Capital

Namibia

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

Namibia

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

Legal system

Namibia

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

Suffrage

Namibia

18 years of age; universal

Area

Namibia

total: 824,292 sq km

land: 823,290 sq km

water: 1,002 sq km

Land use

Namibia

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

Namibia

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

Age structure

Namibia

0-14 years: 34.38% (male 482,432/female 472,474)

15-64 years: 61.68% (male 834,001/female 878,865)

65 years and over: 3.94% (2023 est.) (male 46,235/female 63,225)

Birth rate

Namibia

24.6 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Namibia

8.1 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Namibia

Oshiwambo languages 49.7%, Nama/Damara 11%, Kavango languages 10.4%, Afrikaans 9.4% (also a common language), 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

Namibia

total population: 63.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 62.1 years

female: 65.4 years

Major urban areas - population

Namibia

477,000 WINDHOEK (capital) (2023)

Median age

Namibia

total: 22.5 years (2023 est.)

male: 21.8 years

female: 23.2 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Namibia

21.6 years (2013 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Net migration rate

Namibia

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Namibia

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

Namibia

1.66% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Namibia

2.94 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Namibia

urban population: 54.9% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 3.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Namibia

9.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Namibia

-5.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Namibia

1.44% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Namibia

939,000 (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Namibia

17.4% (2015 est.)

Unemployment rate

Namibia

21.68% (2021 est.)

21.45% (2020 est.)

19.99% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Namibia

4.64% of GDP (2019 est.)

5.49% of GDP (2018 est.)

5.44% of GDP (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Namibia

3.62% (2021 est.)

2.21% (2020 est.)

3.72% (2019 est.)

Exports

Namibia

$3.955 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$3.565 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$4.581 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Namibia

China 29%, South Africa 20%, Botswana 8%, Belgium 6%, Zambia 4% (2020)

Imports

Namibia

$6.055 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$4.614 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$5.808 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Namibia

South Africa 40%, Zambia 20%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 6%, China 5%, Bulgaria 3% (2020)

Airports

Namibia

112 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Namibia

total: 71,063 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Namibia

total: 1.325 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 53% (2021 est.)

Railways

Namibia

total: 2,628 km (2014)

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

Roadways

Namibia

total: 48,875 km (2018)

paved: 7,893 km (2018)

unpaved: 40,982 km (2018)

Telephones - fixed lines

Namibia

total subscriptions: 91,869 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Namibia

total subscriptions: 2,915,307 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 115 (2021 est.)

Disputes - international

Namibia

Namibia-Angola-Botswana: concerns from international experts and local populations over the Okavango Delta ecology in Botswana and human displacement scuttled Namibian plans to construct a hydroelectric dam on Popa Falls along the Angola-Namibia border

Namibia-Botswana-Zambia-Zimbabwe: Namibia has supported, and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to, plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river; the Kazungula Bridge opened to traffic in May 2021

Namibia-South Africa: the governments of South Africa and Namibia have not signed or ratified the text of the 1994 Surveyor's General agreement placing the boundary in the middle of the Orange River; Namibia claims a median line boundary, while South Africa supports the northern bank of the river