Links between corruption and quality of life in European Union

Rita Remeikienė,Evaldas Raistenskis,Viktoras Chadyšas,Ligita Gasparėnienė

doi:10.9770/jesi.2020.7.4(7)

Abstract

Studies looking at the links between corruption and quality of life have begun to take place recently, as until now the quality of life has not traditionally been associated with political decisions. Corruption may be defined as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain, which in one way or another affects the quality of life and satisfaction of others. The aim is to bridge the gap between the nexus of corruption and the quality of life in the EU. EU countries were divided into groups of countries according to the year of accession and cover the years 2004-2017 period. The EU has been selected as a geographical region with the aim of uneven economic development of the countries and the lack of research in the region. The aim of the article is to determine the interdependencies between corruption and quality of life indicators in EU countries. Multivariate regression models revealed that the prevalence of corruption among individual groups of six countries had the highest impact on mortality rates, unambiguously showing how well countries are managing their health care systems, population density, birth rate and population aging, GDP per capita, economic situation, life expectancy, serving as an indicator of quality of life and the number of people with primary education. The results of empirical research allow to form insights that in order to reduce corruption it is necessary to focus on the following spheres reflecting the quality of life: education, health care system and general economic situation of the country. The article used the following methods: comparative and systematic literature analysis, multiple regression analysis.

Highlights

The concept of quality of life is very broad and multifaceted, with no single definition due to its multidimensional nature
Studies and foreign experience show that countries with democratic traditions, human rights and freedoms are more open to high quality of life than countries with totalitarian regimes, unstable political situations, prosperous corruption and abuses of public service for private purposes
The mathematical statistical calculations revealed that the prevalence of corruption among groups of countries had the greatest impact on the mortality rate, which clearly shows how countries manage their health care system (4 out of 6 countries had a significant impact on corruption), population density, aging issues (4 out of 6 country groups), GDP per capita reflecting the economic situation of the country (5 out of 6 countries), life expectancy serving as an indicator of quality of life (3 out of 3 country groups) and primary education number (3 groups of 3 countries)

Summary

Introduction

The concept of quality of life is very broad and multifaceted, with no single definition due to its multidimensional nature. The concept of quality of life encompasses various aspects of human life (health, social well-being, psychology, standard of living). Quality of life becomes a key objective of national governance and strategic planning and an indicator of policy effectiveness. Corruption is one of the factors of the quality of life in the external environment. Studies and foreign experience show that countries with democratic traditions, human rights and freedoms are more open to high quality of life than countries with totalitarian regimes, unstable political situations, prosperous corruption and abuses of public service for private purposes. High levels of corruption reduce confidence in the law, the legal system and in the quality of life (health care, access to infrastructure, education). An analysis of the scientific literature (Wu, Zhu, 2016; Cárcaba, et al, 2017; Anderson, 2016) has revealed a lack of research revealing interdependencies between corruption and quality of life

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Conclusion