Economic and Political Overview

flag Namibia Namibia: Economic and Political Overview

In this page: Economic Indicators | Foreign Trade in Figures | Sources of General Economic Information | Political Outline | COVID-19 Country Response

 

Economic Indicators

For the latest updates on the key economic responses from governments to address the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, please consult the IMF's policy tracking platform Policy Responses to COVID-19.

After years of robust growth, the Namibian economy entered into recession in 2019 and 2020, impacted by the dissipation of temporary stimuli, a drop in raw material prices, a severe drought and then the Covid-19 pandemic. The economy returned to growth in 2021 (2.7%) and 2022 (3%) supported by robust diamond, gold, and uranium production and a gradual recovery in tourism and manufacturing. The gradual economic recovery is expected to continue in 2023, with the IMF projecting growth at 3.2%.

Namibia has experienced a period of exceptional growth masking increasing macroeconomic imbalances, a slowdown in productivity and a decline in external competitiveness. Nevertheless, fiscal imbalances are expected to narrow, supported by fiscal consolidation measures to mobilize additional tax revenues and increase spending efficiency. Fitch Ratings forecasts the FY22/23 fiscal deficit to be 7.1% of GDP, down from 8.5% in the preceding fiscal year, while the FY 2023/24 budget foresees a primary surplus. The country’s debt-to-GDP ratio stood at an estimated 71.8% in 2022 and is expected to remain stable over the forecast horizon. To reduce the risk associated with indebtedness, the authorities are attempting to diversify their sources of financing (Coface). The exchange risk remains limited because the debt is mainly domestic, issued on long-term maturities and denominated in local currency. Meanwhile, a weakened exchange rate and high oil prices have led to continued increases in transport, housing and food prices, with inflation reaching 6.4% in 2022. The Bank of Namibia increased its policy rate by 50bp to 6.75% in November in an effort to contrast inflation, which is forecasted to gradually ease to 4.9% this year and 4.5% in 2024. The government's priorities are to support recovery and economic growth, to ensure the sustainability of public finances and debt through fiscal consolidation, to reform the tax system and to implement structural policy reforms, while also redistributing wealth and maintaining a favourable business environment.

Namibia is one of the countries with the highest inequalities: the country more than halved the poverty rate between 1993 and 2016, but poverty incidence remains relatively high for an upper-middle-income country. According to the World Bank, the incidence of poverty stood around 64% as of 2021 and around 15% of the adult population is infected with the AIDS virus. Unemployment is high and affected 21.3% of the population in 2021 (World Bank, latest data available), with a notable disparity between rural and urban areas, as well as among women and young people. Overall, the country’s GDP per capita (PPP) was estimated at USD 10,791 in 2022 by the IMF.

 
Main Indicators 202020212022 (E)2023 (E)2024 (E)
GDP (billions USD) 10.5812.3112.3513.4914.29
GDP (Constant Prices, Annual % Change) -8.02.73.82.82.6
GDP per Capita (USD) 4,2254,8264,7545,1005,306
General Government Gross Debt (in % of GDP) 66.672.071.368.566.8
Inflation Rate (%) 2.23.66.15.04.6
Current Account (billions USD) 0.27-1.21-1.66-0.71-0.52
Current Account (in % of GDP) 2.6-9.8-13.5-5.3-3.7

Source: IMF – World Economic Outlook Database , Latest available data

Note: (e) Estimated Data

Main Sectors of Industry

Namibia is one of the most important diamond exporters and the 3rd-largest uranium producer in the world. The country also has one of the most productive fishing industries. Agriculture accounts for 9.5% of the Namibian economy and employs 22% of the workforce (World Bank, latest data available), although around 70 % of the population depends directly or indirectly on agriculture for their income and livelihood. The country's arid climate and geographic conditions do not favour farming and the crop variety is rather limited: Namibia is the driest country in Sub-Saharan Africa and depends largely on groundwater (only 2 % of Namibia’s land receives sufficient rainfall to grow crops). Major crops include maize, millet and sorghum. The livestock sector is productive and export-oriented, with beef accounting for the largest share of livestock exports. Fishing is another important component of the primary sector (accounting for almost 25% of all activities), as Namibian waters are rich in fish. According to the latest data from FAO, total cereal production was forecast at 152,000 tonnes in 2022, an above‑average level thanks to favourable weather conditions. Production of wheat was forecast to triple on a yearly basis in 2022, as high prices spurred an expansion in plantings.

The secondary sector contributes 25.3% of the GDP and employs about 16% of the active population. The sector is characterised by the predominance of the mining industry thanks to the country's rich subsoil. Major mining products include diamonds, uranium, lead, copper and arsenic. Diamonds account for almost 70% of all mining exports. While Namibian diamond production is less significant than neighbouring countries (Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe), the country is among the world's first in value per unit. Namibia also has the largest marine mine in the world. Offshore diamond production is increasing (it provides 75% of total production according to Coface), while onshore extraction is decreasing due to the exhaustion of terrestrial deposits. In addition, Namibia is the third-largest producer of uranium in the world and is home to two mines capable of producing 10% of the world's output. Husab's uranium mine is the third-largest surface uranium mine in the world. Food processing (beef and fish) is the largest non-mining component of the secondary sector. According to the World Bank, manufacturing accounts for around 11% of GDP.

Services account for 58.3% of GDP and employ 62% of the working population. The main sub-sectors within services include tourism, financial services, retail and wholesale trade, transport and communication, and public administration. Namibia's diverse landscapes and extensive wildlife offer significant tourism assets and as such, tourism is a major source of income, its direct contribution to GDP being around 10%. The construction sector is the activity that suffered the most during the recession and is struggling to regain positive momentum. The banking sector in Namibia comprises nine authorised banking institutions, including seven commercial banking institutions, a branch of a foreign bank, and a representative office (Bank of Namibia).

 
Breakdown of Economic Activity By Sector Agriculture Industry Services
Employment By Sector (in % of Total Employment) 21.9 16.4 61.8
Value Added (in % of GDP) 9.5 25.3 58.3
Value Added (Annual % Change) 2.0 1.4 1.9

Source: World Bank - Latest available data.

 

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Monetary Indicators 20162017201820192020
Namibian Dollar (NAD) - Average Annual Exchange Rate For 1 MUR 0.410.390.390.410.42

Source: World Bank - Latest available data.

 
 

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Indicator of Economic Freedom

Definition:

The Economic freedom index measure ten components of economic freedom, grouped into four broad categories or pillars of economic freedom: Rule of Law (property rights, freedom from corruption); Limited Government (fiscal freedom, government spending); Regulatory Efficiency (business freedom, labour freedom, monetary freedom); and Open Markets (trade freedom, investment freedom, financial freedom). Each of the freedoms within these four broad categories is individually scored on a scale of 0 to 100. A country’s overall economic freedom score is a simple average of its scores on the 10 individual freedoms.

Score:
62,6/100
World Rank:
83
Regional Rank:
6

Economic freedom in the world (interactive map)
Source: Index of Economic Freedom, Heritage Foundation

 
 

Country Risk

See the country risk analysis provided by Coface.

 

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Foreign Trade in Figures

Namibia is very open to foreign trade, which represents 80% of the country’s GDP (World Bank). Customs duties are low, but some trade barriers remain, including a number of import and export restrictions, mostly on agricultural products. The country's economy is closely linked to that of South Africa, with the Namibian dollar pegged to the South African rand. The country is a member of the SACU (Southern African Customs Union) and SADC (Southern African Development Community), whose free-trade zone (FTZ) was inaugurated in 2008. Namibia also ratified the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. In 2016, the EU signed an EPA with the SADC EPA Group comprising Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland. Diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, fish, cobalt and live animals continue to lead the market for export commodities. Namibia mainly imports refined petroleum, vehicles, machinery and food products.

Namibia's exports are mainly directed to China (34.1% of exports), South Africa (14.5%), Botswana, Belgium, Spain, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. South Africa (36.2% of imports), Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, China, Bulgaria, India and the United States are the main suppliers (Comtrade, latest data available).

Namibia’s trade balance is structurally in deficit because of the country’s high demand for high-valued manufactured commodities and machinery, and exports of mainly primary commodities that are of low value, with the exception of diamonds. In 2021, merchandise exports amounted to USD 6.7 billion (+19.5% year-on-year), while imports increased at a faster pace and reached USD 9.1 billion (+33.7%). In the same year, exports of services reached USD 413 million, while imports amounted to USD 589 million (WTO). Overall, the World Bank estimated the country’s trade deficit at 16.3% of its GDP (from 8.3% one year earlier). According to preliminary figures by Namibia’s Statistics Agency, in 2022 the value of exports reached 96.4 billion, marking a 46.3% increase via-à-vis one year earlier; whereas imports stood at NAD 128.3 billion, up by 34.8%.

 
Foreign Trade Indicators 20172018201920202021
Imports of Goods (million USD) 6,6888,2898,0866,8239,122
Exports of Goods (million USD) 4,7997,4886,2565,6006,696
Imports of Services (million USD) 637533539419589
Exports of Services (million USD) 693728646352413
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) -10.11.2-4.0-18.015.6
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 1.916.1-8.7-17.3-2.3
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 47.645.846.541.748.0
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 33.635.936.433.431.7
Trade Balance (million USD) -1,811-1,555-1,302-985-1,923
Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) -1,686-1,397-1,227-1,048-2,101
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) 81.281.782.975.179.7

Source: WTO – World Trade Organisation ; World Bank , Latest Available Data

 

Main Partner Countries

Main Customers
(% of Exports)
2022
South Africa 16.3%
Botswana 16.1%
China 11.5%
Zambia 7.2%
Democratic Republic of Congo 5.2%
See More Countries 43.8%
Main Suppliers
(% of Imports)
2022
South Africa 38.9%
China 7.6%
India 4.7%
United Arab Emirates 3.8%
United States 3.3%
See More Countries 41.7%

Source: Comtrade, Latest Available Data

 
 

Main Products

6.3 bn USD of products exported in 2022
Diamonds, whether or not worked, but not mounted...Diamonds, whether or not worked, but not mounted or set (excl. unmounted stones for pick-up styluses, worked stones, suitable for use as parts of meters, measuring instruments or other articles of chapter 90) 27.1%
Uranium or thorium ores and concentratesUranium or thorium ores and concentrates 12.8%
Gold, incl. gold plated with platinum, unwrought...Gold, incl. gold plated with platinum, unwrought or not further worked than semi-manufactured or in powder form 6.9%
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals (excl. crude); preparations containing >= 70% by weight of petroleum oils or of oils obtained from bituminous minerals, these oils being the basic constituents of the preparations, n.e.s.; waste oils containing mainly petroleum or bituminous minerals 6.3%
Fish fillets and other fish meat, whether or not...Fish fillets and other fish meat, whether or not minced, fresh, chilled or frozen 5.3%
See More Products 41.5%
7.9 bn USD of products imported in 2022
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals (excl. crude); preparations containing >= 70% by weight of petroleum oils or of oils obtained from bituminous minerals, these oils being the basic constituents of the preparations, n.e.s.; waste oils containing mainly petroleum or bituminous minerals 17.3%
Copper ores and concentratesCopper ores and concentrates 4.5%
Diamonds, whether or not worked, but not mounted...Diamonds, whether or not worked, but not mounted or set (excl. unmounted stones for pick-up styluses, worked stones, suitable for use as parts of meters, measuring instruments or other articles of chapter 90) 3.3%
Motor vehicles for the transport of goods, incl....Motor vehicles for the transport of goods, incl. chassis with engine and cab 3.1%
Precious-metal ores and concentratesPrecious-metal ores and concentrates 2.2%
See More Products 69.5%

Source: Comtrade, Latest Available Data

 
 

To go further, check out our service Import Export Flows.

 
 

Main Services

0.2 bn USD of services exported in 2020
47.08%
16.60%
16.02%
9.04%
5.46%
3.39%
0.90%
0.88%
0.63%
0.01%
0.5 bn USD of services imported in 2020
30.83%
22.46%
15.48%
11.41%
6.66%
6.66%
2.50%
1.54%
1.42%
0.84%
0.20%

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, Latest Available Data

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Sources of General Economic Information

Ministries
Ministry of Finance      
Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade
Ministry of Mines and Energy
Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform
Statistical Office
Namibia Statistics Agency
Central Bank
Central Bank
Stock Exchange
Namibian Stock Exchange
Search Engines
Google Namibia
Info.na
NamSearch Directory
Economic Portals
Namibian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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Political Outline

Current Political Leaders
President: Hage Geingob (since 21 March 2015)
Vice President: Nangola Mbumba (since 8 February 2018)
Next Election Dates
Presidential: November 2024
National Council: November 2025
National Assembly: November 2024
Main Political Parties

Namibia has a multi-party system. The main parties are:

  • SWAPO (South West African People's Organisation): Centre-left (Governing party since the independence of Namibia)
  • Popular Democratic Movement (PDM): Centre-right
  • Landless People's Movement (LPM): Left-wing, social democracy
  • National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO): Centre-right
  • All People's Party (APP): Centre-left
  • United Democratic Front (UDF): Centre-left
  • Republican Party: Conservatism
  • Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF): Far-left, Pan-African
  • Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP): Centre-left
  • Christian Democratic Voice (CDV): Christian democracy
  • Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP): Left-wing
  • South West African National Union (SWANU): Social democracy.
Type of State
Namibia is a presidential republic.
Executive Power
Executive power is exercised by the government. The President of Namibia is both chief of state and head of the executive power. The president is elected in a national election every five years in which at least 50% of the votes are necessary to be elected. The Cabinet consists of the President, the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Ministers appointed by the President. The Prime Minister is the Chief Advisor to the President and the overall coordinator of the Government Offices, Ministries and Agencies.
Legislative Power
Legislative power is vested in the Parliament, which consists of two chambers: The National Assembly is the highest law-making body and is formed of 96 elected and 8 non-voting members appointed by the President. Members of the Assembly are elected every five years on a proportional representation system basis. The National Council is the upper chamber of Parliament and is formed of 42 representatives from all fourteen regions of Namibia (three elected members per region). Members of the National Council are indirectly elected within Regional Councils and serve a five-year term. The National Council primarily reviews legislation passed and referred by the National Assembly.
 

Indicator of Freedom of the Press

Definition:

The world rankings, published annually, measures violations of press freedom worldwide. It reflects the degree of freedom enjoyed by journalists, the media and digital citizens of each country and the means used by states to respect and uphold this freedom. Finally, a note and a position are assigned to each country. To compile this index, Reporters Without Borders (RWB) prepared a questionnaire incorporating the main criteria (44 in total) to assess the situation of press freedom in a given country. This questionnaire was sent to partner organisations,150 RWB correspondents, journalists, researchers, jurists and human rights activists. It includes every kind of direct attacks against journalists and digital citizens (murders, imprisonment, assault, threats, etc.) or against the media (censorship, confiscation, searches and harassment etc.).

World Rank:
24/180
 

Indicator of Political Freedom

Definition:

The Indicator of Political Freedom provides an annual evaluation of the state of freedom in a country as experienced by individuals. The survey measures freedom according to two broad categories: political rights and civil liberties. The ratings process is based on a checklist of 10 political rights questions (on Electoral Process, Political Pluralism and Participation, Functioning of Government) and 15 civil liberties questions (on Freedom of Expression, Belief, Associational and Organizational Rights, Rule of Law, Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights). Scores are awarded to each of these questions on a scale of 0 to 4, where a score of 0 represents the smallest degree and 4 the greatest degree of rights or liberties present. The total score awarded to the political rights and civil liberties checklist determines the political rights and civil liberties rating. Each rating of 1 through 7, with 1 representing the highest and 7 the lowest level of freedom, corresponds to a range of total scores.

Ranking:
Free
Political Freedom:
2/7

Political freedom in the world (interactive map)
Source: Freedom in the World Report, Freedom House

 

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COVID-19 Country Response

Travel restrictions
Regularly updated travel information for all countries with regards to Covid-19 related entry regulations, flight bans, test and vaccines requirements is available on TravelDoc Infopage.
To find information about the current travel regulations, including health requirements, it is also advised to consult Travel Regulations Map provided and updated on a daily basis by IATA.
Import & export restrictions
A general overview of trade restrictions which were adopted by different countries during the COVID-19 pandemic is available on the International Trade Centre's COVID-19 Temporary Trade Measures webpage.
Economic recovery plan
For the general overview of the key economic policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic (fiscal, monetary and macroeconomic) undertaken by the government of Namibia, please consult the country's dedicated section in the IMF’s Policy Tracker platform.
Support plan for businesses
For an evaluation of impact of the Covid pandemic on SMEs and an inventory of country responses to foster SME resilience, refer to the OECD's SME Covid-19 Policy Responses document.
You can also consult the World Bank's Map of SME-Support Measures in Response to COVID-19.

 

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Latest Update: September 2023