- Two-thirds (65%) of Gambians say democracy is preferable to any other kind of government (Figure 1).
- But half (49%) of citizens describe the country as “a democracy with major problems” (36%) or “not a democracy” (13%), a 12-percentage-point increase compared to 2021 (Figure 2).
- And about six in 10 Gambians (59%) say they are not satisfied with the way democracy works in the country. Dissatisfaction has increased by 20 percentage points since 2018 (Figure 3).
- Majorities see it as a frequent occurrence that officials who commit crimes go unpunished (59%) and that people are treated unequally under the law (56%) (Figure 4). At least four in 10 say the same thing about the president ignoring the courts and laws (44%) and Parliament (40%) and about ordinary people who break the law going unpunished (42%).
A majority of Gambians prefer democracy to any other kind of government, but many are dissatisfied with elements of the country’s democratic governance, the most recent Afrobarometer survey shows.
Only about half of citizens describe the country as a functioning democracy, and a majority are not satisfied with the way democracy works in the country.
Since transitioning from autocratic to democratic rule in 2017, the Gambia has made notable progress in establishing democratic governance practices, with widespread public approval of new political freedoms and increased citizen participation. However, the country continues to struggle with key challenges, including weak governance structures, inconsistent enforcement of the rule of law, and a lack of accountability among public officials.