Corruption in Greece

Corruption in Greece is considered to be significant, with the country ranking as one of the most corrupt in the European Union according to the Corruption Perception Index. Transparency International stated in 2012 that corruption had played a major role in causing the Greek financial crisis Tax evasion was described by Greek politicians as "a national sport"—with up to €30 billion per year going uncollected, according to a 2012 estimate. A 2016 estimate indicated that between €11 billion and €16 billion per annum were not collectable. Other significant amounts were uncollected due to VAT (sales tax) fraud and smuggling. In 2016, the OECD, Greece and the European Commission launched a project to increase integrity and reduce corruption in Greece through the technical empowerment of the Greek authorities for the implementation of Greece's National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP).

Political corruption is also acknowledged as a significant problem by many observers.

The government's anti-corruption efforts have been evaluated as ineffective, according to several sources, which has been attributed to poor enforcement of anti-corruption legislation and the ineffectiveness of anti-corruption agencies. Anti-corruption agencies have been hindered by excessive political influence and continuous replacement of staff. Recent involvement of high-ranking public officials in corruption cases has been reported in the media.

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