Corruption costs the European Union almost 6% of its GDP every year.

Omissions

• The official figure is a range, not a point estimate: the European Commission states corruption costs the EU 'between EUR 179 billion and EUR 990 billion per year, amounting to up to 6% of its GDP'. The lower bound corresponds to only about 1.3% of EU GDP, so citing 'almost 6%' selects the top of a very wide range.
• The underlying estimate originates from a 2016 RAND Europe study ('up to €990 billion in GDP terms lost annually'), which superseded the earlier European Commission (2014) estimate of around €120 billion per year.
• No precise reference period is given; the figure is a recurring annual estimate rather than a measurement for a single specific year.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Commission – Anti-corruption (official policy page)Corruption is estimated to cost the European Union between EUR 179 billion and EUR 990 billion per year, amounting to up to 6% of its GDP.
• SecondaryRAND Corporation – The Cost of Corruption in Europe: Up to €990 BillionNew estimates of the cost of corruption in the EU show that up to €990 billion (£781.64 billion) in GDP terms is lost annually.
• SecondaryThe Greens/EFA in the European Parliament – The costs of corruption across the European UnionThe latest estimates regarding the cost of corruption across the EU put the loss to GDP as a result somewhere between €179 billion and €950 billion.