Pan-African research network Afrobarometer has released its flagship report, revealing a stark divide between how ordinary Africans view global trade and free movement in theory, and how cautious they remain about immigration and economic competition at home.
Titled African Insights 2026: Beyond Borders: Citizen Perspectives on a Shifting Global Order, the study draws on face-to-face interviews with more than 50 000 people across 38 African countries. The findings present a detailed picture of a continent eager for deeper integration and a stronger global voice, yet deeply uneasy about domestic job competition and the cost of the global climate transition.
The report shows that while 62% of citizens favour free trade over protectionism and 56% support the free cross-border movement of people, nearly two-thirds of respondents report that traversing borders to work or trade remains difficult in practice. Furthermore, 40% of citizens want their governments to restrict entry to protect local jobs, with public opinion evenly split on whether foreign workers help or harm the national economy. Resistance to foreign job seekers is highest among educated and high-skilled citizens who view incoming labour as direct competition for professional roles.
Economic pressures are also driving a surge in emigration interest, with 45% of Africans having considered moving abroad. West Africans are twice as likely as East or North Africans to give serious thought to leaving, driven overwhelmingly by the search for employment and relief from economic hardship.
On international relations, citizens broadly view continental bodies favourably, with over half seeing the African Union and regional economic communities as positive influences. However, there is a resounding demand for structural reform on the world stage, with citizens arguing that African nations deserve a greater say in global decision-making, equitable partnerships, and climate funding from wealthy nations to offset worsening droughts and crop failures.
–ChannelAfrica/Afrobarometer —
