BERLIN, July 9 (UPI) -- One in two people said they think corruption has worsened in the last two years, the Global Corruption Barometer 2013 survey released Tuesday in Berlin said.
The survey by Transparency International indicated participants also believe they can make a difference and are willing to act against against graft. The Global Corruption Barometer 2013 survey polled 114,000 people in 107 countries
Twenty-seven percent of respondents said they paid a bribe when accessing public services and institutions during the past 12 months, revealing no improvement from previous surveys, results indicated.
Nearly nine of 10 people surveyed said they would act against corruption and two-thirds of those who were asked to pay a bribe had refused, the survey said.
Transparency International said the results indicated governments, civil society and the business sector must do more to engage people in thwarting corruption.
"Bribe paying levels remain very high worldwide, but people believe they have the power to stop corruption and the number of those willing to combat the abuse of power, secret dealings and bribery is significant," said Huguette Labelle, Transparency International chairman.
The Global Corruption Barometer 2013 also found that in many countries the agencies people rely on to fight corruption and other crime aren't trusted. Respondents in 36 countries said they consider police as the most corrupt, with an average of 53 percent saying they had been asked to pay a bribe.
"Governments need to take this cry against corruption from their citizenry seriously and respond with concrete action to elevate transparency and accountability," Labelle said. "Strong leadership is needed from the [Group of 20] governments in particular. In the 17 countries surveyed in the G20, 59 percent of respondents said their government is not doing a good job at fighting corruption."
Worldwide, people's appraisal of their leaders' efforts to stop corruption is worse now than before the 2008 financial crisis. In 2008, 31 percent said their government's efforts to fight corruption were effective; now it is 22 percent.
