Youth dependency ratio in Namibia
Namibia: Youth dependency ratio was 63.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
63.1%
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
46th
of 236 countries
All-time high
96.9%
in 1982
All-time low
60.9%
in 2015
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Youth dependency ratio in Namibia, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, youth dependency ratio in Namibia stood at 63.1%.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and up 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth dependency ratio in Namibia peaked at 96.9% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 60.9%, in 2015.
Namibia ranks 46th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Youth dependency ratio in Namibia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 68.5% | — |
| 1951 | 69.6% | +1.6% |
| 1952 | 70.8% | +1.7% |
| 1953 | 72.1% | +1.7% |
| 1954 | 73.3% | +1.7% |
| 1955 | 74.6% | +1.7% |
| 1956 | 75.7% | +1.6% |
| 1957 | 76.8% | +1.4% |
| 1958 | 77.7% | +1.2% |
| 1959 | 78.5% | +1.0% |
| 1960 | 79.1% | +0.8% |
| 1961 | 79.7% | +0.7% |
| 1962 | 80.2% | +0.6% |
| 1963 | 80.8% | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 81.3% | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 81.8% | +0.6% |
| 1966 | 82.3% | +0.7% |
| 1967 | 82.8% | +0.6% |
| 1968 | 83.3% | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 83.8% | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 84.3% | +0.6% |
| 1971 | 84.8% | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 85.4% | +0.7% |
| 1973 | 86.1% | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 86.9% | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 87.5% | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 88.5% | +1.1% |
| 1977 | 89.5% | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 91.6% | +2.4% |
| 1979 | 93.5% | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 94.5% | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 96.5% | +2.0% |
| 1982 | 96.9% | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 95.7% | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 94.4% | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 92.8% | -1.6% |
| 1986 | 91.0% | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 89.2% | -2.1% |
| 1988 | 87.0% | -2.4% |
| 1989 | 81.8% | -6.0% |
| 1990 | 78.0% | -4.7% |
| 1991 | 77.7% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 77.6% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 77.4% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 77.3% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 77.0% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 76.6% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 76.2% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 75.9% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 75.5% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 75.0% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 74.3% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 73.3% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 72.0% | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 70.4% | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 68.6% | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 66.6% | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 64.9% | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 63.4% | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 62.3% | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 61.6% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 61.3% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 61.2% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 61.1% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 61.0% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 60.9% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 61.0% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 61.3% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 61.8% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 62.2% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 62.6% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 63.2% | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 63.5% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 63.1% | -0.7% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 63.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 57.3%, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 63.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 72.4%, 87% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 73.8% | 68.5% | 78.5% | 10 |
| 1960s | 81.5% | 79.1% | 83.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 87.8% | 84.3% | 93.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 92.0% | 81.8% | 96.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 76.9% | 75.5% | 78.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 69.1% | 62.3% | 75.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.3% | 60.9% | 62.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.1% | 62.6% | 63.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More population data for Namibia
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1475 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.0916 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.6736 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.0916 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.1% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 357,079 people (2100)
- Population density 7.16 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.1% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4525 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.52 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth dependency ratio in Namibia?
- Youth dependency ratio in Namibia was 63.1% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest youth dependency ratio recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 96.9% in 1982.
- What is the lowest youth dependency ratio recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 60.9% in 2015.
- How does Namibia rank for youth dependency ratio?
- Namibia ranks 46th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is youth dependency ratio rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Namibia data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Youth dependency ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of children under 15 per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).