Can corruption be measured?

In this article, the author surveys the World Bank's efforts in combating the myth surrounding corruption, as well as the Bank's work in creating diagnostic tools, disseminating survey results, and implementing effective anti-corruption strategies. It refers to concrete examples where corruption was measured using surveys of households, businesses and public officials, to determine its prevalence, as well as its social and economic cost. It states that in countries where this data-intensive approach has been implemented, its use and dissemination has sparked spirited debates and shifted the focus to institutional measures rather than to particular individuals. It concludes by referring to the various projects undertaken by the World Bank in this area, including the setting up of a diagnostic toolkit.