Download - Lived Poverty and the Economy
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Citizens Give Governments Failing
Grades on Economic Management
Despite a Decade of Growth
People’s perceptions of national and
personal economic and living conditions • New findings from the Afrobarometer, based on surveys conducted in 34
African countries between October 2011 and June 2013, reveal widespread dissatisfaction with current economic conditions despite a decade of strong growth
• A majority (53%) in the 34 countries rate the current condition of their national economy as “fairly” or “very bad”, while just 29% offer a positive assessment.
• Just one in three Africans (31%) think the condition of their national economies has improved in the past year, compared to 38% who say things have gotten worse.
• 32% say their own personal living conditions have improved in the past year, compared to 33% who say they have gotten worse (34% saw no change).
People’s perceptions of national and
personal economic and living conditions
• Africans give their governments failing marks for economic management (56% say they are doing “fairly” or “very badly”), improving the living standards of the poor (69% fairly/very badly), creating jobs (71% fairly/very badly), and narrowing income gaps (76% fairly/very badly)
• Many Africans nonetheless express optimism about the future: 57% expect the economy to be better in a year.
• At the regional level, West Africa tends to be the most positive and optimistic region, while East Africans are consistently the most negative, and the least optimistic about the future.
Fig. 1: Current condition of the national economy
83 83
79 75
73 72
70 67 67 66
63 63 63
59 59
55 54 54 54 53
47 46 45 45
43 42
39 39
37 36
33 31
24 20
14
6 9
9 6
18 5 8
14 8
7 6
12 21
11 9
21 25
17 16 16
17 13
12 20
31 24
23 13
20 9
20 55
13 32
29
10 8
10 18
8 22
21 18
25 27
30 20
10 29
31 21
20 28
29 29
34 41
42 31
22 34
37 44
43 54
44 12
62 43
53
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Kenya
Tunisia
Tanzania
Togo
Nigeria
Ghana
Madagascar
Guinea
Senegal
Burundi
South Africa
Liberia
Botswana
Morocco
Mauritius
Niger
Namibia
Algeria
Very/Fairly Bad Neither Good nor Bad Very/Fairly Good Don't Know
Question: In general, how would you describe the present economic condition of this country?
Figure 2: Current condition of national economy
compared with one year ago
77 71
69 68 57
56 53
51 49
49 47
45 41
40 38 37
36 33
33 33
32 28
26 26
25 25
25 25
23 23 22
22 19
19 8
11 7
13 12
8 11
21 23
27 23
26 37
13 25
29 27
35 24
36 36 38
29 34
40 35
30 43
28 24
42 32
40 42
55 51
1 1
2 2 1 1 1 0
2 1
2 6
0 1
2 1
7 1 2 1 1
3 1
6 3
0 5
1 4
1 5
1 1 1
3
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Egypt
Tunisia
Kenya
Burundi
Togo
Swaziland
Mali
AVERAGE
Lesotho
South Africa
Cote d'Ivoire
Liberia
Cape Verde
Botswana
Mozambique
Burkina
Namibia
Algeria
Worse/Much Worse Same
Question: Looking back, how do you rate economic conditions in this country compared to one
year ago?
Fig. 3: Highest and lowest levels of optimism about the
economic future
Question: Looking ahead, do you expect the economic conditions in this country in twelve
months time to be better or worse? (percent who say better/much better)
82 80 79 78 78 75
54
37 33 32
26 24 22
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100% A
lgeri
a
Mali
Nig
er
Ben
in
Nig
eri
a
Co
te d
'Ivo
ire
AV
ER
AG
E
Su
dan
Ken
ya
Eg
yp
t
Mau
riti
us
Ug
an
da
Tan
zan
ia
Fig. 4: Highest and lowest ratings of personal living
conditions
8 14 16 16
19 28 30
31
44 44 46 47
50 56
27 14 11
16 11
10 6
21
16 28
16 22 12
10
65 71
71 67
70 62
64
48
40 27
38 32
36 34
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Tanzania Kenya
Lesotho Egypt Togo
Uganda Malawi
AVERAGE
Sierra Leone Niger
Namibia Mauritius
Liberia Zambia
Very/Fairly Good Neither Very/Fairly Bad
Question: In general, how would you describe your own present living conditions?
Fig. 5: Countries with highest and lowest expectations
about improved living conditions
87 85 82 80 79 77
60
41 36 33 30 27
23
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100% B
en
in
Nig
eri
a
Mali
Nig
er
Cap
e V
erd
e
Co
te d
'Ivo
ire
AV
ER
AG
E
Bu
run
di
Ken
ya
Eg
yp
t
Ug
an
da
Mau
riti
us
Tan
zan
ia
Question: Looking ahead, do you expect your living conditions to be better or worse in
twelve months? (percent who say better/much better)
Fig. 6: Ratings of government management of the
economy
56
69 71 76
38
27 24
8
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Managing the Economy
Improving Living Standards of Poor
Creating Jobs Narrowing gaps between rich and
poor
Very/Fairly Badly Fairly/Very Well
Question: How well or badly would you say the current government is handling the
following matters, or haven’t you heard enough to say?
Fig. 7: Highest & lowest government ratings for
creating jobs
87 87 87 84 81 79 71
59 57 54 54 51 44
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Zim
bab
we
Mad
ag
ascar
Eg
yp
t
Nig
eri
a
Ken
ya
Tu
nis
ia
AV
ER
AG
E
Bo
tsw
an
a
Leso
tho
Mau
riti
us
Cam
ero
on
Sie
rra L
eo
ne
Mala
wi
Question: How well or badly would you say the government is handling creating jobs, or
haven’t you heard enough to say? (percent who say fairly/very badly)
What lessons to draw from AB survey findings
• Economic growth appears to be benefiting only a few, according to the ordinary people who participated in Afrobarometer’s surveys
• Growing economies are not creating enough jobs, or making life significantly better for Africa’s poor.
• Glowing GDP growth figures might therefore offer little solace to people without jobs or those mired in poverty.
• Popular opinion is thus increasingly out of sync with the “Africa Rising” narrative that has been gaining traction among government officials and international investors
For more information , data and publications, see the
Afrobarometer website at:
www.afrobarometer.org
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