In Ukraine, the percentage of citizens who do not tolerate corruption and choose to speak out has increased significantly.
This is evidenced by the results of the nationwide sociological survey Corruption in Ukraine 2024: Understanding, Perception, Prevalence,conducted by Info Sapiens on behalf of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP).
According to the survey, 57.9% of respondents from the public and 58.8% from business expressed a negative attitude towards corrupt behavior, which reflects significant changes in the perception of corruption as an unacceptable way of interaction between the state and citizens. For example, in 2017, intolerance to corruption was characteristic of a minority of the population (43.3%).
In addition, the willingness of Ukrainians to report corruption increased to 12.3%. The share of businesses ready to choose a whistleblowing model of behavior is even higher - 21.3%, although this figure among entrepreneurs has now decreased after a significant increase in 2022-2023 (26.2% and 26.9%, respectively).
Positive changes in the intolerance of corruption are also confirmed by the indicators of personal participation of citizens in exposing corrupt practices. In 2024, the share of those who reported corruption to the competent authorities increased to a record high in both audiences (17.2% of businesses and 9.7% of the population). In 2023, these figures were 14% and 6.5%, respectively, and in 2020, the same figure among the population was only 3.3%.
It is also important to increase the share of the population that supports the activities of whistleblowers. In 2024, it reached its highest level - 74.3% (+7 percentage points compared to 2023). Among the business audience, this figure remained high at 85.8%, although it decreased (-3.8 percentage points compared to the previous year). In general, support for whistleblowers among both audiences shows a long-term trend of approval of their actions, which contributes to a positive image of people who are willing to make their own efforts to overcome corruption.
At the same time, one in six Ukrainians (16.8% of respondents) is adequately aware of the rights and guarantees of legal protection for whistleblowers, i.e. the share of those who are aware actually remained at the level of 2023 (16.1%).
The above data demonstrate steady progress in the formation of a whistleblowing culture in Ukrainian society. At the same time, communication and outreach aimed at raising legal awareness of citizens and businesses, as well as overcoming obstacles that prevent them from participating in corruption whistleblowing, remains an important area.
