Bribery in the Subcontinent: Trends and Explanations
Subarna K. Samanta, Rajib N. Sanyal

Abstract
Ananalysis of bribe taking in five countries of South Asia–Bangladesh,India,Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka – over a 10-year period (2010-2019) indicates a significant decline in bribe taking in India,Nepal and Pakistan,but not so in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The most important explanatory variable for reduction in bribe taking by public officials is improvements in their Human Development Index–result of investments and favorable policies in health,education,andwomen’sempowerment. Other variables such as nature of political democracy, per capita income, income inequality,size of population,and degree of economic freedom were not found to be statistically significant in the presence of Human Development Index.

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