Bribery accounts for 12 percent of the Russian GDP.
Russians pay out a staggering $36 billion a year in bribes and unofficial charges, an amount that adds up to more than half of 2002 government spending, or 12 percent of gross domestic product, according to a study released Tuesday.
Cash or expensive presents are given for everything from better treatment at a hospital to a business license or a favorable court ruling.
"The figures could be even higher. We were using the minimum levels," said Georgy Satarov, president of the Indem think tank.
