Namibia — Population
Population, Total for Namibia, 1960–2025.
Population for Namibia was 3.09 million in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 66 years, from 1960 to 2025. The latest year is also the highest value on record for this series. The lowest was 591,465 in 1960 (about 5.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 2.58% per year.
Namibia ranks 136 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 63%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 15.10 million, so Namibia sits below it. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 30%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 36 of 48 economies; Gambia, The (2.82 million) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 7% in 1989. That is 13% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1960 level: doubled by 1988. Doubling roughly every 27 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 145th of 216 in 1960 → 146th of 216 in 1970 → 147th of 216 in 1980 → 147th of 217 in 1990 → 145th of 217 in 2000 → 141st of 217 in 2010 → 140th of 217 in 2020 → 136th of 217 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1960 to 2025
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,092,816 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 3,030,131 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 2,963,095 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 2,889,662 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | 2,810,548 | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 2,728,762 | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 2,650,494 | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 2,577,327 | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 2,506,853 | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 2,439,213 | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 2,374,300 | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 2,312,139 | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 2,252,508 | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 2,194,654 | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 2,146,325 | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 2,109,811 | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 2,077,394 | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 2,047,056 | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 2,018,600 | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 1,991,888 | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 1,966,582 | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 1,942,082 | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 1,917,464 | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 1,889,970 | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 1,857,048 | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 1,818,647 | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 1,776,368 | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 1,732,745 | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 1,689,264 | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 1,646,103 | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 1,602,170 | +2.9% |
| 1994 | 1,556,304 | +3.2% |
| 1993 | 1,508,697 | +3.2% |
| 1992 | 1,461,322 | +3.2% |
| 1991 | 1,415,684 | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 1,369,303 | +6.2% |
| 1989 | 1,288,947 | +6.6% |
| 1988 | 1,209,696 | +3.6% |
| 1987 | 1,167,889 | +3.3% |
| 1986 | 1,131,081 | +3.1% |
| 1985 | 1,096,890 | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 1,065,989 | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 1,037,511 | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 1,010,308 | +1.8% |
| 1981 | 992,500 | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 981,434 | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 962,825 | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 947,269 | +1.7% |
| 1977 | 931,104 | +2.7% |
| 1976 | 906,566 | +2.9% |
| 1975 | 881,032 | +3.1% |
| 1974 | 854,320 | +3.1% |
| 1973 | 828,928 | +3.0% |
| 1972 | 804,399 | +3.1% |
| 1971 | 780,584 | +3.0% |
| 1970 | 757,868 | +3.0% |
| 1969 | 736,120 | +2.9% |
| 1968 | 715,542 | +2.8% |
| 1967 | 696,045 | +2.7% |
| 1966 | 677,655 | +2.6% |
| 1965 | 660,558 | +2.5% |
| 1964 | 644,530 | +2.4% |
| 1963 | 629,589 | +2.2% |
| 1962 | 615,759 | +2.1% |
| 1961 | 603,067 | +2.0% |
| 1960 | 591,465 | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Namibia’s Population in 1961?
603,067 (1961). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are Namibia’s Population figures nominal or inflation-adjusted?
They are exactly as the World Bank publishes them — people — with no inflation restatement and no PPP conversion. Years the source does not report are omitted rather than interpolated.
Is Namibia’s Population growing or shrinking?
Between 1960 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +422.9% in total — about 2.6% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.POP.TOTL. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 3,092,816; 2024: 3,030,131; 2023: 2,963,095; 2022: 2,889,662; 2021: 2,810,548. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.POP.TOTL — Population, Total. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.