Every second citizen of Montenegro would report corruption to the competent authorities, but more than a third claim that they would not do so because they do not believe that institutions would act upon the report, and they are also afraid of retaliation.
Corruption, according to citizens, is most prevalent in the areas of employment, judiciary and healthcare, but also in municipal services and inspections, and almost half (48,3 percent) assess the level of corruption in Montenegro as high, while 42,1 percent consider it moderate.
This is shown by the results of a survey on public attitudes towards corruption for 2025, conducted for the needs of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (ASK) by the "DeFacto" agency, on a representative sample of 1.005 adult citizens of Montenegro, in the period from December 1 to 17, 2025.
According to the survey data, 50,3 percent of respondents claim that they would report corruption, while as many as 35,1 percent would not do so, and 14,6 percent of citizens are undecided.
When it comes to the reasons why citizens would rather avoid reporting suspicions of corruption, at the top of the list are claims that they do not trust that the authorities will act in such cases - 26,2 percent. 21,4 percent of respondents fear that the report will not remain anonymous, while 14 percent believe that corruption would be difficult to prove.
Among the reasons, the view that persons who report corruption are not protected in Montenegro stands out, which is why 12,5 percent of those surveyed would not report their suspicions, while 8,8 percent fear revenge or retaliation.
Nepotism still reigns
When asked what corrupt activities are most prevalent, the majority of respondents, almost a quarter, assessed that it was the use of friendly and family ties with civil servants to facilitate and speed up the performance of tasks. This was followed by the use of position to employ relatives or friends with 15,3 percent, but also the use of state and public resources for personal interest or benefit - 14,5 percent.
Citizens also mention giving money or gifts to a civil servant to do something that is normally his job. 6,5 percent of citizens believe that there is a practice of giving money or gifts to obtain an illegal service.
However, 91,4 percent of citizens do not justify this practice, and emphasize that it is wrong to give money to an employee of a state or local authority, educational or healthcare institution, or public enterprise in order to exercise a right that is legally due.
77,5 percent of citizens believe that it is wrong to give a gift, while 78,2 percent believe that it is wrong to "do a favor" to an official in order to exercise their rights.
The shadow economy is the biggest problem
In terms of assessing the most prominent social problems, citizens detect corruption, low wages, and inefficient institutions. This is followed by poverty, but also a lack of opportunities for young people, as well as crime and security.
Expectations for the coming period are cautious. The majority of respondents, 40,2 percent, believe that the level of corruption will remain the same in the coming year. 34,7 percent of citizens expect corruption to decrease, while 14,5 percent believe that it will increase.
When it comes to who citizens attribute the greatest contribution to the fight against corruption, they most often cite the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, with 23,7 percent of responses. This is followed by the Police Directorate with 18,4 percent and the Prosecutor's Office with 18,2 percent.
Citizens also assessed the success of institutions' efforts to fight corruption. A total of 63,9 percent of respondents considered these efforts to be successful or partially successful, while 29,1 percent said they were unsuccessful.
The majority of citizens, 64,7 percent, would turn to the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, 52 percent to the Police Directorate, 33,9 to the Supreme State Prosecutor's Office...
They would most often report anonymously
When it comes to the method of reporting, citizens most often state that they would do so by telephone (52,5 percent), while 17,7 percent would do so directly, through direct contact with institutions.
The majority of citizens say they would file a report anonymously - 62,8 percent, while 24,6 percent would file a report under their first and last name.
Although half say they would report corruption, experience shows that not everyone who finds themselves in a situation of blackmail does so. In the last 12 months, according to the survey findings, 9,8 percent of respondents said that when exercising their rights with state or local authorities, they were conditioned by a request for a gift or money. Among those who had such an experience, 35,5 percent of respondents reported the case, while 64,5 percent did not.
Greater trust in ASK
The Agency announced yesterday that research showed that 81,6 percent of citizens are familiar with the work of this institution, "which represents a significant increase compared to the previous year."
"At the same time, trust in the work of the Agency increased to 73,3 percent, while the percentage of distrust decreased. The survey shows that 75 percent of respondents believe that ASK has contributed to the fight against corruption, and in particular, there was an increase in satisfaction among citizens who had direct contact with the Agency, of whom 87,9 percent stated that they were fully or partially satisfied with the communication," the Agency announced.
They also state that positive progress has been recorded in the area of reporting corruption.
"According to the respondents' perception, corruption is most present in the area of employment, followed by the judiciary and healthcare. The Anti-Corruption Agency remains committed to non-selective application of the law, strengthening transparency and improving public trust, in line with European standards," they said.
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