Business Corruption and Crime in Albania: Survey Reveals Widespread Bribery

Overview

A recent survey conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Institute of Statistics of Albania (INSTAT) has shed light on the prevalence of corruption and crime affecting businesses in Albania. The study aimed to provide evidence-based assessments of the patterns and nature of corruption and crime impacting the business sector.

Prevalence of Corruption

The survey found that 85.1% of businesses in Albania had at least one direct contact with a public official or civil servant in the 12 months prior to the study. This suggests that commercial activities are heavily influenced by interactions with the public administration.

Bribery in Albania

The survey also found that bribery is a significant problem in Albania, with an average prevalence rate of 15.7%. This means that around one out of six businesses in the five economic sectors surveyed paid a bribe to a public official during the study period. Furthermore, these businesses paid an average of 4.6 bribes to public officials over the same period.

Regional Context

While the prevalence of bribery in Albania is higher than the regional average, the frequency of bribe-paying is lower than in the western Balkans as a whole. This suggests that while corruption may be more widespread in Albania, businesses may not be paying as many bribes on average compared to other countries in the region.

Implications and Recommendations

The findings of this study highlight the need for strengthened integrity and transparency between public offices and the business sector in Albania. The results will inform anti-corruption policies and strategies aimed at promoting an enabling environment for businesses to operate freely and fairly.

Project Background

The project proposal was endorsed by the project countries and received funding from the European Union in the context of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance 2011.
The survey was conducted in partnership with INSTAT, which has recognized technical capacity and expertise to conduct large-scale surveys of the business sector.
A Technical Advisory Group supervised the process and provided expert inputs and advice.
A regional technical workshop organized by UNODC in June 2012 and a small-scale pilot survey were also conducted to refine the instruments and survey methodology.

Regional Project

The study is part of a larger regional project, “Business, Corruption and Crime in the Western Balkans,” which aims to provide analytical insights into the hidden phenomenon of corruption and crime affecting businesses in the region. The objective is not to rank or grade countries but to provide evidence-based assessments that can inform anti-corruption policies and strategies.

The report complements the analysis provided in the regional report for the whole western Balkan region, “Business, Corruption and Crime in the Western Balkans: The Impact of Bribery and Other Crime on Private Enterprise,” published by UNODC in 2013.