Bypassing Bribes: Mobile Money and Corruption in Africa

Abstract

Drawing on a sample of up to 100 000 individuals across 31 African countries, we use repeated cross-sectional surveys and multilevel regression models to examine how national mobile money activity correlates with individual bribe payments over time. In a novel contribution, our findings reveal a robust association between higher mobile money activity at the national level and reduced bribe payments for nonmonopoly public services at the individual level. We argue that the growing prevalence of mobile money likely enhances transparency and increases the costs of engaging in corruption. Additionally, by enabling direct and digital payment of service fees, mobile money may allow users to bypass intermediaries and government officials who might otherwise solicit bribes.