CORRUPTION AND CAMBODIAN HOUSEHOLDS A Quantitative Household Survey on Perceptions, Attitudes and Impact of Everyday Forms of Corrupt Practices in Cambodia - 2010 PACT Cambodia Phnom Penh, Cambodia October 2010 1 Copyright: PACT Cambodia. Phnom Penh Centre Building A 3rd floor, Cnr. Sihanouk & Sothearos Blvd or PO Box 149, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Email:
[email protected] Report and questionnaire design: DIBD, Copenhagen (Wendt, (ed.) & Ludwigs) Data sampling: Market Strategy and Development, Phnom Penh Consultants: Mansfield & Lohmann 2 Executive Summary The 2010 Corruption and Cambodian Households survey suggests positive signs in the fight against corruption in Cambodia. Perception of public services and integrity of service and political institutions in Cambodia has improved considerably since an earlier survey in 2005. In particular, there has been a remarkable shift in attitudes towards public services such as health, education, public registry and business licensing. Even perceptions regarding police officers and judges, who scored lowest on the survey, have improved considerably. The amount paid in bribes also appears to have declined, although the use of different methods of calculation in 2005 and 2010 may be partly responsible for the result. In contrast to these positive findings, corruption is now considered the second largest social problem in Cambodia. Only the high cost of living is considered more important. Fully 82% of Cambodians believe that corruption is a problem in Cambodia while only 7% disagree. Poor people living in rural areas pay a relatively higher percentage of their income as corruption compared to middle-income and high-income populations. The 2005 household survey reached the opposite conclusion. Still, the chance of being asked to pay a bribe is greatest in urban areas.