Bribe or a small gift? Research reveals public perception of corruption in Uzbekistan

Key findings: Public understanding of corruption

The study gathered data through targeted focus groups, expert interviews, and phone surveys across Uzbekistan’s 14 regions. A diverse pool of participants, including urban and rural residents of various age groups, contributed to the findings.

Most respondents associated corruption with bribery and nepotism:

• 54.8% identified abuse of official authority as corruption.
• 51.4% pointed to favoritism in hiring relatives.
• 49.6% considered financial gratuities to officials a form of corruption.
• 38.4% associated the acceptance of expensive gifts with corrupt practices.

Interestingly, while 88.4% condemned bribery and 68.4% opposed offering bribes, many viewed small gifts as a sign of gratitude rather than corruption. Terms such as “suyunchi” (reward), “to‘yona” (wedding gift), and “rahmat” (thanks) were seen by some as tokens of respect and appreciation.

Sectors most affected by corruption 

Respondents highlighted health care, education, and local governance as the sectors most susceptible to corruption:

• 56.4% identified medical institutions.
• 39% named higher education institutions.
• 27.4% pointed to preschool education facilities.
• 25.6% mentioned local government offices.

For rural residents, corruption in road construction ranked significantly higher than for urban dwellers (22.2% vs. 12.8%).

Willingness to report corruption 

The survey revealed that 74% of respondents were willing to report corruption, with 82.2% favoring electronic platforms or mobile applications for this purpose. However, hesitations remained:

• 24.8% believed reporting corruption would be futile.
• 20.4% were unsure whom to approach.
• 19.8% admitted benefiting from corrupt practices.

Nearly half expressed fear of repercussions, while 13.8% admitted to giving small gifts or money themselves. Men showed slightly higher readiness to report corruption (79.2%) compared to women (70.4%).

Enhancing public awareness and accountability

The study aimed to address misconceptions about corruption and understand why individuals hesitate to report it. The Anti-Corruption Agency emphasized the importance of protecting whistleblowers and strengthening accountability between citizens and government officials.

In its ongoing efforts, the agency has launched initiatives like “Transparent Cities” and “Honest Districts” to combat corruption at the local level and promote ethical governance.