▁it ▁occurred ▁upon ▁priv at ization ▁or ▁several ▁years ▁after ward . ▁ ▁A ▁study ▁by ▁the ▁European ▁Commission ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁UK ▁rail ▁network ▁( which ▁was ▁priv at ized ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 4 – 9 7 ) ▁was ▁most ▁improved ▁out ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁ 2 7 ▁EU ▁nations ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 7 – 2 0 1 2 . ▁The ▁report ▁exam ined ▁a ▁range ▁of ▁ 1 4 ▁different ▁factors ▁and ▁the ▁UK ▁came ▁top ▁in ▁four ▁of ▁the ▁factors , ▁second ▁and ▁third ▁in ▁another ▁two ▁and ▁fourth ▁in ▁three , ▁coming ▁top ▁overall . ▁ ▁Priv at izations ▁in ▁Russia ▁and ▁Latin ▁America ▁were ▁accompanied ▁by ▁large - scale ▁cor ruption ▁during ▁the ▁sale ▁of ▁the ▁state - owned ▁companies . ▁Those ▁with ▁political ▁connections ▁unf air ly ▁gained ▁large ▁wealth , ▁which ▁has ▁dis cred ited ▁priv at ization ▁in ▁these ▁regions . ▁While ▁media ▁have ▁widely ▁reported ▁the ▁grand ▁cor ruption ▁that ▁accompanied ▁those ▁sales , ▁studies ▁have ▁argued ▁that ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁increased ▁operating ▁efficiency , ▁daily ▁pet ty ▁cor ruption ▁is , ▁or ▁would ▁be , ▁larger ▁without ▁priv at ization , ▁and ▁that ▁cor ruption ▁is ▁more ▁pre val ent ▁in ▁non - priv at ized ▁se ctors . ▁Furthermore , ▁there ▁is ▁evidence ▁to ▁suggest ▁that ▁extra legal ▁and ▁uno fficial ▁activities ▁are ▁more ▁pre val ent ▁in ▁countries ▁that ▁priv at ized ▁less . ▁ ▁A ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁study ▁published ▁in ▁The ▁Lanc et