Perception Gap Widens Over Corruption: ACC

Corruption remains one of Bhutan’s most persistent governance concerns, with the latest National Integrity Assessment (NIA) 2025 revealing a growing perception among citizens, public servants and lawmakers that the problem is both serious and, in many cases, worsening over the past five years.

Conducted by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the survey covered 17,896 respondents, including service users, public sector employees, parliamentarians and voters. While actual experiences of corruption remain relatively low, the findings point to a widening perception gap that could have implications for public trust and institutional credibility.

A majority of respondents across all groups rated corruption as either “Quite Serious” or “Very Serious.” The perception is particularly strong among internal stakeholders within the civil service.

Among respondents who described corruption as “Quite Serious,” the figures are notably high: 61 percent of external respondents, 45 percent of internal respondents, 54 percent of parliamentarians and 64 percent of voters. Meanwhile, those who rated corruption as “Very Serious” were most prominent among internal respondents at 39 percent, followed by parliamentarians at 31 percent, external respondents at 18 percent and voters at 15 percent.

The report notes that internal stakeholders tend to perceive the severity of corruption more acutely than other groups.

“Overall, a substantial majority across all groups perceive corruption as a serious issue, with most rating it as either ‘Quite Serious’ or ‘Very Serious,’” the assessment states.

Beyond current perceptions, the report highlights a worrying shift in how corruption is viewed over time. A significant portion of respondents believe the situation has deteriorated in the past five years. This includes 45 percent of internal respondents, 36 percent of parliamentarians, 33 percent of service users and 26 percent of voters.

While some respondents indicated that corruption has declined, such optimism is comparatively limited. Only 17 percent of internal respondents believed corruption had decreased, compared with 31 percent of voters, 29 percent of service users and 28 percent of parliamentarians, while 15 percent felt it had remained unchanged.

The ACC cautions that even though direct encounters with corruption are uncommon, the perception of rising corruption is itself a governance risk.

“Although direct experiences of corruption remain low, 40 percent of respondents perceive that corruption has increased over the past five years. This growing perception contributes to a trust deficit, which could gradually erode public confidence and undermine the legitimacy and credibility of public institutions,” the report notes.

It further highlights uncertainty among public officials regarding corruption trends, suggesting possible weaknesses in internal governance systems and oversight mechanisms. “Uncertainty regarding these trends, particularly pronounced among internal public officials, suggests a lack of clarity within the civil service about the effectiveness of internal controls,” it states.

When respondents were asked to identify the most prevalent forms of corruption, nepotism and favoritism emerged as the leading concern, cited by 39 percent of respondents as the “Most Rampant” form. This was followed by misuse of office resources (23 percent) and abuse of authority (20 percent). Bribery, while widely recognised, was more often classified as “Somewhat Rampant,” selected by 51 percent of respondents.

The survey also revealed a significant knowledge gap regarding more concealed forms of corruption. Over 40 percent of respondents said they lacked sufficient information to assess issues such as unexplained wealth and concealment of corruption proceeds, indicating limited public visibility of such practices.

Beyond predefined categories, respondents also pointed to broader governance concerns, including policy-related corruption, administrative delays and allegations of corruption involving sexual favors.

“These findings underscore the prevalence of both nepotism and favoritism in public sectors and the need for enhanced transparency, accountability mechanisms, and civic education to address less visible but equally harmful forms of corruption,” the report states.

Ultimately, the report argues that sustaining public confidence will depend not only on reducing corrupt practices, but also on visibly demonstrating progress in strengthening integrity systems across public institutions.

Sherab Dorji, Thimphu

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