Essential Report
Corruption in industries and organisations
Q. For each of the following Australian industries and organisations, please indicate how affected by corruption you think they are:
Widespread corruption | Some corruption | Very little corruption | Don’t know | |
Government | 39% | 39% | 10% | 12% |
Building and construction | 34% | 38% | 11% | 17% |
Media | 27% | 44% | 12% | 16% |
Finance sector (banks and insurance) | 27% | 42% | 14% | 17% |
Mining | 25% | 43% | 15% | 18% |
Law enforcement (police) | 17% | 49% | 19% | 15% |
Health | 10% | 32% | 38% | 20% |
Agriculture | 7% | 28% | 41% | 24% |
Education | 6% | 29% | 43% | 21% |
Science and technology | 6% | 22% | 47% | 24% |
The most corrupt industries and organisations were thought to be Government (39% widespread corruption), building and construction (34%), media (27%), finance (27%) and mining (25%).
The least corrupt were thought to be science and technology (47% very little corruption), education (43%) and agriculture (41%).

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