Only one in four citizens say the government is doing a good job of reducing crime.

Key findings

• As of late 2022, more than three-quarters (77%) of Burkinabè said they felt unsafe walking in their neighbourhood at least once during the year preceding the survey, while 66% feared crime in their home. o The share of citizens experiencing these forms of insecurity at least "several times" more than doubled between 2017 and 2022. o Citizens living with high levels of lived poverty were far more likely to feel unsafe than their better-off counterparts.
• One in 10 citizens (10%) said they requested police assistance during the previous year. Five times as many (52%) encountered the police in other situations, such as at checkpoints, during identity checks or traffic stops, or during an investigation. o Among those who sought help from the police, most (77%) said it was easy to get the assistance they needed. But fully six in 10 (62%) said they had to pay a bribe, give a gift, or do a favour to receive help. o Among those who encountered the police in other situations, 48% said they had to pay a bribe to avoid problems.
• While four in 10 citizens (39%) saw "most" or "all" police officials as corrupt, a large majority (71%) said they trust the police "somewhat" or "a lot."
• About three in 10 respondents said the police "often" or "always" use excessive force on protesters (32%) and suspected criminals (30%), while 26% said they frequently stop drivers without good reason and 17% said they frequently engage in criminal activity.
• Even so, almost six in 10 citizens (58%) said the police "often" or "always" operate in a professional manner and respect all citizens' rights.
• But only about one-quarter (24%) of citizens said the government was doing a good job of reducing crime, a 29-percentage-point drop since 2017.

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Baba Adou Baba Adou is a researcher of Political Science at the University of Florida and the UF Sahel Research Group