Key Points
- The Survey finds that a majority of Pakistanis have not experienced bribery, nepotism, or illicit enrichment.
- Digitalisation and process reforms are improving service delivery despite lagging public perception.
ISLAMABAD: A groundbreaking study on governance in Pakistan reveals a significant gap between citizens’ perceptions of corruption and their actual experiences, challenging conventional narratives shaped by international indices.
The Index of Transparency and Accountability in Pakistan (ITAP), commissioned by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry and conducted by global research firm Ipsos, surveyed 6,015 citizens nationwide.
It is the country’s first large-scale effort to measure not only public perception but also the lived experiences of transparency and accountability across public institutions.
According to the findings, while 68 per cent of respondents believe bribery is common, only 27 per cent report personally encountering it.
Similarly, 56 per cent perceive nepotism as widespread, yet 24 per cent have experienced it. Illicit enrichment is seen as prevalent by 59 per cent, but a mere 5 per cent have witnessed it firsthand. These figures produced a composite corruption perception index of approximately 67 on a 0–100 scale, contrasting sharply with a lived experience index of only 16.
Experts note that this “perception–reality gap” reflects a longstanding trust deficit rather than widespread daily corruption.
Over the past decade, Pakistan has introduced significant reforms, including digitalisation of identity and certification services, online portals for education and healthcare, and automation of public procedures, all measures that reduce opportunities for discretionary influence and bribery.
“ITAP provides empirical evidence that governance reforms are beginning to translate into better outcomes for citizens,” said an official familiar with the study. “Even as global rankings continue to emphasise perception-based assessments, the lived reality shows tangible improvement.”
Institution-specific findings highlight public hospitals as the best-performing institutions for transparency in daily interactions, followed by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and public education institutions.
Traffic police scored highest in perception among the public, illustrating how top-of-mind impressions can shape overall opinion independently of direct experience.
Despite these improvements, awareness of anti-corruption mechanisms remains limited. Only 8 per cent of citizens have ever contacted an anti-corruption institution, and the awareness about right-to-information laws, reporting channels, and whistleblower protections ranges between 11 and 34 per cent.
Demographic insights reveal that younger citizens and women report more positive experiences than older generations and men, while urban populations generally perceive higher transparency than rural populations.
The ITAP survey provides a corrective to the global narrative shaped by indices that rely primarily on elite opinions, media reports, and secondary datasets. By grounding its findings in actual citizen experience, ITAP demonstrates that Pakistan’s governance reforms are beginning to produce measurable results on the ground.
