Afrobarometer has launched Round 11 data collection, kicking off the new survey cycle with fieldwork in Zimbabwe and Gabon.
Following the successful completion of Round 10 surveys in 38 African countries in 2024 and 2025, the new survey round is expected to cover up to 40 African countries in 2026 and 2027, representing almost 80% of the continent’s population. Twenty-seven years after launching its pioneering effort to systematically measure Africans’ attitudes, experiences, and evaluations, Afrobarometer remains the continent’s leading source of reliable public-attitude data.
“At a time when Africa is navigating significant political, economic, social, and environmental change, understanding the perspectives of ordinary citizens is more important than ever,” said Boniface Dulani, Afrobarometer director of surveys. “Through Round 11, Afrobarometer will continue to provide high-quality, citizen-generated data that informs policy, strengthens democratic governance, and amplifies African voices in decision-making processes. We remain true to the high standards that have earned us multiple accolades as the gold standard for doing surveys in Africa.”
Round 11 introduces several new thematic areas that reflect emerging issues on the continent and in global affairs. These include democratic resilience, Africa in international politics, financial inclusion, and political populism. The survey also expands existing modules on gender equality, taxation, and climate change, enabling deeper analysis of citizens’ experiences and perspectives in these critical areas. To improve the interview experience, the Round 11 questionnaire has also been streamlined to reduce respondent fatigue while maintaining the quality of collected information.
Afrobarometer surveys, conducted by National Partner organisations, consist of nationally representative, face-to-face interviews with citizens aged 18 and above. The network works closely with national statistics offices, and its survey samples are based on population projections using the most recent census data. In each country, respondents are selected using a random, probability-based sampling methodology that ensures that every adult citizen has an equal chance of being included in the survey. To ensure that women’s voices are equally represented in the findings, Afrobarometer employs 50/50 gender alternation of respondents during fieldwork. The findings can also be disaggregated by age, rural/urban location, education, economic status, and other demographic characteristics, providing a broad and in-depth understanding of Africans’ evaluations, experiences, and expectations.