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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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