Keypoints:
- Seventy-four percent support regular, honest polls
- Only 38 percent trust election commissions
- Most voters say MPs rarely listen
ACROSS Africa, faith in the ballot box remains resilient, but trust in the institutions that manage elections is markedly fragile.
A sweeping new Afrobarometer Pan-Africa Profile, based on 50,961 face-to-face interviews in 38 countries during 2024 and 2025, finds that while democratic elections are still broadly popular, confidence in electoral commissions has weakened, fears of intimidation persist, and most citizens believe their representatives do not listen once elected.
Democracy still the default choice
The survey paints a continent that continues to see elections as the legitimate route to power, even amid political turbulence.
On average, 74 percent of Africans say leaders should be chosen through regular, open and honest elections. This majority view holds in every country surveyed, from coastal democracies to landlocked states.
Yet the numbers also reveal a slow cooling of enthusiasm. Compared with a decade ago, support for elections has softened, reflecting disillusionment in places where polls have been disputed, delayed or contested.
Afrobarometer notes that this is not rejection of democracy, but rather frustration with how it is practised.
High turnout, uneven confidence
Participation remains strong. Seven in 10 citizens say they voted in their country’s most recent national election.
Self-reported turnout is highest among older voters, rural residents, men, and citizens without formal education, suggesting that formal schooling does not automatically translate into higher political engagement.
Still, perceptions of electoral integrity are mixed. Fifty-five percent of respondents rate their last election as largely free and fair, either completely or with minor problems.
But 36 percent disagree, and across 28 countries tracked since 2014/2015, trust in electoral fairness has fallen by seven percentage points.
The trend suggests growing scepticism about how votes are counted, managed and certified.
Commissions under scrutiny
The sharpest concern centres on election management bodies.
Only 38 percent of Africans say they trust their national electoral commission ‘somewhat’ or ‘a lot’. For many citizens, these institutions are seen less as neutral referees and more as politically vulnerable actors.
Afrobarometer warns that weak trust in commissions can erode acceptance of results, fuel disputes, and deepen polarisation after close contests.
Freedom to vote – but fear remains
Most respondents say they feel free to take part in politics. Seventy-seven percent report being free to join any political organisation, and 86 percent say they can vote without pressure.
Yet this freedom is not universal in practice. Significant minorities recall fear of violence or intimidation during the last campaign period.
Many also express doubts about whether their ballot is truly secret, a finding that points to lingering vulnerabilities in polling processes.
Voters versus their MPs
Representation remains the sorest point.
More than three-quarters of Africans believe elected officials should follow voters’ demands. Despite this expectation, only 17 percent say their members of Parliament ‘often’ or ‘always’ listen to ordinary people.
The gap between citizen voice and political responsiveness risks entrenching cynicism, even among committed voters.
About the survey
Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan research network that tracks public attitudes to democracy, governance and quality of life.
Round 10 surveys in 2024/2025 covered 38 countries. Trained national partners conducted interviews in respondents’ preferred languages with samples of 1,200 to 2,400 adults per country, producing results with margins of error of roughly plus or minus three to two percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
Ten survey rounds have been completed since 1999, making Afrobarometer one of the most authoritative public opinion datasets on the continent.
