"Meinungsmonitor Entwicklungspolitik" (Development Policy Opinion Monitor) records the development policy opinions of the population in Germany
With the series "Meinungsmonitor Entwicklungspolitik" (Development Policy Opinion Monitor ), the German Development Cooperation Evaluation Institute (DEval) regularly surveys public opinion on development policy in Germany. Development policy and development cooperation (DC) measures aim to implement Agenda 2030 and its 17 goals, to overcome global crises such as the Corona pandemic or climate change, and to promote sustainable global development. Germany's population plays an important role in this. Firstly, governmental development policy measures are tax-financed and thus require the support of the population; secondly, citizens* are committed to development policy and thus make an indispensable direct contribution to global sustainable development. For development policy actors, it is therefore important to know what attitudes the population has toward development policy and global sustainable development, what it knows about this subject area and how it is involved in it.
The results of the current study show that the majority of the population continues to support German development policy. However, a majority of respondents are in favor of tying development cooperation to conditions such as the rule of law and democracy. In the case of autocratization processes in partner countries, the majority favors adjusting measures but not ending development cooperation. The results of the opinion monitor show that the majority of the population feels that it cannot change anything about the situation in the global South - this can be understood as a feeling of powerlessness in the face of massive global challenges. Overall, citizens continue to have a positive attitude toward development policy - this picture was already evident in the DEval opinion monitor 2018. Around 75 percent are also in favor of medium to high support for countries in the global South in 2022.
The complete study and the implications for development policy can be found here here read it here.