Bribery and money laundering have infiltrated everyday British life, with 16 per cent of UK adults being asked for a bribe in the last 12 months.
A new report co-authored by a University of Surrey researcher found that 11 per cent of the population — equating to 5.8 million UK adults — were asked to help move money linked to crime. Over half of those approached agreed to participate.
In 2023, 9 per cent of respondents consented to pay a bribe, and seven per cent engaged in acts facilitating money laundering known as money muling.
The risk is concentrated among younger adults and men. In the 18 to 40 group, 29 per cent were asked for a bribe and 16 per cent paid. For money muling, 22 per cent were asked and 13 per cent took part.
Private sector cluster
Men reported higher exposure than women across both behaviours. Requests cluster in the private sector at 56 per cent, followed by the public sector at 25 per cent, the charity sector at 10 per cent, and 8 per cent in other or unknown sectors.
“These findings are a wake-up call. Corruption is not something that happens far away or only in high-powered boardrooms, or in the movies. It is happening in everyday life – in workplaces, in financial dealings and in routine transactions,” said Dr Jack Whittaker, co-author of the report and Lecturer of Criminology at the University of Surrey.
“Most worryingly, people are being drawn in because it is presented as normal or easy and that normalisation is how corruption spreads.”
The research highlights a major gap between official records and reality.
“Police record only around 100 to 170 corruption offences a year, compared with roughly 2,000 to 3,700 money laundering offences, yet the survey points to far wider hidden behaviour,” said Whittaker. “The gap between lived experience and official statistics is stark.”
The research team used an anonymous online survey of 1,000 UK adults, recruited to reflect the national population by age, gender and region.
