Population growth in Namibia
From 1960 to 2021 the population of Namibia increased from 634,138.00 to 2.53 million people. This is a growth of 299.0 percent in 61 years. The highest increase in Namibia was recorded in 1988 with 3.87 percent. The smallest increase in 2015 with 0.41 percent.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 160.2 percent.
The average age in Namibia rose by 0.86 years from 2012 to 2021 from 20.94 to 21.80 years (median value).
Around 53 percent of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 3.5 percent 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 Namibia | Birth rate | Death rate | Population World | Change World | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % | 30.7 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2015 | 2.28 M | 0.41 % | 30.4 ‰ | 9.1 ‰ | 7,405 M | 1.97 % | |
| 2016 | 2.32 M | 1.78 % | 30.1 ‰ | 8.7 ‰ | 7,492 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2017 | 2.36 M | 1.77 % | 29.5 ‰ | 8.5 ‰ | 7,578 M | 1.15 % | |
| 2018 | 2.41 M | 1.74 % | 29.0 ‰ | 8.4 ‰ | 7,662 M | 1.10 % | |
| 2019 | 2.45 M | 1.70 % | 28.4 ‰ | 8.2 ‰ | 7,743 M | 1.06 % | |
| 2020 | 2.49 M | 1.74 % | 27.9 ‰ | 8.5 ‰ | 7,821 M | 1.01 % | |
| 2021 | 2.53 M | 1.65 % | 7,888 M | 0.86 % |
Birth and death rate in Namibia
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. For example, the year 2020 in the graph: The population in Namibia increased by about 42,500 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 8.5 per 1,000 people (~ 20,700 deaths) and the birth rate was 27.9 per 1,000 people (~ 68,200 births). As a result, around 5,000 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 20,992 in Namibia. The number of births was 68,817 annually.
The changes in births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
Birth rate Death rate
Comparison of the global population density
Quality of life 2023 in country comparison