Some 71% of European citizens believe that corruption is ‘widespread’ in their country, while 69% believe that high-level corruption cases are not pursued sufficiently, according to a new Eurobarometer survey.
The percentage of Europeans that believe corruption to be widespread in their country has risen two percentage points year-on-year, and now stands at its second-highest level since 2013.
While more than a third (35%) agree that their national government’s efforts to combat corruption are effective, a majority of 54% do not share that view.
Public institutions
The survey highlights concerns about corruption within public institutions at both national and local levels. More than three quarters of respondents (76%) agree that corruption exists within national public institutions. A similar percentage (74%), meanwhile, believe corruption is present within local or regional public institutions.
In addition, nearly two thirds of Europeans (63%) believe corruption forms part of the business culture in their country, up two percentage points on last year. This suggests that concerns about transparency and accountability continue to affect both public administration and commercial activity across the EU.
Reporting corruption
The Eurobarometer research also points to a lack of awareness about how corruption can be reported. More than half of respondents (54%) said they would not know where to report corruption if they witnessed or experienced it, while 45% said they would know how to report such an incident.
The survey was conducted between February and March 2026 on behalf of the European Commission, and covered all EU member states. Read more here.
