Namibia: Economic and Political Overview
In this page: Economic Indicators | Foreign Trade in Figures | Sources of General Economic Information | Political Outline
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 (3.5%) and 2022 (4.6%), supported by robust diamond, gold, and uranium production, and a gradual recovery in tourism and manufacturing. Namibia’s economic growth slowed to an estimated 3.7% in 2024, down from 4.4% in 2023, mainly due to reduced mining activity and severe drought. According to the World Bank, growth is projected to rise to 3.9% in 2025 and average 4% over the medium term. The non-mineral economy is expected to strengthen, particularly in pandemic-affected sectors like tourism, while household consumption is set to remain resilient.
Namibia has experienced a period of exceptional growth masking increasing macroeconomic imbalances, a slowdown in productivity, and a decline in external competitiveness. The fiscal deficit is forecast to rise from 2.4% of GDP in FY23/24 to 3% in FY24/25, as increased spending on public wages, drought relief, and capital projects outweighs revenue gains from record SACU transfers and strong tax collection. Government spending is expected to rise modestly in 2025, including limited growth in the public wage bill. However, with SACU revenues projected to decline, the fiscal deficit is forecast to widen to 4.9% of GDP in FY2025/26. Namibia’s public debt ratio – estimated at 66.7% of GDP in 2024, from 66.1% one year earlier - is projected to decline over the forecast horizon, supported by steady economic growth and the Government’s plan to repay at least two-thirds of the USD 750 million Eurobond maturing in October 2025 using savings from its sinking fund. Meanwhile, the current account deficit widened from 14.8% of GDP in 2023 to an estimated 16% in 2024, driven by falling diamond prices and increased imports of consumer goods. The deficit is expected to stay elevated due to strong oil and gas exploration-related imports, mostly funded by FDI. Gross international reserves covered 4.5 months of imports in 2024 and are projected to remain above 3 months in 2025, though the Eurobond repayment will temporarily reduce reserves before a gradual recovery. Inflation eased below the midpoint of the central bank’s 3–6% target range, driven by slower growth in food and transport prices. It is expected to remain around 4% in 2025, though external price shocks pose a risk. As inflation stabilised, the Bank of Namibia cut its policy rate by a total of 100 basis points in four steps between July 2024 and February 2025 (data IMF).
Namibia is one of the countries with the highest inequalities: the country more than halved the poverty rate between 1993 and 2024, but poverty incidence remains relatively high for an upper-middle-income country. With moderate growth and persistent joblessness, poverty is expected to stay elevated at 19.6%—around 606,000 people—in 2025, based on the USD 2.15 per day international poverty line (2017 PPP). Namibia’s structurally high unemployment, estimated at 19.1% in 2024, is partly driven by limited private investment outside the natural resource sector, slow job creation, and skills shortages. A large share of the workforce remains engaged in low-skilled, informal sector employment (World Bank data). Overall, the country’s GDP per capita (PPP) was estimated at USD 11,730 in 2024 by the IMF.
| Main Indicators | 2024 (E) | 2025 (E) | 2026 (E) | 2027 (E) | 2028 (E) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP (billions USD) | 13.37 | 14.21 | 15.19 | 15.91 | 16.69 |
| GDP (Constant Prices, Annual % Change) | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 3.0 |
| GDP per Capita (USD) | 4,472 | 4,661 | 4,888 | 5,026 | 5,181 |
| General Government Gross Debt (in % of GDP) | 67.7 | 63.9 | 63.6 | 63.3 | 62.7 |
| Inflation Rate (%) | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Current Account (billions USD) | -2.06 | -2.21 | -2.09 | -1.99 | -2.03 |
| Current Account (in % of GDP) | -15.4 | -15.6 | -13.8 | -12.5 | -12.1 |
Source: IMF – World Economic Outlook Database , Latest available data
Note: (e) Estimated Data
Namibia is one of the most important diamond exporters and the 3rd-largest uranium producer in the world. Agriculture accounts for 7.7% of the Namibian economy and employs 21.5% 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). Of Namibia's entire land area, 47% is allocated for agricultural activities, with one percent of this portion categorized as arable land (FAO). 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.
The secondary sector contributes 30% of the GDP and employs about 16.3% of the active population. It is characterized 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. Additionally, 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. In 2024, Namibia produced 2.234 million carats of rough diamonds, marking a 4% decline from the 2.327 million carats recorded in 2023 (De Beers).
Services account for 53.4% of GDP and employ 62.2% 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%. Following a slowdown due to the COVID-19 crisis, in 2024, the number of tourists returned to its pre-pandemic level, as per the Hospitality Association of Namibia. The banking sector comprises nine authorized 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) | 21.5 | 16.3 | 62.2 |
| Value Added (in % of GDP) | 7.3 | 28.9 | 54.5 |
| Value Added (Annual % Change) | -2.7 | 1.0 | 4.9 |
Source: World Bank - Latest available data.
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| Monetary Indicators | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Namibian Dollar (NAD) - Average Annual Exchange Rate For 1 MUR | 0.42 | 0.35 | 0.37 | 0.41 | 0.39 |
Source: World Bank - Latest available data.
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Namibia is very open to foreign trade, which represents 110% 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). Namibia also ratified the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. In 2016, the EU signed an EPA agreement with the SADC EPA Group, which includes Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland. According to data by Comtrade, in 2023, the country’s main exports were diamonds (29.4% of the total), gold (11.4%), fish fillets and other fish meat (6.6%), frozen fish (5.3%), petroleum oils (5.2%), and copper ores and concentrates (4.5%); whereas imports were led by petroleum oils (21.2%), diamonds (4.5%), copper ores and concentrates (3.5%), motor vehicles for the transport of goods (1.9%), and motor cars (1.6%).
In 2023, Namibia’s exports were mostly directed towards Botswana (19.3%), South Africa (18.6%), China (12.5%), Zambia (5.6%), Belgium (5.3%), and Spain (5.0%). The main import origin was South Africa (35.7% of total imports), followed by China (8.9%), India (6.7%), the United Arab Emirates (4.3%), and the U.S. (3.4% - data Comtrade).
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 2023, merchandise exports amounted to USD 5.9 billion (+1.7% year-on-year), while imports decreased by 9% and stood at USD 7.1 billion. In the same year, exports of services reached USD 999 million, while imports almost doubled y-o-y to USD 1.9 billion (WTO). Overall, the World Bank estimated the country’s trade deficit at 22.8% of its GDP (from 18.4% one year earlier). According to preliminary figures by Namibia’s Statistics Agency, in 2024, total imports reached NAD 161.5 billion, up from the NAD 136.3 billion recorded during 2023, while cumulative exports totalled NAD 119.0 billion, rising from NAD 103.2 billion in the previous year.
| Foreign Trade Indicators | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imports of Goods (million USD) | 5,038 | 6,377 | 7,796 | 7,239 | 8,630 |
| Exports of Goods (million USD) | 3,868 | 4,417 | 5,828 | 5,488 | 6,490 |
| Imports of Services (million USD) | 695 | 953 | 1,061 | 2,195 | 2,395 |
| Exports of Services (million USD) | 620 | 631 | 923 | 1,030 | 1,251 |
| Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) | -15.0 | 20.2 | 23.0 | 22.5 | 7.9 |
| Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) | -16.6 | -2.1 | 23.2 | 13.3 | 0.1 |
| Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) | 43.2 | 51.6 | 58.8 | 67.1 | 68.0 |
| Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) | 33.7 | 32.0 | 40.5 | 43.6 | 41.6 |
| Trade Balance (million USD) | 38 | -2 | -2 | -1 | -2 |
| Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) | -1,003 | -2,114 | -2,069 | -2,721 | -3,279 |
| Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) | 76.9 | 83.5 | 99.3 | 110.8 | 109.6 |
Source: WTO – World Trade Organisation ; World Bank , Latest Available Data
| Main Customers (% of Exports) |
2023 |
|---|---|
| South Africa | 19.8% |
| Botswana | 19.2% |
| China | 12.3% |
| Zambia | 8.8% |
| Belgium | 5.3% |
| See More Countries | 34.6% |
| Main Suppliers (% of Imports) |
2023 |
|---|---|
| South Africa | 38.4% |
| China | 9.7% |
| India | 6.8% |
| United Arab Emirates | 4.3% |
| United States | 3.5% |
| See More Countries | 37.2% |
Source: Comtrade, Latest Available Data
Source: Comtrade, Latest Available Data
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Source: United Nations Statistics Division, Latest Available Data
Namibia has a multi-party system. The main parties include:
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.
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Latest Update: February 2026