
Population growth in Namibia
From 1960 to 2020 the population of Namibia increased from 634,138.00 to 2.54 m people. This is a growth by 300.7 percent in 60 years. The highest increase in Namibia was recorded in 1988 with 3.87%. The smallest increase in 2003 with 1.49%.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 156.0 percent.
The average age in Namibia rose by 0.86 years from 2012 to 2020 from 20.94 to 21.80 years (median value).
Around 52% of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 3.8% annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Namibia
Population development in Namibia since 1960
(Data in millions of inhabitants)Year | Population Namibia | Change | Birthrate | Deathrate | Population World | Change | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1961 | 0.65 M | 2.39 % | 42.1 ‰ | 18.4 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
1962 | 0.67 M | 2.44 % | 41.9 ‰ | 17.8 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
1963 | 0.68 M | 2.48 % | 41.9 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
1964 | 0.70 M | 2.52 % | 41.8 ‰ | 16.8 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
1965 | 0.72 M | 2.55 % | 41.8 ‰ | 16.4 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
1966 | 0.73 M | 2.55 % | 41.8 ‰ | 15.9 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
1967 | 0.75 M | 2.56 % | 42.0 ‰ | 15.5 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
1968 | 0.77 M | 2.62 % | 42.3 ‰ | 15.2 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
1969 | 0.79 M | 2.74 % | 42.7 ‰ | 14.9 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
1970 | 0.82 M | 2.88 % | 43.0 ‰ | 14.5 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
1971 | 0.84 M | 3.04 % | 43.4 ‰ | 14.2 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
1972 | 0.87 M | 3.16 % | 43.6 ‰ | 13.9 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
1973 | 0.90 M | 3.14 % | 43.8 ‰ | 13.5 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
1974 | 0.92 M | 2.97 % | 43.7 ‰ | 13.2 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
1975 | 0.95 M | 2.71 % | 43.6 ‰ | 12.8 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
1976 | 0.97 M | 2.45 % | 43.3 ‰ | 12.4 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
1977 | 0.99 M | 2.25 % | 42.9 ‰ | 12.1 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
1978 | 1.01 M | 2.12 % | 42.5 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
1979 | 1.04 M | 2.10 % | 42.2 ‰ | 11.6 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
1980 | 1.06 M | 2.16 % | 41.8 ‰ | 11.3 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
1981 | 1.08 M | 2.19 % | 41.4 ‰ | 11.1 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
1982 | 1.11 M | 2.24 % | 41.1 ‰ | 10.9 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
1983 | 1.13 M | 2.40 % | 40.8 ‰ | 10.6 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
1984 | 1.16 M | 2.71 % | 40.4 ‰ | 10.3 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
1985 | 1.20 M | 3.09 % | 40.0 ‰ | 9.9 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
1986 | 1.24 M | 3.49 % | 39.7 ‰ | 9.6 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
1987 | 1.29 M | 3.78 % | 39.2 ‰ | 9.3 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
1988 | 1.34 M | 3.87 % | 38.8 ‰ | 9.0 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
1989 | 1.39 M | 3.70 % | 38.3 ‰ | 8.7 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
1990 | 1.43 M | 3.38 % | 37.8 ‰ | 8.5 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
1991 | 1.48 M | 3.04 % | 37.2 ‰ | 8.5 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
1992 | 1.52 M | 2.75 % | 36.7 ‰ | 8.6 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
1993 | 1.56 M | 2.51 % | 36.1 ‰ | 8.8 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
1994 | 1.59 M | 2.36 % | 35.4 ‰ | 9.2 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
1995 | 1.63 M | 2.26 % | 34.8 ‰ | 9.6 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
1996 | 1.66 M | 2.18 % | 34.1 ‰ | 10.2 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
1997 | 1.70 M | 2.08 % | 33.3 ‰ | 10.8 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
1998 | 1.73 M | 1.98 % | 32.5 ‰ | 11.5 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
1999 | 1.76 M | 1.86 % | 31.6 ‰ | 12.1 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
2000 | 1.79 M | 1.74 % | 30.9 ‰ | 12.7 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
2001 | 1.82 M | 1.62 % | 30.2 ‰ | 13.2 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
2002 | 1.85 M | 1.53 % | 29.7 ‰ | 13.6 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
2003 | 1.88 M | 1.49 % | 29.4 ‰ | 13.8 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
2004 | 1.91 M | 1.52 % | 29.3 ‰ | 13.9 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
2005 | 1.94 M | 1.60 % | 29.3 ‰ | 13.9 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
2006 | 1.97 M | 1.70 % | 29.5 ‰ | 13.6 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
2007 | 2.01 M | 1.79 % | 29.8 ‰ | 13.2 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
2008 | 2.04 M | 1.84 % | 30.0 ‰ | 12.7 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
2009 | 2.08 M | 1.84 % | 30.3 ‰ | 12.0 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
2010 | 2.12 M | 1.82 % | 30.4 ‰ | 11.3 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
2011 | 2.16 M | 1.78 % | 30.5 ‰ | 10.7 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
2012 | 2.19 M | 1.77 % | 30.5 ‰ | 10.0 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
2013 | 2.23 M | 1.76 % | 30.4 ‰ | 9.5 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
2014 | 2.27 M | 1.79 % | 30.2 ‰ | 9.0 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
2015 | 2.31 M | 1.82 % | 29.9 ‰ | 8.7 ‰ | 7,348 M | 1.18 % | |
2016 | 2.36 M | 1.86 % | 29.5 ‰ | 8.4 ‰ | 7,434 M | 1.17 % | |
2017 | 2.40 M | 1.89 % | 29.1 ‰ | 8.2 ‰ | 7,519 M | 1.15 % | |
2018 | 2.45 M | 1.90 % | 28.6 ‰ | 8.1 ‰ | 7,602 M | 1.11 % | |
2019 | 2.49 M | 1.89 % | 28.2 ‰ | 7.9 ‰ | 7,683 M | 1.06 % | |
2020 | 2.54 M | 1.86 % | 7,762 M | 1.02 % |

Birth- and deathrate in Namibia
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. The example of the year 2019 in the graph: The population in Namibia increased by about 46,200 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 7.9 per 1000 people (~ 19,300 deaths) and the birth rate was 28.2 per 1000 people (~ 68,900 births). As a result, around 3,400 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 20,971 in Namibia. The number of births was 68,293 annually.
The development of births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1000 inhabitants.
Birthrate Deathrate