Namibia People - 2021

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Population

2,678,191 (July 2021 est.)

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected

Nationality

noun: Namibian(s)

adjective: Namibian

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 .5%

Languages

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

Religions

Christian 80% to 90% (at least 50% Lutheran), indigenous beliefs 10% to 20%

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 – 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.

Age structure

0-14 years: 35.68% (male 473,937/female 464,453)

15-24 years: 20.27% (male 267,106/female 265,882)

25-54 years: 35.47% (male 449,132/female 483,811)

55-64 years: 4.68% (male 54,589/female 68,619)

65 years and over: 3.9% (male 43,596/female 58,948) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 67.9

youth dependency ratio: 61.8

elderly dependency ratio: 6

potential support ratio: 16.6 (2020 est.)

Median age

total: 21.8 years

male: 21.1 years

female: 22.6 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate

1.83% (2021 est.)

Birth rate

25.33 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Death rate

7.07 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 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

Urbanization

urban population: 53% of total population (2021)

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

total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030

Major urban areas - population

446,000 WINDHOEK (capital) (2021)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.93 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.8 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.6 years (2013 est.)

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

Maternal mortality rate

195 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 30.38 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 32.47 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 28.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 65.87 years

male: 63.9 years

female: 67.9 years (2021 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.03 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

56.1% (2013)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 98.9% of population

rural: 80.8% of population

total: 89.7% of population

unimproved: urban: 1.1% of population

rural: 19.2% of population

total: 10.3% of population (2017 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

8% (2018)

Physicians density

0.42 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Hospital bed density

2.7 beds/1,000 population (2009)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 72.9% of population

rural: 22% of population

total: 46.9% of population

unimproved: urban: 27.1% of population

rural: 78% of population

total: 53.1% of population (2017 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

11.6% (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

210,000 (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

3,000 (2020 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

17.2% (2016)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

13.2% (2013)

Education expenditures

3.1% of GDP (2014)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 91.5%

male: 91.6%

female: 91.4% (2018)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 38%

male: 37.5%

female: 38.5% (2018 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Namibia on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Namibia 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Namibia 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.