Accra, Aug. 5, 2026 (Lusa) - Almost half of the people from Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde surveyed are considering emigrating for economic reasons, according to the Afrobarometer report published on Wednesday, which highlights the same trend in Angola (38%), Sao Tome and Principe (31% ) and Mozambique (21%).
One of the main reasons why respondents are considering emigrating is economic, with «the intention to migrate having increased substantially», according to the report «Beyond Borders: Citizen Perspectives on a Shifting Global Order» published in Accra, Ghana, and based on data from nationally representative surveys in 38 African countries.
Among the Portuguese Language Countries (PALOP), São Tomé and Príncipe stands out as the only one to record a significant decline in the intention to emigrate, falling from 35% in the 2016–2018 period to 31% in 2024–2025.
The report also assesses perceptions of the economic impact of immigrants in host countries.
The majority of respondents in São Tomé and Príncipe (68%), Cabo Verde (65%) and Guinea-Bissau (54%) believe that foreigners who move to the country to work have a «very good» influence on the economy.
Guinea-Bissau emerges as one of the most welcoming countries on the continent, with around 40% of citizens interviewed arguing that the country should take in more workers.
In contrast, opinions in Mozambique and Angola remain more divided regarding the positive or negative impact of immigrants on the economy.
The study also analyses the views of citizens in African countries on trade liberalisation and awareness of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Awareness of the AfCFTA varies across the PALOP countries, but remains low overall.
Guinea-Bissau stands out with the highest awareness rate (27%), followed by Cabo Verde (24%) In contrast, awareness levels are low in Angola (13%), São Tomé and Príncipe (12%) and Mozambique (11%), revealing a lack of information on the continent's trade integration.
Across all PALOP countries, the majority of respondents prefer to prioritise trade partnerships with all countries globally, rather than exclusively intra-African or sub-regional trade.
Cabo Verde (79%) and São Tomé and Príncipe (77%) lead the way in favour of global trade, followed by Guinea-Bissau (70%), Angola (63%) and Mozambique (61%).
Finally, with regard to free trade, respondents from the PALOP countries expressed a favourable stance, with the exception of Angola, where support for cross-border trade is largely rejected – only 45% support it – highlighting a considerable protectionist tendency, with 40% preferring to protect domestic producers.
The report presents new findings on citizens' views regarding cross-border trade and economic integration, migration, Africa's role and influence in global governance, and perceptions of the influence of the major global powers on the continent.
While the exact cumulative number of individual respondents across all 38 nations varies by each country's specific sample design (typically ranging from 1,200 to 2,400 interviews per country), the research draws on tens of thousands of completed interviews to represent public opinion across the continent.
DGYP/AYLS // AYLS
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