- More than eight in 10 Mauritians (83%) say they value their national identity at least as highly as their ethnic-group identity. Fewer than two in 10 say they feel more ethnic than Mauritian (13%) or identify only with their ethnic group (5%) (Figure 1).
- Almost half (46%) of Mauritians say members of their ethnic group are “sometimes” (30%), “often” (12%), or “always” (4%) treated unfairly by the government (Figure 3).
- Strong majorities of Mauritians say they trust their relatives (87%), their neighbours (69%), and other citizens (64%) “somewhat” or “a lot” (Figure 5).
- Mauritians overwhelmingly express tolerant attitudes toward people of different religions (94%), members of different ethnic groups (93%), and supporters of different political parties (89%), saying they “would somewhat like it,” “would strongly like it,” or “would not care” if they had these people as neighbours (Figure 6).
- More than two-thirds (69%) say they would like it or would not care if a family member married someone from a different ethnic group (Figure 7).
Mauritians express a strong sense of national identity and display high levels of tolerance and trust in the community, the latest Afrobarometer survey shows.
Most citizens value their national identity as Mauritians at least as highly as their ethnic-group identity. Most also say they trust their neighbours and other citizens, and express tolerant attitudes toward people of different religions, ethnicities, nationalities, and sexual orientations.
However, almost half say the government treats their ethnic group unfairly at least “sometimes.”
Despite attitudes indicating openness to community, citizens report limited community engagement, such as participation in community meetings or contact with elected officials.
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