Nineteenth century historian Lord Acton said: “Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In the twenty-first century, corruption is more complicated. It takes place globally, is multifaceted and affects billions.
From health to education, sport to humanitarian aid, business to social justice, corruption leaves few sectors untouched. It pervades every continent from Europe to Africa, from Asia to Latin America. Corruption by multinationals levels up the corruption game, the global economy making it a borderless crime.
In 2018 the World Economic Forum put corruption's cost to the global economy at US$3.6 trillion dollars every year. It means the world loses at least five percent of global gross domestic product, according to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Businesses and individuals pay more than US$1 trillion in bribes annually, according to the World Bank.
