Namibia — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Namibia, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Namibia was 19.29% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 24.45% in 1997. The lowest was 16.77% in 2012 (about 1.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.02% per year.
Namibia ranks 8 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 4%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 5.45%, so Namibia sits above it. It peaked in 1997 and has fallen 21% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 7%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 6 of 47 economies; Somalia, Fed. Rep. (18.95%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 14% in 2012. That is 6% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 11th of 187 in 1991 → 10th of 187 in 2000 → 6th of 187 in 2010 → 9th of 187 in 2020 → 7th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 19.29% | +0.1 pp |
| 2024 | 19.16% | +0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 19.15% | -0.5 pp |
| 2022 | 19.61% | -1.3 pp |
| 2021 | 20.93% | -0.1 pp |
| 2020 | 21% | +1.1 pp |
| 2019 | 19.93% | +0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 19.88% | -1.9 pp |
| 2017 | 21.75% | -1.6 pp |
| 2016 | 23.35% | +2.6 pp |
| 2015 | 20.79% | +2.3 pp |
| 2014 | 18.52% | -0.5 pp |
| 2013 | 19.03% | +2.3 pp |
| 2012 | 16.77% | -2.7 pp |
| 2011 | 19.48% | -2.6 pp |
| 2010 | 22.12% | -0.2 pp |
| 2009 | 22.27% | +0.3 pp |
| 2008 | 22.01% | -0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 22.12% | +0.3 pp |
| 2006 | 21.85% | -0.3 pp |
| 2005 | 22.11% | +0.0 pp |
| 2004 | 22.09% | -0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 22.1% | +0.6 pp |
| 2002 | 21.54% | +0.5 pp |
| 2001 | 21.01% | +0.7 pp |
| 2000 | 20.3% | -1.4 pp |
| 1999 | 21.67% | -1.4 pp |
| 1998 | 23.08% | -1.4 pp |
| 1997 | 24.45% | +1.6 pp |
| 1996 | 22.84% | +1.5 pp |
| 1995 | 21.34% | +1.9 pp |
| 1994 | 19.4% | +0.3 pp |
| 1993 | 19.08% | +0.2 pp |
| 1992 | 18.9% | -0.2 pp |
| 1991 | 19.14% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Namibia’s Unemployment in 1992?
18.9% (1992). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of total labor force, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Namibia’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +0.8% in total.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. 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: 19.29%; 2024: 19.16%; 2023: 19.15%; 2022: 19.61%; 2021: 20.93%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS — Unemployment Rate. 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.