The latest data from the Corruption Monitoring System (CMS 2025) indicate a significant increase in citizens’ involvement in corruption in Albania.
In 2025, 59% of citizens report having given a bribe during the past year, while 54% state they were asked to give a bribe. Compared to 2023, involvement in corruption has increased by approximately 19%, marking a notable deterioration of the situation.
A particularly concerning element is the narrowing gap between corruption pressure and involvement. Unlike in 2023, when the share of citizens asked to give a bribe was significantly higher than those who actually paid one, in 2025 involvement exceeds pressure. This suggests a gradual normalization of bribery as a means to expedite or resolve administrative procedures.
Population-based projections illustrate the scale of the phenomenon: approximately 1,276,188 adult citizens were asked to give a bribe, while more than 1,395,555 citizens gave a bribe at least once during the year, indicating the widespread nature of corrupt practices in interactions with public administration.
The “Corruption Assessment Report on Albania 2025” was prepared by the Albanian Center for Economic Research (ACER) as part of the project “Civil Society for Good Governance and Anti-Corruption in Southeast Europe: Capacity Building for Evidence-Based Advocacy, Policy Impact and Citizen Engagement (SELDI.net)”, funded by the European Commission.
Public attitudes toward corruption in Albania indicate a slight improvement in moral rejection of corrupt practices, while simultaneously revealing a high level of susceptibility to engagement in corruption under pressure.
Data from the Corruption Monitoring System (CMS 2025) show that 69% of citizens consider bribery unacceptable, marking a 4-percentage-point increase compared to 2023. However, 31% of respondents continue to view corruption as acceptable, which, in population projections, translates into approximately 733,627 adult citizens who justify bribery under certain circumstances.
At the same time, the corruption susceptibility index indicates that 56% of citizens are classified as susceptible to corruption, meaning they are likely to compromise their values when faced with pressure. Meanwhile, 18% are classified as not susceptible, while 26% display mixed behavior, oscillating between rejecting and justifying corruption depending on the context.
These findings suggest that although public awareness and critical attitudes toward corruption have strengthened, a significant portion of society remains vulnerable to practical pressures and situational incentives. Strengthening institutional integrity and reducing opportunities for corrupt exchanges remain essential to translating moral rejection into consistent anti-corruption behavior.
