Global poll reveals many young people lack faith in democracy

POLITICAL NEWS - One of the largest ever studies of global public opinion on human rights and democracy across 30 countries, published this week, Tuesday 12 September, by the Open Society Foundations, finds a majority (58%) fear violence due to political unrest in the next year, including two-thirds of respondents in the US and France.

Democracy remains popular across every region of the globe, but the poll found lower levels of support among young people, as the world faces multiple challenges (the ‘polycrisis’)—from poverty and inequality, to climate change—and patchy evidence that democracies are improving the lives of their citizens.

Just 57% of young people (aged 18 to 36) believe democracy is preferable to any form of government, compared to 71% of older respondents; while 42% of young people are supportive of military rule, compared to 20% of older respondents (aged 56 plus).

Overwhelming majorities support human rights, with an average of 72% of respondents identifying them as a “force for good in the world.” Yet, a significant minority (42%) believe that they are used by Western countries to punish developing countries.

70% of respondents around the world are anxious that climate change will have a negative impact on them and their livelihoods in the next year.

South Africa-specific findings:

Over three-quarters of South Africans (79%) fear that political unrest could lead to violence in their country in the coming year, the highest proportion among all surveyed countries, jointly with Kenya (also at 79%).
77% of South Africans also disagreed with the statement that 'the laws of [their] country keep people like [them] safe’.
Support for democracy is strong in South Africa: When asked about the importance of living in a democratically governed country, 83% of South African respondents agreed it is important. This is slightly below the global survey average of 86%. When asked whether 'having a leader who does not bother with parliament or elections is a good way of running a country,' a majority of 64% of South Africans disagreed with this statement.
South Africa is recognised as a prominent regional power. When asked which countries in their region, apart from their own, should join the current permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, South Africa was voted by 27% of respondents in the countries polled in Africa.

The Open Society Barometer, an annual global survey from Open Society Foundations that launched today, finds that young people around the world (Generation Z and millennials) hold the least faith in democracy of any age group, presenting a grave threat to its future. Over a third (35%) of respondents in the 18-35 age group were supportive of a strong leader who does away with parliament and elections.

The report, The Open Society Barometer: Can Democracy Deliver? finds that the concept of democracy remains widely popular across every region of the globe, with 86% saying that they would prefer to live in a democratic state. There is also widespread disbelief that authoritarian states can deliver more effectively than democracies on priorities both nationally and in global forums.

Topping the list of such priorities, people worry most about poverty and inequality (20%), climate change (20%), and corruption (18%). Potentially indicating a lack of faith that governments are addressing such needs, around a third of respondents on average distrust politicians to work in their best interests.

The poll was carried out between May and July of 2023 by the pollster Savanta, as well as Gradus Research in Ukraine, using a mix of online panels and local vendors in 30 countries. The results paint a picture of the attitudes, concerns, and hopes of people in states with a collective population of over 5.5 billion—making it one of the largest studies of global public opinion on human rights and democracy ever conducted.

Following Open Society’s first such poll conducted last year, participants were asked questions about democracy and human rights, major issues facing their countries and the world, and international governance.

Commenting on the findings of the survey, Mark Malloch-Brown, president of the Open Society Foundations, said:

"Our findings are both sobering and alarming. People around the world still want to believe in democracy. But generation by generation, that faith is fading as doubts grow about its ability to deliver concrete improvements to their lives. That has to change."

Also commenting on the findings of the survey, L. Muthoni Wanyeki, executive director, of Open Society-Africa:

“The findings reinforce the resounding calls for inclusion and greater input from African countries in addressing the global challenges that most deeply affect people today. Most notably, the recently reported decision by the Group of 20 (G20) to admit the African Union marks a significant milestone towards opening up global decision-making and supporting the people across the African continent who are on the front lines of crises from climate change to debt and inequality.”

The findings include:

People support democracy. Only 20% consider authoritarian countries more capable than democracies of delivering “what citizens want.” At the international level, two-thirds (66%) of respondents feel that democracies contribute more to global cooperation. Respondents also believe firmly in human rights, with an overwhelming 95% rejecting the idea that it’s ok for governments to violate the rights of those who look different from themselves. Countries across every region, income level, and current type of governance maintained strong levels of support.
As people feel the weight of multiple crises, over half (53%) of respondents think their country is headed in the wrong direction. Young people aged 18 to 35 are the most skeptical of democracy, with just 57% deeming it preferable to other types of government.
A large minority of young people surveyed (42%) feel that military rule is a good way of running a country. A similar number (35%) feel that having a strong leader who does not bother with elections or consulting parliament/congress is a good way of running a country. This compares to 20% that support military rule and 26% that are in favor of a strong leader in the 56 plus age bracket.
Majorities in 21 of the countries polled fear that political unrest could lead to violence in the next year. Fear was highest in South Africa and Kenya (79%), Colombia (77%), Nigeria (75%), Senegal (74%), and Argentina and Pakistan (both 73%). Large majorities in some high-income countries also share this worry, including two-thirds of respondents in the United States and France. Forty-two percent of respondents believe the laws of their country do not keep people like them safe. This was particularly felt in Latin America, with significant majorities in every country: Brazil (74%), Argentina (73%), Colombia (65%), and Mexico (60%).
Half of respondents (49%) say they have struggled to feed themselves at least once in the last year—a number that holds in states as dissimilar as Bangladesh and the United States—both with 52% of respondents. Especially large majorities in Sri Lanka (85%), Turkey and Kenya (both 73%) experienced this.
The climate crisis is a high priority for citizens across low-, middle-, and high-income countries. Climate change was considered the top global issue by 32% of people in India and in Italy, followed by Germany (28%), Egypt (27%), Mexico (27%), France (25%), and Bangladesh (25%). Anxiety that climate change will personally affect respondents and their livelihoods in the next year was felt by 70% of those surveyed, and was markedly high in Bangladesh (90%), Turkey (85%), Ethiopia (83%), Kenya (83%), and India (82%), and lowest in China (45%), Russia (48%), and the UK (54%).
Across the globe, corruption is considered the chief concern for people at a national level, with an average of 23% saying it is the most important issue facing their country. Countries in Africa and Latin America, such as Ghana (45%), South Africa and Nigeria (both 44%), Colombia (37%), and Mexico (36%) stand in stark contrast with Western Europe. In France and the UK, corruption is viewed as the main concern by just 7% of people; in Germany, just 6%.
Poverty and inequality rank the highest (21%) among the issues that most directly impact people personally. This holds true in Senegal (the smallest economy surveyed) as well as the United States (the largest). Moreover, a majority (69%) believe that economic inequality between countries is a bigger challenge this year than last. This is most keenly felt in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Migration is highly visible but of low concern. Despite being front and center of political campaigns in many countries, just 7% of respondents said migration was their biggest concern at the global and national level. This suggests the salience of this issue is largely concentrated to political parties, and not among the public at large. The survey found that two-thirds (66%) of respondents want to see more safe and legal routes for migrants.
A plurality of respondents believe China’s growing influence will be a force for good: nearly twice as many respondents believe this will have a positive impact (45%) on their country as a negative one (25%). However, there is a sharp contrast between the enthusiasm of lower income countries like Pakistan (76%), Ethiopia (72%), and Egypt (71%), and the overwhelming negativity of high-income democracies, where only small minorities register positivity about the rise of China, as is the case in Japan (3%), Germany (14%), Ukraine (15%), and the UK (16%). Somewhere in the middle, a quarter of Americans answered positively, while 48% felt it would be negative.
People believe that a fairer international system would be more effective. 61% of those surveyed believe low-income countries should have a greater say in global decision-making—though, predictably, lower-income regions were more enthusiastic than Europe and the United States on this front. 75% believe that high-income countries increase their overseas aid, donate more money to the World Bank to support lower income countries (68%), and lead the way in reducing emissions (79%).

About Open Society Foundations

The Open Society Foundations, founded by George Soros, are the world’s largest private funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights. We approach this mission through the illuminating principles of justice, equity, and expression—defining characteristics of any truly open society.

For more information, please visit www.opensocietyfoundations.org

Polling and Methodology

Savanta and Ukrainian partner Gradus Research surveyed 36 344 respondents from 18 May to 21 July 2023.

In each of the 30 countries, we aimed to survey a statistically representative sample of 1 000 people aged 18 and older.

We surveyed 2 000 people in Brazil, France, India, South Africa, and the United States. Data were weighted to be nationally representative in each respective market by age, gender, region.

The survey consisted of 45 questions, 43 of which were asked globally - except in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Ukraine where some questions were removed or reworded due to political sensitivities.