Population growth rate in Namibia
Namibia: Population growth rate was 2.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Population growth rate in Namibia, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, population growth rate in Namibia stood at 2.4%.
That represents a change of down 10.9% on the previous year and down 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth rate in Namibia peaked at 8.8% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 1978.
That places Namibia 35th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Population growth rate in Namibia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1.1% | — |
| 1951 | 1.1% | +4.3% |
| 1952 | 1.2% | +8.4% |
| 1953 | 1.2% | +0.7% |
| 1954 | 1.3% | +2.5% |
| 1955 | 1.3% | +3.1% |
| 1956 | 1.4% | +5.6% |
| 1957 | 1.5% | +6.3% |
| 1958 | 1.6% | +8.1% |
| 1959 | 1.7% | +7.6% |
| 1960 | 1.9% | +8.6% |
| 1961 | 2.0% | +7.5% |
| 1962 | 2.2% | +7.0% |
| 1963 | 2.3% | +6.3% |
| 1964 | 2.4% | +4.9% |
| 1965 | 2.5% | +4.5% |
| 1966 | 2.6% | +3.6% |
| 1967 | 2.8% | +5.9% |
| 1968 | 2.8% | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 2.9% | +4.5% |
| 1970 | 2.9% | +1.0% |
| 1971 | 3.0% | +1.8% |
| 1972 | 3.0% | +1.7% |
| 1973 | 3.0% | -1.7% |
| 1974 | 3.1% | +2.6% |
| 1975 | 3.1% | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 2.6% | -15.6% |
| 1977 | 2.7% | +3.9% |
| 1978 | 0.7% | -72.9% |
| 1979 | 2.5% | +239.4% |
| 1980 | 1.3% | -46.7% |
| 1981 | 0.9% | -31.8% |
| 1982 | 2.6% | +189.1% |
| 1983 | 2.7% | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 2.7% | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 3.0% | +9.0% |
| 1986 | 3.2% | +6.0% |
| 1987 | 3.2% | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 3.8% | +16.4% |
| 1989 | 8.8% | +131.7% |
| 1990 | 3.5% | -60.0% |
| 1991 | 3.2% | -9.5% |
| 1992 | 3.2% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 3.2% | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 3.0% | -5.9% |
| 1995 | 2.8% | -7.1% |
| 1996 | 2.6% | -6.6% |
| 1997 | 2.6% | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 2.5% | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 2.5% | -2.7% |
| 2000 | 2.3% | -8.1% |
| 2001 | 1.9% | -14.4% |
| 2002 | 1.6% | -17.6% |
| 2003 | 1.3% | -18.1% |
| 2004 | 1.2% | -4.0% |
| 2005 | 1.3% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 1.3% | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 1.4% | +4.9% |
| 2008 | 1.4% | +5.2% |
| 2009 | 1.5% | +5.0% |
| 2010 | 1.6% | +5.5% |
| 2011 | 1.8% | +15.7% |
| 2012 | 2.6% | +41.6% |
| 2013 | 2.6% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 2.6% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 2.7% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 2.7% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 2.8% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 2.8% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 2.8% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 3.0% | +7.1% |
| 2021 | 2.9% | -3.7% |
| 2022 | 2.7% | -8.4% |
| 2023 | 2.4% | -10.9% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 2.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.7%, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 2.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.3%, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth rate in Namibia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | +239.4% | 0.7% | 2.5% |
| 1982 | +189.1% | 0.9% | 2.6% |
| 1989 | +131.7% | 3.8% | 8.8% |
| 1978 | -72.9% | 2.7% | 0.7% |
| 1990 | -60.0% | 8.8% | 3.5% |
| 1980 | -46.7% | 2.5% | 1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.4% | 1.9% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.7% | 0.7% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.2% | 0.9% | 8.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.9% | 2.5% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.5% | 1.2% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.5% | 1.6% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.7% | 2.4% | 3.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
- 32 Equatorial Guinea 2.4% compare
- 33 Saudi Arabia 2.4% compare
- 34 Solomon Islands 2.4% compare
- 36 Gibraltar 2.3% compare
- 37 Senegal 2.3% compare
- 38 Bahrain 2.3% compare
More population data for Namibia
- Population regions 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 long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.0916 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1475 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 3,780 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.52 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4525 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.1% (2100)
- Population density 7.16 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 357,079 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth rate in Namibia?
- Population growth rate in Namibia was 2.4% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population growth rate recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 8.8% in 1989.
- What is the lowest population growth rate recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 1978.
- How does Namibia rank for population growth rate?
- Namibia ranks 35th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population growth rate rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Population growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual rate at which the population is growing, expressed as a percentage.