Africans remain strongly committed to choosing their leaders through elections, but confidence in the institutions responsible for managing those elections is low, according to a new report from Afrobarometer.

The report, published on February 9, 2026, and based on 50,961 face-to-face interviews conducted across 38 African countries in 2024 and 2025, reveals a widening gap between public support for elections and trust in electoral management bodies charged with ensuring that those elections are free and fair.

On average, about 74 per cent of Africans support choosing their leaders through “regular, open, and honest elections”, making this the majority view in every country surveyed. However, only 38 per cent say they trust their country’s electoral management body “somewhat” or “a lot”, raising concerns about public confidence in the integrity of democratic processes across the continent.

Despite the trust deficit, electoral participation remains high. The survey found that 71 per cent of citizens reported voting in their most recent national election. Self-reported turnout was highest among older citizens, rural residents, men and respondents without formal education, suggesting that engagement with elections remains broad-based even amid scepticism.

More than half of respondents, 55 per cent, rated their most recent national election as either “completely free and fair” or “free and fair with minor problems”. Yet the report points to a gradual erosion of confidence over time. Across 28 countries surveyed consistently since 2014 and 2015, perceptions that elections are largely free and fair have declined by seven percentage points.

The Afrobarometer findings also highlight underlying anxieties that persist around election periods. Substantial minorities of respondents reported fearing violence or intimidation during election campaigns and expressed doubts about whether their ballots were truly secret. These concerns coexist with strong feelings of political freedom, as most Africans say they are “somewhat” or “completely” free to join political organisations of their choice and to vote for any candidate without feeling pressured.

Beyond election administration, the report underscores a deeper frustration with political representation. While more than three-quarters of citizens, 77 per cent, believe that elected officials should follow voters’ demands, only 17 per cent say their members of Parliament “often” or “always” do their best to listen to what ordinary people have to say. This disconnect has fuelled doubts about whether elections translate into responsive governance.

Afrobarometer notes that the findings point to a paradox at the heart of African democracy: strong public attachment to elections as the preferred method of choosing leaders, alongside persistent mistrust in institutions and outcomes. The report suggests that strengthening electoral management bodies and improving transparency could be critical to restoring confidence and safeguarding democratic gains.

Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that has conducted ten rounds of surveys in up to 45 countries since 1999. Its Round 10 surveys covered 38 countries, with national partners conducting interviews in respondents’ preferred languages using scientifically representative samples.

The organisation says the latest findings provide a timely snapshot of public attitudes toward elections and governance at a moment when many African countries are grappling with electoral disputes, democratic backsliding and citizen demands for greater accountability.