Mauritians’ satisfaction with the way democracy works in the country has declined sharply over the past decade, a Afrobarometer survey has indicated.
A large majority of citizens still say democracy is preferable to any other kind of political system.
More than half of Mauritians say it’s good for a democracy if power changes hands via elections from time to time.
Key findings:
- More than seven in 10 Mauritians (71%) say democracy is preferable to any other political system of governance, although that proportion represents a 14- percentage-point decline since 2012 (85%).
- Only one-third of respondents (32%) say they are “fairly satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the way democracy is working in the country, a 40-percentage-point drop from 72% in 2012.
- Frustration with the functioning of the country’s democracy is particularly high among urban residents, men, young citizens, those with at least a secondary education, and those experiencing some level of lived poverty.
- Almost half (49%) of citizens describe the country as “not a democracy” or “a democracy with major problems,” a 29-percentage-point increase since 2012.
- A majority (59%) of respondents say that it is better in a democracy if power sometimes changes hands in elections from one political party to another.
Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life.
Eight survey rounds in up to 39 countries have been completed since 1999.
The Afrobarometer team in Mauritius, led by StraConsult Ltd., interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,200 adult Mauritians in March 2022.
Original article at Afrobarometer
