Namibia

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 71,063 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

1 private and 1 state-run TV station; satellite and cable TV service available; state-run radio service broadcasts in multiple languages; about a dozen private radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters available

Internet country code

.na

Internet users

total: 1.325 million (2021 est.) percent of population: 53% (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: the government s Broadband Policy aims to provide 95% population coverage by 2024; mobile network coverage has increased sharply in recent years; by 2023, 3G infrastructure provided 89% population coverage while LTE infrastructure provided 79% coverage; despite the relatively advanced nature of the market, progress towards 5G has been slow, partly due to unsubstantiated public concerns over health implications of the technology which caused the government to order an environmental assessment of 5G in mid-2020; the government has requested the regulator to speed up its 5G development strategy; Namibia s internet and broadband sector is reasonably competitive, its development was for many years held back by high prices for international bandwidth caused by the lack of a direct connection to international submarine cables; this market situation improved after operators invested in diversifying terrestrial access routes to adjacent countries; in June 2022 Namibia was connected to a 1,050km branch line of cable running between Portugal and South Africa (2022) domestic: fixed-line subscribership is 4 per 100 and mobile-cellular roughly 113 per 100 persons (2022) (2021) international: country code - 264; landing points for the ACE and WACS fiber-optic submarine cable linking southern and western African countries to Europe; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 86,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 2.906 million (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 113 (2022 est.)

Agricultural products

root vegetables, milk, maize, millet, grapes, beef, onions, wheat, fruits, pulses (2022) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

revenues: $3.998 billion (2022 est.) expenditures: $4.535 billion (2022 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Credit ratings

Fitch rating: BB (2019) Moody's rating: Ba3 (2020) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Current account balance

-$1.848 billion (2023 est.) -$1.628 billion (2022 est.) -$1.391 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Economic overview

upper middle-income, export-driven Sub-Saharan economy; natural resource rich; Walvis Bay port expansion for trade; high potential for renewable power generation and energy independence; major nature-based tourist locale; natural resource rich; shortage of skilled labor

Exchange rates

Namibian dollars (NAD) per US dollar - 18.446 (2023 est.) 16.356 (2022 est.) 14.779 (2021 est.) 16.463 (2020 est.) 14.449 (2019 est.)

Exports

$5.641 billion (2023 est.) $5.314 billion (2022 est.) $4.341 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

diamonds, gold, fish, radioactive chemicals, ships (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

South Africa 28%, Botswana 11%, China 10%, Zambia 5%, France 4% (2022) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$12.351 billion (2023 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 73.3% (2023 est.) government consumption: 21.8% (2023 est.) investment in fixed capital: 26.2% (2023 est.) investment in inventories: 1.5% (2023 est.) exports of goods and services: 43.4% (2023 est.) imports of goods and services: -66.2% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 7.7% (2023 est.) industry: 30% (2023 est.) services: 53.4% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

59.1 (2015 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1% (2015 est.) highest 10%: 47.3% (2015 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$8.281 billion (2023 est.) $7.423 billion (2022 est.) $6.467 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, ships, copper ore, trucks, electricity (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

South Africa 41%, China 7%, Nigeria 5%, India 4%, UAE 4% (2022) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

9.19% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

mining, tourism, fishing, agriculture

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.88% (2023 est.) 6.08% (2022 est.) 3.62% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

989,000 (2023 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

17.4% (2015 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

4.64% of GDP (2019 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$29.944 billion (2023 est.) $28.748 billion (2022 est.) $27.288 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

4.16% (2023 est.) 5.35% (2022 est.) 3.6% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$11,500 (2023 est.) $11,200 (2022 est.) $10,800 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Remittances

0.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.43% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.37% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.956 billion (2023 est.) $2.803 billion (2022 est.) $2.764 billion (2021 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Taxes and other revenues

27.17% (of GDP) (2022 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

19.42% (2023 est.) 19.75% (2022 est.) 20.88% (2021 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 38% (2023 est.) male: 37.4% (2023 est.) female: 38.8% (2023 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Carbon dioxide emissions

3.61 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 72,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 3.538 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption: 32,000 metric tons (2022 est.) exports: (2022 est.) less than 1 metric ton imports: 33,000 metric tons (2022 est.) proven reserves: 350 million metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 646,000 kW (2022 est.) consumption: 3.433 billion kWh (2022 est.) exports: 382 million kWh (2022 est.) imports: 2.835 billion kWh (2022 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 370.694 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 56.2% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 74.8% electrification - rural areas: 33.2%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 3.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) solar: 36.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) wind: 1.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) hydroelectricity: 57.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

24.695 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

proven reserves: 62.297 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 25,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions: 11.81 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 4.23 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 10.4 megatons (2020 est.)

Climate

desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic

Environment - current issues

depletion and degradation of water and aquatic resources; desertification; land degradation; loss of biodiversity and biotic resources; wildlife poaching

Environment - international agreements

party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Food insecurity

severe localized food insecurity: due to localized shortfalls in cereal production and rising food prices - an estimated 390,000 people faced acute food insecurity in the January to March 2023 period, lower than the figure in the corresponding period of 2022; high food prices and localized weather induced shortfalls in cereal production in 2022 were the key drivers (2023)

Land use

agricultural land: 47.2% (2018 est.) arable land: 1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 46.2% (2018 est.) forest: 8.8% (2018 est.) other: 44% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Lower Kalahari-Stampriet Basin, Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi Basin

Major rivers (by length in km)

Zambezi (shared with Zambia [s]), Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km; Orange river mouth (shared with Lesotho [s], and South Africa) - 2,092 km; Okavango (shared with Angola [s], and Botswana [m]) - 1,600 km note [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km) Indian Ocean drainage: Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km) Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Okavango Basin (863,866 sq km)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.47% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

39.91 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 70 million cubic meters (2020 est.) industrial: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.) agricultural: 201 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 54.9% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 256,729 tons (1993 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 11,553 tons (2005 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 4.5% (2005 est.)

Area

total : 824,292 sq km land: 823,290 sq km water: 1,002 sq km

Area - comparative

almost seven times the size of Pennsylvania; slightly more than half the size of Alaska

Climate

desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic

Coastline

1,572 km

Elevation

highest point: Konigstein on Brandberg 2,573 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 1,141 m

Geographic coordinates

22 00 S, 17 00 E

Geography - note

the Namib Desert, after which the country is named, is considered to be the oldest desert in the world; Namibia is the first country in the world to incorporate the protection of the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip; Namib-Naukluft National Park (49,768 sq km), is the largest game park in Africa and one of the largest in the world

Irrigated land

80 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 4,220 km border countries (4): Angola 1,427 km; Botswana 1,544 km; South Africa 1,005 km; Zambia 244 km

Land use

agricultural land: 47.2% (2018 est.) arable land: 1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 46.2% (2018 est.) forest: 8.8% (2018 est.) other: 44% (2018 est.)

Location

Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa

Major aquifers

Lower Kalahari-Stampriet Basin, Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi Basin

Major rivers (by length in km)

Zambezi (shared with Zambia [s]), Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km; Orange river mouth (shared with Lesotho [s], and South Africa) - 2,092 km; Okavango (shared with Angola [s], and Botswana [m]) - 1,600 km note [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km) Indian Ocean drainage: Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km) Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Okavango Basin (863,866 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

prolonged periods of drought

Natural resources

diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, silver, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, tungsten, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore

Population distribution

population density is very low, with the largest clustering found in the extreme north-central area along the border with Angola as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east

Administrative divisions

14 regions; Erongo, Hardap, //Karas, Kavango East, Kavango West, Khomas, Kunene, Ohangwena, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa, Zambezi; note - the Karas Region was renamed //Karas in September 2013 to include the alveolar lateral click of the Khoekhoegowab language

Capital

name: Windhoek geographic coordinates: 22 34 S, 17 05 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April etymology: may derive from the Afrikaans word "wind-hoek" meaning "windy corner"

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Namibia dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

history: adopted 9 February 1990, entered into force 21 March 1990 amendments: passage requires majority vote of the National Assembly membership and of the National Council of Parliament and assent of the president of the republic; if the National Council fails to pass an amendment, the president can call for a referendum; passage by referendum requires two-thirds majority of votes cast; amendments that detract from or repeal constitutional articles on fundamental rights and freedoms cannot be amended, and the requisite majorities needed by Parliament to amend the constitution cannot be changed; amended 1998, 2010, 2014

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Namibia conventional short form: Namibia local long form: Republic of Namibia local short form: Namibia former: German South-West Africa (Deutsch-Suedwestafrika), South-West Africa etymology: named for the coastal Namib Desert; the name "namib" means "vast place" in the Nama/Damara language

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Randy William BERRY (since 9 February 2023) embassy: 38 Metje Street, Klein Windhoek, Windhoek mailing address: 2540 Windhoek Place, Washington DC 20521-2540 telephone: [264] (61) 202-5000 FAX: [264] (61) 202-5219 email address and website: ConsularWindhoek@state.gov https://na.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Margareth Natalie MENSAH-WILLIAMS (since 18 January 2021) chancery: 1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 986-0540 FAX: [1] (202) 986-0443 email address and website: info@namibiaembassyusa.org https://namibiaembassyusa.org/

Executive branch

chief of state: Acting President Nangolo MBUMBA (since 4 February 2024) head of government: Acting President Nangolo MBUMBA (since 4 February 2024) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among members of the National Assembly elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 27 November 2024 (next to be held in November 2029) note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; note- President Hage GEINGOB died on 4 February 2024, and Vice President MBUMBA was sworn in to run the government until the next presidential election in November 2024; note- Netumbo Nandi-NDAITWAH won the 7 December 2024 election with her inauguration scheduled for 21 March 2025 election results: 2024: Netumbo Nandi-NDAITWAH elected president in the first round; percent of vote -Netumbo Nandi-NDAITWAH (SWAPO) 57%, Panduleni ITULA (IPC) 26%, McHenry VENAANI (PDM) 5.10%, Bernadus SWARTBOOI (LPM) 4.72%, Job AMUPANDA (AR) 1.80%, Hendrik GAOBEAB (UDF) 1.16%; other 3.31% 2019: Hage GEINGOB reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Hage GEINGOB (SWAPO) 56.3%, Panduleni ITULA (independent) 29.4%, McHenry VENAANI (PDM) 5.3%, other .9%

Flag description

a wide red stripe edged by narrow white stripes divides the flag diagonally from lower hoist corner to upper fly corner; the upper hoist-side triangle is blue and charged with a golden-yellow, 12-rayed sunburst; the lower fly-side triangle is green; red signifies the heroism of the people and their determination to build a future of equal opportunity for all; white stands for peace, unity, tranquility, and harmony; blue represents the Namibian sky and the Atlantic Ocean, the country's precious water resources and rain; the golden-yellow sun denotes power and existence; green symbolizes vegetation and agricultural resources

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, CPLP (associate observer), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and at least 3 judges in quorum sessions) judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president of Namibia upon the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission; judges serve until age 65, but terms can be extended by the president until age 70 subordinate courts: High Court; Electoral Court, Labor Court; regional and district magistrates' courts; community courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of uncodified civil law based on Roman-Dutch law and customary law

Legislative branch

description: bicameral Parliament consists of: National Council (42 seats); members indirectly elected 3 each by the 14 regional councils to serve 5-year terms) National Assembly (104 seats; 96 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed list, proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms and 8 nonvoting members appointed by the president) elections: National Council - elections for regional councils to determine members of the National Council held on 25 November 2020 (next to be held on 25 November 2025) National Assembly - last held on 27 November 2019 (next to be held in November 2024) election results: Nstional Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SWAPO 28, LPM 6, IPC 2, PDM 2, UDF 2, NUDO 1, independent 1; composition - men 36, women 6, percentage women 14.3% National Assembly - percent of vote by party - SWAPO 65.5%, PDM 16.6%, LPM 4.7%, NUDO 1.9%, APP 1.8%, UDF 1.8%, RP 1.8%, NEFF 1.7%, RDP 1.1%, CDV .7%, SWANU .6%, other 1.8%; seats by party - SWAPO 63, PDM 16, LPM 4, NUDO 2, APP 2, UDF 2, RP 2, NEFF 2, RDP 1, CDV 1, SWANU 1; composition - men 58, women 46, percentage women 44.2%; total Parliament percentage women 35.6%

National anthem

name: "Namibia, Land of the Brave" lyrics/music: Axali DOESEB note: adopted 1991

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 2 (1 cultural, 1 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Twyfelfontein or /Ui-//aes (c); Namib Sand Sea (n)

National holiday

Independence Day, 21 March (1990)

National symbol(s)

oryx (antelope); national colors: blue, red, green, white, yellow

Political parties

All People's Party or APP Christian Democratic Voice or CDV Landless People's Movement or LPM National Unity Democratic Organization or NUDO Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters or NEFF Popular Democratic Movement or PDM (formerly Democratic Turnhalle Alliance or DTA) Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP Republican Party or RP South West Africa National Union or SWANU South West Africa People's Organization or SWAPO United Democratic Front or UDF United People's Movement or UPM

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Various ethnic groups occupied southwestern Africa prior to Germany establishing a colony over most of the territory in 1884. South Africa occupied the colony, then known as German South West Africa, in 1915 during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966, the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that became Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia gained independence in 1990, and SWAPO has governed it since, although the party has dropped much of its Marxist ideology. President Hage GEINGOB was elected in 2014 in a landslide victory, replacing Hifikepunye POHAMBA, who stepped down after serving two terms. SWAPO retained its parliamentary super majority in the 2014 elections. In 2019 elections, GEINGOB was reelected but by a substantially reduced majority, and SWAPO narrowly lost its super majority in parliament.

Military - note

the NDF s primary responsibility is defending Namibia's territorial integrity and national interests; it has participated in UN and regional peacekeeping and security missions and provides assistance to civil authorities as needed; it also participates in multinational training exercises the NDF was created in 1990, largely from demobilized former members of the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) and the South West Africa Territorial Force (SWATF); the PLAN was the armed wing of the South West Africa People s Organization (SWAPO), while SWATF was an auxiliary of the South African Defense Force and comprised the armed forces of the former South West Africa, 1977-1989; from 1990-1995, the British military assisted with the forming and training the NDF (2024)

Military and security forces

Namibian Defense Force (NDF): Army, Navy, Air Force (2024) note: the Namibian Police Force is under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security; it has a paramilitary Special Field Force responsible for protecting borders and government installations

Military and security service personnel strengths

information varies; approximately 12,000 personnel (10,000 Army; 1,000 Navy; 1,000 Air Force) (2024)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the NDF's inventory consists of a mix of Soviet-era and some more modern systems from a variety of countries, including Brazil, China, Germany, India, and South Africa; most of the Navy's vessels and the Air Force's fighter aircraft were acquired from China; Namibia has a small defense industry that produces items such as armored personnel carriers (2024)

Military expenditures

2.8% of GDP (2023 est.) 3% of GDP (2022 est.) 3% of GDP (2021 est.) 3.4% of GDP (2020 est.) 3.3% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-25 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; no conscription (2024) note: as of 2022, women comprised about 23% of the active-duty military

Age structure

0-14 years: 34.1% (male 482,790/female 473,306) 15-64 years: 62% (male 846,810/female 890,099) 65 years and over: 3.9% (2024 est.) (male 47,686/female 62,969)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 2.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 1.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.53 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

24.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

13.2% (2013)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

56.1% (2013)

Current health expenditure

8.9% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

33.3% (2023 est.)

Death rate

7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Demographic profile

Planning officials view Namibia s reduced population growth rate as sustainable based on the country s economic growth over the past decade. Prior to independence in 1990, Namibia s relatively small population grew at about 3% annually, but declining fertility and the impact of HIV/AIDS slowed this growth to 1.4% by 2011, rebounding to close to 2% by 2016. Namibia s fertility rate has fallen over the last two decades from about 4.5 children per woman in 1996 to 3.4 in 2016 and to 3 in 2022 due to increased contraceptive use, higher educational attainment among women, and greater female participation in the labor force. The average age at first birth has stayed fairly constant, but the age at first marriage continues to increase, indicating a rising incidence of premarital childbearing. The majority of Namibians are rural dwellers (about 55%) and live in the better-watered north and northeast parts of the country. Migration, historically male-dominated, generally flows from northern communal areas non-agricultural lands where blacks were sequestered under the apartheid system to agricultural, mining, and manufacturing centers in the center and south. After independence from South Africa, restrictions on internal movement eased, and rural-urban migration increased, bolstering urban growth. Some Namibians usually persons who are better-educated, more affluent, and from urban areas continue to legally migrate to South Africa temporarily to visit family and friends and, much less frequently, to pursue tertiary education or better economic opportunities. Namibians concentrated along the country s other borders make unauthorized visits to Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, or Botswana, to visit family and to trade agricultural goods. Few Namibians express interest in permanently settling in other countries; they prefer the safety of their homeland, have a strong national identity, and enjoy a well-supplied retail sector. Although Namibia is receptive to foreign investment and cross-border trade, intolerance toward non-citizens is widespread.

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 67.3 youth dependency ratio: 60.6 elderly dependency ratio: 6.7 potential support ratio: 14.8 (2021 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 98.9% of population rural: 83.2% of population total: 91.4% of population unimproved: urban: 1.1% of population rural: 16.8% of population total: 8.6% of population (2020 est.)

Education expenditures

9.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

Ovambo 50%, Kavangos 9%, Herero 7%, Damara 7%, mixed European and African ancestry 6.5%, European 6%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, San 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5%

Gross reproduction rate

1.43 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.7 beds/1,000 population

Infant mortality rate

total: 27.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) male: 31 deaths/1,000 live births female: 24.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Oshiwambo languages 49.7%, Nama/Damara 11%, Kavango languages 10.4%, Afrikaans 9.4%, Herero languages 9.2%, Zambezi languages 4.9%, English (official) 2.3%, other African languages 1.5%, other European languages 0.7%, other 1% (2016 est.) note: Namibia has 13 recognized national languages, including 10 indigenous African languages and 3 European languages

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 65.9 years (2024 est.) male: 64.2 years female: 67.6 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.3% male: 90.6% female: 92.3% (2021)

Major urban areas - population

477,000 WINDHOEK (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

215 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

total: 22.8 years (2024 est.) male: 22.1 years female: 23.5 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.6 years (2013 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

noun: Namibian(s) adjective: Namibian

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

17.2% (2016)

Physician density

0.59 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

total: 2,803,660 male: 1,377,286 female: 1,426,374 (2024 est.)

Population distribution

population density is very low, with the largest clustering found in the extreme north-central area along the border with Angola as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

1.72% (2024 est.)

Religions

Christian 97.5%, other 0.6% (includes Muslim, Baha'i, Jewish, Buddhist), unaffiliated 1.9% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 70.6% of population rural: 23.6% of population total: 48.1% of population unimproved: urban: 29.4% of population rural: 76.4% of population total: 51.9% of population (2020 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 15.1% (2020 est.) male: 24.2% (2020 est.) female: 6% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.89 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 54.9% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 6,288 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2024)

Airports

255 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

V5

Merchant marine

total: 15 (2023) by type: general cargo 1, other 14

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 21 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 602,893 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 26.29 million (2018) mt-km

Ports

total ports: 2 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 2 very small: 0 ports with oil terminals: 2 key ports: Luderitz Bay, Walvis Bay

Railways

total: 2,628 km (2014) narrow gauge: 2,628 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

Roadways

total: 48,875 km paved: 7,893 km unpaved: 40,982 km (2018)