Transparency International, a leading international anti-corruption NGO, has conducted yearly surveys of multinational officers, on how they perceive corruption impacts the society and economy. Egypt did worse than Italy, Mexico, Ecuador, or Brazil, but better than Colombia, Uganda, Philipines, Indonesia, India, Russia, China, Kenya, and Nigeria. From 1980 to 1985, Egypt averaged 1.12. This corresponds with the prevailing wisdom in the multinational community. The biggest negative economic impact of corruption is probably in the financial sector.
Businessmen rely on their own resources, get no financial assistance from banks.
They put their money into real estate, inflation hedges, gold, land, or in a safe place at home. Banks also are aware that many of their loans aren't recoverable, Mohieddin says, which decreases the amount they are willing to loan out. Egypt, however, is no worse in this respect than other countries in its income group. One gets an entirely different perspective from working-class Cairenes. This has its political backlash.