Jobs, wages, political leadership and public safety are among the major concerns of Fijian voters, with a new national survey revealing significant differences in priorities across age groups, ethnic communities and geographical divisions.
The Centre for Democracy and Dialogue’s (CDD) Wave 1 Fiji National Electoral Opinion Survey, conducted in September and October 2026, shows that economic concerns feature prominently across the country, while younger voters are particularly concerned about drugs, crime and public safety.
Among respondents aged 18 to 24, drugs, crime and public safety were mentioned by 18.8 per cent, followed by jobs, wages and the economy at 18.4 per cent.
Leadership, integrity and election manifestos were mentioned by 17.7 per cent of this age group.
However, among those aged 25 to 34, jobs, wages and the economy emerged as the most frequently mentioned issue at 23.1 per cent, followed by leadership and integrity at 19.5 per cent.
The survey also revealed differences between Fiji’s two major ethnic communities.
Among iTaukei respondents, jobs, wages and the economy were mentioned by 22.1 per cent, compared with 18.9 per cent who identified leadership, integrity and manifestos.
For Indo-Fijian respondents, leadership, integrity and manifestos were mentioned by 23.1 per cent, followed by jobs, wages and the economy at 16.8 per cent.
Drugs, crime and public safety were mentioned by 14.2 per cent of Indo-Fijian respondents, while 13.2 per cent identified the cost of living and prices.
The findings also highlight contrasting priorities across Fiji’s four geographical divisions.
In the Central Division, leadership and integrity were mentioned by 20.3 per cent, closely followed by jobs and the economy at 20 per cent.
In the Western Division, jobs and the economy recorded 22 per cent, followed by leadership and integrity at 21.8 per cent.
Northern Division respondents mentioned leadership and integrity at 17.6 per cent, jobs and the economy at 15.5 per cent, and the cost of living at 14.4 per cent.
In the Eastern Division, infrastructure and basic services were the most frequently mentioned concern at 22.7 per cent, followed by leadership and integrity at 21.2 per cent.
The survey also identified differences between male and female respondents.
Among women, jobs and the economy were mentioned by 20.1 per cent, followed by leadership and integrity at 19.1 per cent.
Among men, leadership and integrity recorded 22.2 per cent, followed by jobs and the economy at 19.9 per cent.
The urban-rural comparison revealed that leadership and integrity were mentioned by 21.7 per cent of urban respondents, compared with 17.2 per cent in rural communities.
Meanwhile, jobs and the economy were mentioned by 18.6 per cent of rural respondents, followed by leadership and integrity.
Infrastructure and basic services were also more prominent among rural respondents, at 13 per cent.
The findings suggest that while economic opportunities and confidence in political leadership are recurring concerns across Fiji, public safety, infrastructure and the cost of living feature differently among demographic groups.
The percentages represent the weighted share of respondents within each group who mentioned an issue, rather than the proportion selecting it as their single most important concern.
