Earth Day: Climate Change Is Making Our Life Worse, Africans Say

Most Africans who are aware of climate change say it is making their lives worse and call on their governments and wealthy countries to take the lead in reducing its impact, the latest Afrobarometer survey findings reveal.

On average across 28 countries, nearly three-fifths of Africans are aware of climate change. About two-thirds of those familiar with the phenomenon say human activity is the main cause of climate change.

Four out of five say climate change is making life in their countries worse, and citizens believe their governments and rich countries should be primarily responsible for limiting climate change and reducing its impact.

In response to changing weather patterns and environmental degradation, the majority of Africans endorse investments in climate-resilient infrastructure, pressure to be applied on rich countries to provide more climate aid, and more investments in wind and solar energy.

On average across 28 African countries, nearly six in 10 citizens (58%) say they have heard of climate change. Large majorities are aware of this phenomenon in Mauritius (83%), Gabon (79%), Malawi (77%), and Cabo Verde (76%), but fewer than four in 10 say the same in Tanzania (38%), Tunisia (37%), and Nigeria (27%).

Among citizens who are aware of climate change, fully eight in 10 (80%) say it is making life in their countries worse, including half (49%) who say “much worse” (Figure 2). About two-thirds (65%) believe that the main cause of climate change is human activity. In comparison, 20% say natural processes cause it, and 11% think that both human activity and natural processes have caused climate change.

Almost half (46%) believe that people, businesses, and governments in other parts of the world are most responsible for causing climate change. However, a similar proportion (44%) blames it mainly on their own countries’ people, businesses, and governments.

Nearly four in 10 (38%) say their country’s government should bear the primary responsibility for limiting climate change, followed by one-fourth (25%) who look instead to rich or developed countries. One in five (19%) believe the responsibility should be shouldered by ordinary citizens, while only 10% point to business and industry.

To respond to changing weather patterns and environmental degradation, large majorities endorse investments in climate-resilient infrastructure (82%), greater pressure on rich countries to provide more climate aid (77%), and more funding for wind and solar energy (68%) to generate electricity, even if it increases the price.

Views are more divided on other potential policy responses, including banning tree cutting for firewood or charcoal (51% support), promoting electric taxis and buses (45%), and requiring cookstoves that burn cleaner fuel (45%).

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 were launched in January 2024.

Afrobarometer’s national partners conduct face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondents’ choice, which yields country-level results with margins of error of +/-2 to +/-3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.