Our 2013 National Integrity Assessment and our 2024 public sector assessment conclude that New Zealand as a whole and its institutions are less corrupt than many other countries. A relatively strong culture of integrity and of ethical behaviour exists across most of society, including in its formal institutions. There have been some good (largely reactive) achievements over time in legislative empowerment, increased enforcement and increased international and regional collaboration.
However, since 2013 the integrity systems in our country have come under increased pressure from transnational organized crime, external country influence and global tech and financial system changes. We are facing increased corruption and more diversity of corruption, within New Zealand, regionally and globally. We don’t have a national strategy, or sufficient investigative resources. There are now multiple weaknesses across our integrity systems.
There is now an urgent need for New Zealand to take a more positive, proactive approach to anti-corruption.
Read our full submission
We invite you to a new three-part running in May and June 2025.
This free, online series is designed to bring Pacific voices to the forefront—highlighting community-led action, lived experience, and local leadership in the fight for integrity across our region.
Corruption thrives where transparency is lacking—but across the Pacific, changemakers are standing up to ensure our systems reflect fairness, accountability, and the values of our communities.
The sessions are rooted in Pacific ways of engaging—with time for talanoa, real-world examples, and a focus on collaboration and community.
The webinar topics are Anti-Money Laundering on 14 May, Organised Crime on 28 May and Beneficial Ownership on 11 June.
Research commissioned by Transparency International New Zealand (TINZ) investigates the effectiveness of anti-corruption institutions in New Zealand in deterring, detecting and exposing corruption.
Researcher, Dr Simon Chapple considered concepts and measures of corruption and whether perceptions match with reality. He looked at changing threats, as well as progress against past assessments. He sought the opinions of experts to be able to comment on the effectiveness of core anti corruption institutions.
Read the full research report: An assessment of the effectiveness of anti-corruption institutions in New Zealand in deterring, detecting and exposing corruption, and the associated research brief: How Well Do we Counter Corruption?
Corruption and lack of accountability threaten our democracy, our economy and the values of fairness and justice that we hold dear. Transparency International New Zealand works with Government, the private sector and civil society to identify corruption risks and to promote integrity and transparency as antidotes to corruption. This makes New Zealand a better place to live, for everyone.
New Zealand has one of the most trusted public sectors in the world, and we’re committed to helping our government continue to lift the global standard in democracy. We work across both central and local government to build transparency, accountability and integrity.
This work includes anti-corruption training, leadership programmes, and regular updates to the overall National Integrity Systems Assessment, providing key recommendations and areas of improvement.
New Zealand businesses benefit from a global reputation as one of the easiest places to do business. But complacency poses a risk, as bribery and other forms of organised crime remain alive and well in our private sector.
We work with organisations to help identify the abuse of entrusted power for private gain, and support the Government to legislate effectively against corruption.
Low population numbers, poverty and remoteness make it more difficult to sustain chapters in Polynesia, while corruption runs rampant. Since the closing of chapters in the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Fiji, Transparency International New Zealand has been acutely aware of the need for stronger voices for integrity and accountability in the region.
Funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), our South Pacific Network includes work with Integrity Fiji and the development of a risk assessment tool for small nations.
Do you want to help us create a more transparent, accountable New Zealand? Find out more about how you can support our work, either as an individual or an organisation.
JOIN US
