The 2011 Bribe Payers Index ranks 28 of the world’s largest economies according to the perceived likelihood of companies from these countries to pay bribes abroad. It is based on the views of business executives as captured by Transparency International’s 2011 Bribe Payers Survey.

The countries and territories ranked in the Index cover all regions of the world and represent almost 80 per cent of the total world outflow of goods, services and investments. The 2011 report examines different types of bribery across sectors – including, for the first time, bribery among companies (‘private-to-private’ bribery).

Foreign bribery has significant adverse effects on public well-being around the world. It distorts the fair awarding of contracts, reduces the quality of basic public services, limits opportunities to develop a competitive private sector and undermines trust in public institutions.

Engaging in bribery also creates instability for companies themselves and presents ever-growing reputational and financial risks. This is particularly relevant in light of recent anti-bribery reforms in a number of key countries around the world, such as in China and the United Kingdom.

Companies from Russia and China, which invested US $120 billion overseas in 2010 and are increasingly active in global business, are seen as most likely to pay bribes abroad. Companies from the Netherlands and Switzerland are seen as least likely to bribe.

The 2011 Bribe Payers Index report draws attention to the role that both the private and public sectors can play in tackling this issue. It also makes a number of actionable recommendations, for both businesses and governments, on how they can strengthen their efforts to make substantial progress in reducing the prevalence of foreign bribery around the world.