Africans
Source: Afrobarometer
A large majority of Africans express tolerance toward people of different ethnicities, religions, political affiliations, and nationalities, but only one in four feel comfortable living next door to someone in a same-sex relationship, the latest Afrobarometer Pan-Africa Profile reveals.
While majorities say they trust other groups of people at least “somewhat,” only relatives enjoy “a lot” of trust from a majority of respondents, and nearly half of respondents express little or no trust in people from other ethnic and religious backgrounds.
The report, based on 53,444 face-to-face interviews in 39 African countries, shows widespread perceptions of unfair treatment by governments, especially on the basis of people’s economic status.
Overall, Africans express a strong attachment to their national identities, but a majority consider their ethnic identities at least equally important.
Key findings
On tolerance
▪ On average across 39 countries, at least eight in 10 Africans express tolerant attitudes
toward people of different ethnicities (89%), different religions (85%), different political
affiliations (82%), and different nationalities (80%). Only one-fourth (24%) say the same
about people in same-sex relationships (Figure 1).
▪ Comparing regions, North Africa consistently ranks at or near the bottom in tolerance
toward social differences, while Central and West Africa rank at the top (Figure 2).
On interpersonal trust:
▪ Relatives are the only people whom a majority (58%) of Africans say they trust “a lot.”
But majorities say they at least “somewhat” trust neighbours, other citizens, people
from different religious or ethnic backgrounds, and “other people you know”.
On discrimination:
▪ Six in 10 Africans (61%) say people are “often” or “always” treated unequally under
the law (Figure 4).
▪ Almost half (47%) say their government “often” or “always” treats people unfairly
based on how rich or poor they are – about three times as many as perceive
widespread discrimination based on ethnicity (17%) (Figure 5).
On national vs. ethnic identity:
▪ Only 13% of Africans say they feel more attached to their ethnic identity than to their
national identity. The largest share (45%) say they value both identities equally.
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