Democracy in Africa has faced considerable challenges over the past decade. Several countries have experienced democratic backsliding to “multiparty autocracies” or military regimes, and more have experienced declines in the quality of electoral contestation and political freedoms.
These developments raise the question: How hungry are ordinary Africans for democracy?
For more than two decades, Afrobarometer surveys have tracked two critical dimensions of citizens’ democratic experience: The extent to which they want to live in a democratically governed society (“demand for democracy”) and the degree to which they believe they are living in a democracy (perceived “supply of democracy”).
Democratic demand has consistently outpaced supply. But the latest Afrobarometer survey data reveal a concerning shift: The gap between what Africans want from democracy and what they perceive they are getting is narrowing – not because democratic performance has improved significantly, but because popular demand for democracy is weakening.
What does this mean for the future of democracy on the continent? What is driving this shift in citizens’ attitudes? Are Africans becoming disillusioned with democracy itself, or with the way democracy is being practised? And what might these trends mean for democratic resilience?
Ahead of International Democracy Day, Afrobarometer and International Development Research Centre (IDRC) will convene a #VoicesAfrica webinar to launch the latest Pan-Africa Profile, examining the key dynamics and patterns in perceived supply of democracy and popular demand for it, as well as the factors driving declining demand on the continent.
