Effects of Corruption

Corruption is one of the main obstacles to economic, social and institutional development in Colombia, affecting transversally strategic sectors of the national economy. According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2020-2024, citizen perception remains stagnant with scores between 39 and 40 out of 100, placing the country below others in the region and reflecting institutional distrust and weak governance.This book analyzes how corruption impacts key sectors such as infrastructure, health, education, energy and public administration, highlighting negative effects such as cost overruns, lack of transparency and rent capture, which affect competitiveness and economic sustainability. It emphasizes the need to combine regulatory reforms with a citizen culture of integrity, strengthening preventive mechanisms and social controls to combat corruption and strengthen democracy.