Africa: Demand for Civic Space Holds Strong Across Africa As Supply of Freedoms Wanes

11 May 2026
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Anne Okello, Bernice Appiah and Joseph Asunka

Fewer citizens see their media as free, feel free to say what they think.

Key findings

  • On average across 38 countries, more than six in 10 Africans (64%) affirm the right to join any organisation of their choice.
  • Clear majorities support media freedom: 65% endorse the right of the media to publish without government control, and 72% say the media should investigate and report on government mistakes and corruption.
  • Across 30 countries tracked since 2019/2021, popular demand for freedom of association and support for the media's freedom to publish and its watchdog role have held fairly stable.
  • About two-thirds (65%) of citizens say they feel "somewhat" or "completely" free to say what they think, but this represents a 7-percentage-point decline over the past decade.
  • In 25 of the 38 surveyed countries, fewer than half of citizens feel "completely" free to say what they think. The sense of complete freedom of speech is especially scarce in Eswatini (18%), Togo (15%), Comoros (8%), and Congo Brazzaville (7%).
  • Strong majorities say they feel "somewhat" or "completely" free to join any political organisation they want (77%) and to vote for their preferred candidate without feeling pressured (86%).
  • The picture is starkly different in Comoros and Congo-Brazzaville, where citizens report some of the lowest levels of freedom to associate and to vote.
  • A slim majority (53%) see the media in their country as "somewhat" or "completely" free to report without government interference.
  • Perceived media freedom declined significantly in 20 of the 30 countries surveyed consistently between 2019 and 2025.
  • Citizens who report higher levels of freedom to say what they think, to join any political organisation, and to choose whom to vote for are more likely to express trust, and less likely to see pervasive corruption, in key democratic institutions.

Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines

The Civicus Monitor (2025), which assesses civic freedoms around the globe, shows that civic space across much of Africa is highly restricted. Of the 50 sub-Saharan African countries and territories included in its assessment, 44 are classified as "obstructed," "repressed," or "closed." The report highlights cases such as Sudan, where human-rights defenders and journalists have faced threats and lethal violence, and Uganda, Tanzania, and Burundi, where opposition parties, civil-society groups, and journalists have experienced sustained repression and election-related violence. It also documents instances in Madagascar and other countries where security forces have used excessive force against protesters.

Governments across the continent have increasingly cracked down on the media, civil society, and civic actors, often aiming to undermine civic action and the organisational capacity of opposition groups (Gerschewski, 2013). In contexts affected by insurgency or terrorism, governments have justified restrictions on civil liberties as necessary for national security (Smidt, 2018). Health epidemics and pandemics have also been cited by some governments as reasons for restricting civic freedoms, including postponing elections and arbitrarily arresting and detaining protesters (Gargard, 2020).

Civic freedoms are formally protected in national constitutions and regional frameworks such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. The charter, like many national constitutions, guarantees fundamental rights including freedom of expression, movement, and association (Organization of African Unity, 1981). In practice, however, governments have often circumvented these protections by enacting laws that restrict the exercise of such freedoms. For instance, Kenya and Zambia have passed legislation limiting online speech (Human Rights Watch, 2025; Short, 2024). Similar legal measures have been employed in Burundi, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Uganda to curb free expression and silence critics (Paradigm Initiative, 2025).

The rapid expansion of Internet access across the continent initially raised expectations that digital technologies would create new avenues for civic engagement, enabling citizens to mobilise and coordinate collective action through social media platforms. However, these technologies have also strengthened state capacity for control. Governments have increasingly extended restrictions on civic space into the digital sphere, with Internet shutdowns emerging as the go-to tool for limiting civic mobilisation. Such shutdowns have become increasingly common, particularly during national elections, when authorities seek to curb dissent and control the flow of information (Baum & van Rooyen, 2025).

Civic space and freedoms are essential components of democratic governance. In prior Afrobarometer surveys, Africans have consistently defined democracy in terms of civil liberties (Afrobarometer, 2002; Bratton, 2010). The active use of legal, regulatory, and physical repression by governments to limit dissent and weaken civic action thus runs counter to popular aspirations on the continent.

Across 38 countries surveyed in 2024/2025, Africans broadly express support for their right to join any organisation and for the media's freedom from censorship and its responsibility to report on government mistakes.

However, the perceived government supply of freedoms paints a varied picture. While many citizens say they can associate freely and vote without pressure, only 13 of 38 countries have majorities who feel "completely" free to say what they think. Furthermore, perceived freedom of speech has declined over the past decade, and only a slim majority of Africans consider their media to be free.

Anne Okello Anne is the assistant project manager for East Africa

Bernice Appiah Bernice Appiah is a master of public policy student at Michigan State University and a research assistant for Afrobarometer.

Joseph Asunka Joseph Asunka is the chief executive officer at Afrobarometer.

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2026 Afrobarometer. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.