It seems that corruption isn’t only exclusive to developing countries. A report by the European Commission revealed that the region loses €120 billion annually because of corruption.

EU Home Affairs Commission released its first ‘EU Anti-corruption Report’ last Monday detailing the incidences and perceptions of corruption in the 28 EU member countries. The groundbreaking report was done by the request of the EU Parliament and national governments in the region.

Poll on EU citizens’ perception of corruption in their home country

One of the report’s most successful findings is based in Britain where five out of 1,115 or less than 1% of the population said they were expected to pay a bribe. Bribery is one of the most reported personal incidences of corruption in the region.

The EU average on the belief in widespread corruption is 74%. EU Home Affairs commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said this extent of perceived corruption was ‘breathtaking,’ destroying the people’s trust in democracy and draining public coffers.

The report revealed that out of all the EU states, Sweden had the least problem when it comes to corruption. It added that ‘other EU countries should learn from Sweden’s solutions for dealing with the problem.’

A similar study conducted by global consulting firm Gallup in 2012 revealed that corruption is a global problem and took into account freedom of the press as a measure of government transparency. In the Philippines, on the other hand, 2013 marked a year that saw an emergence in the public’s interest to fight corruption.