Majority of Namibians say corruption is rising and citizens risk retaliation if they speak out, new Afrobarometer study shows

Two-thirds of Namibians say corruption in the country is getting worse, although this share has decreased significantly in recent years, a new Afrobarometer survey indicates.

Large majorities believe that at least “some” representatives and officials in government, civil society, and business are involved in corruption. Most citizens say the government is doing a poor job of fighting graft and that ordinary people risk retaliation if they speak out.

Key findings

▪ About two-thirds (65%) of Namibians say corruption in the country increased “somewhat” or “a lot” during the year preceding the survey, a 13-percentage-point drop since 2017.

• Perceptions of increasing corruption rise dramatically with citizens’ experience of lived poverty, ranging from 56% among respondents experiencing no or low lived poverty to 72%-73% among those experiencing moderate or high lived poverty.

• ▪  Since 2017, more than six in 10 Namibians consistently report that ordinary people risk retaliation or other negative consequences if they report corruption.
• ▪  Namibians overwhelmingly think that at least “some” members and representatives of central, regional, and local government as well as state offices, civil society, and business are involved in corruption.
• ▪  About three-quarters (76%) of citizens say the government is doing a bad job of fighting corruption in government, the highest level of disapproval recorded in two decades of Afrobarometer surveys.
• Afrobarometer surveys: Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life. Nine survey rounds in up to 42 countries have been completed since 1999. Round 10 surveys are currently underway. Afrobarometer’s national partners conduct face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice.The Afrobarometer team in Namibia, led by Survey Warehouse, interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,200 adult Namibians in March 2024. A sample of this size yields country-level results with a margin of error of +/-3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Previous surveys were conducted in Namibia in 1999, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2019, and 2021.