Corruption is a complex and global phenomenon that has been prevalent in both public and private sectors. It occurs in all countries, developed as well as developing, rich and poor, but its impact varies depending on the country's culture, institutions, and stage of economic development. This study investigates the effects of corruption on growth and development at the global level and a country-specific level.Contrary to the belief that corruption "greases the wheels" of the world's economies, the study finds that corruption "sands the wheels" of economies instead. It hinders economic growth and development , leads to weak governance, impedes governments' ability to implement policies conducive to growth and development, negatively impacts economic performance by lowering productivity of the factors of production, and encourages tax evasion, which lowers governments' revenues.The study also examines the causes and consequences of corruption, and the measures adopted to mitigate the negative effects of corruption at the global and domestic levels, especially the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), and the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR).

This report provides an analysis of the impact of a range of corrupt practices on economic growth and development in four key sectors: utilities and infrastructure, extractive industries, health and education.

The book analyses the influence of corruption on economic growth and environmental protection, examining corruption from different perspectives. It contributes to several streams of the literature and assembles evidence of the influence of corruption on two important variables in human welfare: income and environmental policies. The material evinces the detrimental effect that corruption has on economic growth and on the stringency of environmental policies. It also shows that standard techniques for fighting corruption are often based either on simplistic definitions or on strong assumptions that do not apply in many countries blighted by corruption. From a methodological standpoint, this work combines a number of approaches including a theoretical discussion of corruption and of its definition (often omitted in economic studies), together with econometrics, case studies and policy discussions.

Seminar paper from the year 2010 in the subject Business economics - Miscellaneous, grade: 1,0, Berlin School of Economics (Global Governance), language: English, abstract: During the last decades, corruption became an important topic. About twenty years ago the issue started to gain increasing attention. Different Organization engage in the fight against corruption. This is a remarkable change compared to the situation before the 1990s. Back then, most people did not see it as a pressing problem. Actually, it was more seen as an integral part of doing business. Most European countries allowed for tax deductibility of bribes. Even the World Bank, not constricted by such national concerns, was avoiding the topic. The changed perception of corruption has manifold reasons. Foremost, the geopolitical situation changed remarkably. During the cold war, governments, despite their corruptness, were supported to make sure they were not joining the communist bloc. After the end of this ideological competition, the imperative to tolerate and not to address issues like corruption and abuse of political power ceased to exist. Last, but not less important, the USA, not constraint by geopolitical considerations, had economic interest to put the topic on the agenda. While for US-companies bribing abroad was forbidden, most other developed countries used graft to initiate business abroad. Therefore, the US had a special interest to push for anti-corruption laws to level the playing field for its companies. From a western normative and moral point of view this fight against corruption on the international level seems to be a desirable development. However, if those were the only reasons for this crusade, it could be misperceived as another example of the imposition of rules from the Global North on the Global South. Then again, if corruption has negative impacts, other than moral concerns, it would legitimize this movement. Prevailing corruption might influence the development and economic performance of a country. In today`s perception development and economic performance includes a variety of indicators, which improve people`s quality of life. Therefore, after having narrowed the definition of corruption as it is understood within this paper, the correlation between corruption and some of those indicators will be examined. After this basic assessment, the relationship between economic growth, as one of the indicators for development, and corruption shall be illuminated closer. The question, whether there is a causal relationship and what the channels of this connection are shall be explored.

This paper demonstrates that high and rising corruption increases income inequality and poverty by reducing economic growth, the progressivity of the tax system, the level and effectiveness of social spending, and the formation of human capital, and by perpetuating an unequal distribution of asset ownership and unequal access to education. These findings hold for countries with different growth experiences, at different stages of development, and using various indices of corruption. An important implication of these results is that policies that reduce corruption will also lower income inequality and poverty.

This new edition of a 1999 classic shows how institutionalized corruption can be fought through sophisticated political-economic reform.

The problem of corruption is of central significance for the developmental prospects of poor countries. Corruption undermines development by siphoning off resources for infrastructures and public services and by weakening the legitimacy of the state. The volume will appeal to academics and policy-makers concerned with problems of governance and public management in developing countries, as well as specialists working on corruption and designing anti-corruption strategies.