A corrupt act is generally conducted in great secrecy. All parties involved in the direct transaction will have a vested interest in hiding their activities away from the public. Surveys therefore present a unique means of determining levels of corruption in a sector or society that otherwise would remain in the dark. Albeit imprecise and limited to perceptions only, corruption surveys address serious issues and not only raise levels of attention accorded to the problem as a result of increased awareness and pressure, but also provideinformation as to where interventions are needed.

Different International Organizations conduct surveys on corruption issues ranging from causes of corruption to incidents and effective strategies to curb it.