents who were asked or had to pay a bribe in the last 12 months in Latin America between 2004 and 2023
The following Latin American countries were surveyed: Bolivia, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Argentina, Jamaica, Haiti, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, El Salvador, Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, and Paraguay. The source does not specify the number of respondents. Respondents were asked the following questions: "Has a police officer asked you for a bribe in the last twelve months? In the last twelve months, did any government employee ask you for a bribe?" The source specifies that the answers to these questions were converted to an index, based on which the percentage of respondents who were victims of bribery was calculated.
Figures prior to 2023 were taken from previous versions of the same report.
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Vanderbilt University. (December 13, 2023). Share of respondents who were asked or had to pay a bribe in the last 12 months in Latin America between 2004 and 2023 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1067028/bribery-victimization-rate-latin-america/
Vanderbilt University. "Share of respondents who were asked or had to pay a bribe in the last 12 months in Latin America between 2004 and 2023." Chart. December 13, 2023. Statista. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1067028/bribery-victimization-rate-latin-america/
Vanderbilt University. (2023). Share of respondents who were asked or had to pay a bribe in the last 12 months in Latin America between 2004 and 2023. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1067028/bribery-victimization-rate-latin-america/
Vanderbilt University. "Share of Respondents Who Were Asked or Had to Pay a Bribe in The Last 12 Months in Latin America between 2004 and 2023." Statista, Statista Inc., 13 Dec 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1067028/bribery-victimization-rate-latin-america/
Vanderbilt University, Share of respondents who were asked or had to pay a bribe in the last 12 months in Latin America between 2004 and 2023 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1067028/bribery-victimization-rate-latin-america/ (last visited July 22, 2024)
Share of respondents who were asked or had to pay a bribe in the last 12 months in Latin America between 2004 and 2023 [Graph], Vanderbilt University, December 13, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1067028/bribery-victimization-rate-latin-america/
