Transparency International NZ monitors corruption in order to inform its strategy leading to educational and advocacy priorities. Our definition for corruption is ‘the abuse of entrusted power for personal gain’ and we recognize that corrupt behaviour is a predicate activity to many crimes.
Every year we conduct a corruption scan scouring information sources striving to understand the landscape and magnitude of corruption in New Zealand.
We are able with our resources and capacity, to undertake high level monitoring of corruption to inform strategy and therefore advocacy and educational priorities. However, we acknowledge that the information we can obtain is limited due to being mostly sourced from publicly available information and is subject to change, for example, if appeals are held that overturn current decisions.
Our scan revealed $28 million dollars involved in convicted corruption cases. How much more is there that is never found, much less prosecuted?
For this year’s scan we have relied on judicial records, media articles, regulatory releases, data sets, and reports from public sector agencies especially threat assessments, general information releases, international assessments that include Aotearoa New Zealand, and TINZ research and advocacy.
We highlight vulnerabilities in the public, private and charities sectors; national threats such as organized crime, foreign interference and increasing cybercrime; and look at particular elements of the public or private sector which are more vulnerable to corrupt activity
It is no surprise that corruption generally takes a ‘follow the money’ approach.
Read the complete Transparency International New Zealand Corruption Scan 2025.
