The Namibia Statistics Agency’s 2023 Population and Housing Census reveals that 62.6% of the country’s households do not own or have rights to the land they inhabit, with significant variations across rural and urban regions.
Rural households show a higher incidence of land ownership or land rights, with 69.7% having control over the land their homes are built on, compared to 56.7% in urban areas.
However, regional disparities remain stark with the Omusati region, for example, boasting the highest land ownership status at 80.1%, while //Kharas has the lowest at just 44%.
“However, over 40.0% of the households in Khomas, Hardap and //Kharas regions did not own or have land rights,” the report read.
The report further said informal dwellings, particularly in urban areas, account for 28.7% of all households.
Khomas (46.9%) and Omaheke (46.8%) have the highest concentrations of informal settlements, while Omusati (8.2%), Zambezi (11%) and Ohangwena (11.3%) have the fewest.
It is further reported that Namibian households average 1.5 persons per sleeping room, indicating that overcrowding is generally low, although regions like Zambezi (2.2 persons per room) and Kunene (2.1) have higher occupancy rates.
“The lowest average number of people per sleeping room was in Omusati (1.2) and Oshana (1.2) regions,” it was reported.
Energy sources for lighting and cooking also vary widely. Urban households primarily use electricity (69.2%), while rural areas rely more on battery-operated lights or lamps (53%).
For cooking, wood remains the predominant fuel in rural areas (84.6%), while urban households lean towards electricity (55%).
“In urban areas, 55.0% of households cook with electricity from mains, and about 21.8% of households also use gas. In rural areas, the majority (84.6%) used wood/firewood for cooking. Electricity from the main grid was primarily used by households in Erongo, Khomas and Hardap at 72.9%, 55.4% and 48.3% respectively,” it was reported
Moreover, the report shows that access to safe drinking water is relatively high, with 91.4% of households having safe water, but rural access lags at 83.5% compared to urban areas at 98%.
The Khomas region leads in water accessibility (98.7%), while Kunene records the lowest (74.1%). However, sanitation remains a significant issue, especially in rural areas where 63.8% of households lack toilet facilities.
