In its latest report, Afrobarometer says African youth prefer democracy to any kind of authoritarian alternative but are more likely than their elders to be dissatisfied with the way democracy works in their countries.
In its report, the first in what will be an annual series on high-priority topics, Afrobarometer distils findings from data spanning more than a decade, including the latest round of nationally representative surveys in 39 African countries, representing the views of more than three-fourths of the continent’s population.
In a statement, Afrobarometer said the findings, based on 53,444 face-to-face interviews, show that while Africa’s youth (aged 18-35) differ little from their elders in their support for democracy, they express a greater willingness to tolerate military intervention “when elected leaders abuse power for their own ends.”
They are also less trustful of government institutions and leaders and more likely to view them as corrupt.
“But like young citizens throughout the world, young Africans are significantly less likely than older cohorts to express their dissatisfaction and preferences at the ballot box. They also trail their elders in other forms of political engagement, such as joining others to raise an issue and contacting a local government councillor.”
The Afrobarometer findings show that the youth rank unemployment and management of the economy as their top priorities for urgent government action, and large majorities see their governments as failing on these issues.
“Taken together, these deficits suggest that the voices of young Africans are not yet fully heard in the continent’s policy processes.”