Men More Likely to Pay Bribes Than Women in Public Offices – GSS Report
A new report from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has revealed that men are more likely than women to pay bribes when dealing with public offices.
The report, part of the Governance Series Wave 1, found that while 55.7% of Ghanaians interacted with public officials in 2024, nearly one in six (18.4%) admitted to giving gifts in exchange for services.
The study, which surveyed 7,248 people across all 16 regions of Ghana, found that men accounted for 68.3% of bribery cases, more than double the figure recorded among women (31.7%). This suggests that men are not only more involved in institutional engagements but also more likely to resort to illicit payments to facilitate access to services.
The report highlighted that money is the most common item given to public officials, making up 85.2% of all gifts. This is followed by food, drinks, or animals (9.0%), exchange services (4.4%), and valuables (1.4%). The dominance of cash bribes is more pronounced in urban areas, where 64.3% of bribery cases occurred, compared to 35.7% in rural settings.
The Greater Accra and Ashanti regions recorded the highest levels of bribery, while the Savannah and North East regions had the lowest. The report also highlighted that vulnerable groups, especially persons with physical and visual impairments, were more likely to experience bribery, raising concerns about equity in access to public services.
The report supports Ghana’s efforts to monitor progress on SDG Indicator 16.5.1, which tracks bribery in public institutions. The findings provide valuable insights into the prevalence and patterns of bribery in Ghana, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to address corruption and promote transparency in public service delivery.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
