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News release

Tanzanians prefer elections as means of choosing their leaders, express high levels of trust in the electoral commission

5 May 2025 Tanzania
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News release
Key findings
  • Almost nine out of 10 Tanzanians (88%) say regular, open, and honest elections are the best way to choose their leaders (Figure 1).
  • Nearly all Tanzanians say they feel “completely free” (86%) or “somewhat free” (12%) to choose whom to vote for without feeling pressured (Figure 2).
  • About eight in 10 citizens (79%) say they trust the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “somewhat” or “a lot.” Only 8% express “just a little” trust, while 7% say they do not trust the commission at all (Figure 3). o While not as high as in 2005 (87%) and 2021 (85%), levels of trust in the commission have recovered from lows between 2012 and 2017 (57%-67%) (Figure 4).
  • More than eight in 10 Tanzanians (84%) say the last national election, held in 2020, was “completely free and fair” or “free and fair with minor problems.” Assessments of election quality have remained fairly stable for the past two decades (Figure 5).

An overwhelming majority of Tanzanians endorse elections as the best way to choose their  leaders and express trust in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the latest  Afrobarometer survey shows.  

Most citizens say they feel free to vote for the candidate of their choice and continue to rate  recent national elections as free and fair, either entirely or with only minor problems. Public  evaluations of electoral fairness have remained consistently high since 2005.  

Ahead of general elections in October 2025, these findings point to a resilient belief in the  value and legitimacy of electoral democracy in Tanzania.