Eight years after protests led to the exit of longtime leader Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, citizens still believe corruption is a pressing issue, indicates a new Afrobarometer survey. Following the political transition, government officials prioritized countering corruption, because it was a major source of discontent in the protests. Through these efforts, the government established the National Commission of Enquiry into Misappropriation and Corruption and passed a whistleblower protection law. However, the survey shows citizens think little to no progress has been made on the issue.

Tunisians consider corruption the third most important issue in the country — behind the economy and unemployment — and 64% of those interviewed believe the fight against corruption is being handled “fairly badly” or “very badly.” Respondents also believe that citizen reporting can make a big impact in the fight against corruption, but that citizens are hesitant to do so because they fear retaliation. Given these findings, the report emphasized the necessity of engaging citizens in anti-corruption efforts and increasing government transparency about its actions to combat corruption. Read Afrobarometer’s full findings here for more insights.