Public procurement, public administration recruitment processes, mining and rail operations are sectors with a serious problem of conflict of interest.[1] The European Commission has raised concern over Serbia's judiciary, police, health and education sectors that are particularly vulnerable to corruption.[2] Corruption is considered the most problematic factor for doing business in Serbia, followed by inefficient government bureaucracy.[3]
Even though Serbia has made progress in the investigation of high-level corruption cases, the implementation of anti-corruption laws is weak.[2] According to Global Corruption Barometer 2016, 22% of Serbian citizens who had contact with public institutions included in research (traffic police, public health, educational system, courts - civil litigation, public services that issue official documents, departments responsible for social welfare), had paid bribe at least once in the previous year.[4]
Transparency International's 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index scored Serbia at 36 on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean"). When ranked by score, Serbia ranked 104th among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector.[5] For comparison with worldwide scores, the best score was 90 (ranked 1), the average score was 43, and the worst score was 11 (ranked 180).[6] For comparison with regional scores, the highest score among Eastern European and Central Asian countries [Note 1] was 53, the average score was 35 and the lowest score was 18.[7]
Serbia's scores of 36 in 2022 and 2023 were its lowest since the Corruption Perceptions Index began its current system of scoring in 2012. Transparency International reported in 2023 that the autocratic government of Serbia controls the justice system and prevents the prosecution of corrupt officials. Of the state prosecutor's office, Transparency International wrote: "This politically captured justice institution is failing to protect the public interest at a crucial time, reducing the country’s ability to stop corruption."[7]
