This landmark study, produced in collaboration with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and Iraq's Commission of Integrity, offers new evidence to assist the understanding, scope and types of corruption affecting Iraq, with a focus on specific experiences rather than generally held perceptions. 31,000 civil servants were surveyed for the study which covered working conditions, job satisfaction, the integrity of civil servants and the issues of bribery and transparency in Iraq.

With more than half of the participants perceiving corruption to be on the rise and with the average interviewee paying almost four bribes a year, this study holds particular significance. “Corruption continues to affect the lives of the majority of Iraqis. This study not only sheds new light on the issue but provides a baseline for the Government of Iraq and the UN to respond,” said Jacqueline Badcock, Resident Representative of the UN Development Programme, which oversaw the study.

The study reveals that although positive steps have been taken to curtail corruption, illustrated by an increase in suspected corruption cases being reported, from 786 in 2004 to 12,520 in 2011, a number of significant challenges remain to address corruption in Iraq’s public sector. 35 per cent of civil servants were hired without undergoing a formal selection process and bribes have led to dissatisfaction with much of Iraq’s public services.
66.3 per cent of the civil servants interviewed did not feel comfortable reporting instances of corruption and few cases of bribery were actually reported to the correct oversight authorities, including Iraq’s Commission of Integrity and its Office of the Inspectors-General.

The study was carried out in partnership with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the Kurdistan Regional Statistical Office, as well as the Central Statistical Office and the Iraq Commission of Integrity.