12 PERSPECTIVES ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS | VOL 44 | 2026 confirm that this lack of trust has expanded into a triple threat to Croatia’s political, economic, and social stability. These consequences are driven not only by documented corruption but also by fear of it, which often exceeds measurable experience and becomes more corrosive than reality itself. Hyperbolization of distrust A comparison to other EU nations illustrates the anomaly of Croatian distrust. Data reveal a striking disconnect between how corrupt citizens think the system is versus how often in reality they encounter corruption or participate in it. As Table 1 illustrates, Croatia sits in a unique hyperbolized zone. Although 93% of Croatian respondents believe corruption is widespread— one of the highest rates in the EU—only a small share report paying a bribe in the last year (European Commission, 2025b). Such discrepancies are driven, in part, by the big fish effect: Exposure of high-profile cases (such as Mamić or Šupe) leads citizens to conclude the entire system operates similarly, a kind of learned helplessness. The public assumes corruption is both inescapable and at extreme levels, even if their own daily interactions with the state are honest. The fear of corruption becomes worse than its documented extent. However, this perception gap could also reflect reluctance to admit personal involvement, or a normalization of corruption that makes it unremarkable to even report. This triple threat has concrete consequences. Table 1 Perception of corruption versus personal experience in the EU context (2024) Source: Adapted from European Commission, 2025b. Category EU average Low perception/ low actual High perception/low actual High perception/high actual Gap analysis A baseline of skepti- cism exists across Europe, but experience with it remains low. Example countries All member states Denmark Finland Croatia Greece Hungary Perception of prevalence of corruption (%, last 12 months) 69 14–20 92 88–97 5 3 11 >15 Personal direct experience of corruption (%, last 12 months) High trust: Citizens rare- ly encounter bribery and trust their institutions; perception matches a genuinely low incidence of corruption. The hyperbolized zone: Croatia reports one of the highest perceptions of corruption in the EU, yet the rate of paying bribes is disproportionately low compared to the distrust. Entrenched corruption: Distrust is driven by fre- quent daily interactions with retail corruption and bribery such as health care and police.
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