What does the largest and fastest-growing youth population on the planet really think about their place in a rapidly shifting world? For the fourth wave since 2020, we partnered with the Ichikowitz Family Foundation, alongside Burson, the Commonwealth Youth Council, and One Young World, to better understand Africa’s 1.4 billion young people. The 2026 African Youth Survey explores how young Africans across the continent view geopolitics, democracy, and security amid unprecedented global disruption.
Our Approach
Data was collected from 4,901 face-to-face interviews with African youth aged 18-24 across 16 countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, DRC, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The sample was split evenly by gender (50:50), with interviews conducted and offered in a range of local languages.
Key Findings
- Optimism on the rebound. Over two-in-five youth (43%) now express positivity about the continent’s direction, up from 37% in 2024 and a return to pre-COVID levels. Ghana (+24 points) and Nigeria (+20 points) saw the sharpest gains, driven by easing inflation and economic reform. Still, the rising cost of living remains the most impactful event of the past five years, and youth now rank job creation and reducing corruption as equally urgent priorities.
- Youth want partners, not patrons. Four-in-five young Africans remain concerned about foreign influence, even as perceptions of individual countries grow more positive. China is viewed more favorably than the United States, while over half of respondents say alliances should be judged on tangible benefits, like trade and investment, rather than shared values or ideology. On the Trump administration, youth are split: some favor pragmatic engagement, while others, particularly in South Africa, favor pushing back to protect national interests.
- Multilateral institutions still command trust, but demand reform. Confidence in the African Union and United Nations remains high, with each viewed positively by roughly 95% of youth. Yet 79% believe the UN Security Council should be reformed to include permanent African representation, signaling a generation that supports multilateralism only as long as Africa has a genuine seat at the table.
- Democracy is being renegotiated, not rejected. Three-quarters of youth still prefer democracy over authoritarian rule, and most reject one-party systems outright. But just over half say Western-style democracy doesn’t fit the African context, favoring instead a model rooted in national unity, effective service delivery, and free elections. Notably, only 54% believe everyone in their country is treated equally under the law, exposing a gap between democratic promise and lived experience.
- Security means jobs, not just soldiers. When asked about threats to community safety, more than half of youth (54%) point to unemployment and poverty. That far outranks terrorism, crime, or armed conflict. Job creation is seen as the single most effective step governments can take to improve security. On the brighter side, seven-in-ten youth feel safe today, and satisfaction with police has reached a six-year high, though confidence still varies sharply by country.
- Youth demand a voice. Three-quarters of youth believe too few young people hold leadership positions in government, and a similar share say they’d be more likely to vote for parties that field younger candidates. Support for a dedicated “Minister for Youth” role outpaced every other governance reform tested.
Read the full report from the Ichikowitz Family Foundation.
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