Namibia’s population has significantly increased by 114.4% over 32 years to 3,022,401 in 2023 from 1,409,920 since the 1991 Census, the 2023 Population and Housing Census preliminary results show.
According to data from the Namibia Statistics Agency, the country’s population has increased by 43.9% from 2.1 million recorded in the 2011 Census to 3.02 million recorded in the 2023 Census.
In 2001, the population was 1.8 million, a rise from 1.4 million recorded at inception in 1991 immediately after independence.
During the period under review, Namibia’s urban population grew by 65.5%, and rural population by 26.3%.
Khomas has the highest population with 494,605, followed by Ohangwena with 337,779, and Omusati with 316,671.
//Kharas, Hardap, and Omaheke have the lowest population sizes in the country at 109,893, 106,680, and 102,881, respectively.
“The results show that Namibia recorded a positive growth rate of 3% between 2011 and 2023. This growth was observed after a decline in the population growth rate from 2.6% in 1991-2001 to 1.4% in 2001 to 2011 Census period,” the report states.
“Meanwhile, the rural population was recorded as 1,527,409 which is slightly more than the urban population at 1,494,992 people. Similarly, the difference in the urban-rural population is closing at a faster pace given that the gap was 25.3% in 2011 compared to 2.1% in 2023.”
In 2023 the female population outnumbered the male population, standing at 1,548,177 (51.2%) and 1,474,224 (48.8%).
In 2011 females were 1,021,912 compared to 1,091,165.
The trend is similar at the regional level except for the //Kharas, Erongo, Hardap, Kunene and Otjozondjupa regions which recorded slightly more males than females. A significant number of males (52.8%) were recorded in Omaheke compared to females (47.2%).
In terms of the age-sex statistics, the pyramid shows a broad base indicating that Namibia has a youthful population and a narrow apex representing a relatively small proportion of elderly people.
Therefore, 71.1% of the population comprises youth under 35 years, while 22.1% is those between 35 and 59 years, and the elders aged 60 and above account for 8.8%.
The national population density is 3.7 persons per square kilometre. On a regional level, Ohangwena has the highest with 31.5 persons per km, followed by Oshana with 26.7 persons per km2 as the most densely populated region in Namibia.
On the other hand, regions such as Khomas 13.4 persons per square kilometre, Omusati 11.9 persons per square kilometre, Zambezi 9.7 persons per square kilometre, Kavango East 9.1 persons per square kilometre, Oshikoto 6.7 persons per square kilometre, and Kavango West 5.0 persons per square kilometre all have density above the national population density.
In contrast, //Kharas region with 0.7 persons per square kilometre was the region with the least density.
