This is a demography of the population of Namibia including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Population

Census results

As required by the Namibian Statistics Act #66 of 1976, and in accordance with United Nations recommendations, a census is conducted every ten years. After Namibian independence the first Population and Housing Census was carried out in 1991, further rounds followed in 2001 and 2011. The data collection method is to count every person resident in Namibia wherever they happen to be. This is called the de facto method. For enumeration purposes the country is demarcated into 4,042 enumeration areas. These areas overlap with constituency boundaries in order to get reliable data for election purposes as well.

The 2011 Population and Housing Census counted 2,113,077 inhabitants of Namibia. Between 2001 and 2011 the annual population growth was 1.4%, down from 2.6% in the previous ten–year period.

In 2011 the total fertility rate was 3.6 children per woman, down from 4.1 in 2001.

UN estimates According to the total population was in , compared to only 485 000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 36.4%, 59.9% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 3.7% was 65 years or older.Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision Total populationPopulation aged 0–14 (%)Population aged 15–64 (%)Population aged 65+ (%) 1950 485 00038.857.14.1 1955 538 00040.555.64.0 1960 603 00041.654.73.7 1965 683 00042.553.93.6 1970 780 00043.153.33.6 1975 906 00044.352.23.5 19801 013 00046.649.93.5 19851 150 00047.049.53.5 19901 415 00043.7533.4 19951 651 0004254.63.4 20001 896 00040.356.33.4 20052 080 00038.957.63.4 20102 283 00036.459.93.7

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2020) (Based on the results of the 2011 Population Census.): Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 1 217 976 1 286 522 2 504 498 100 0–4 168 415 164 699 333 114 13.30 5–9 157 646 154 774 312 420 12.47 10–14 137 092 135 235 272 327 10.87 15–19 118 166 117 873 236 039 9.42 20–24 118 207 121 535 239 742 9.57 25–29 110 095 115 411 225 506 9.00 30–34 94 967 99 744 194 711 7.77 35–39 74 591 80 644 155 235 6.20 40–44 61 719 67 206 128 925 5.15 45–49 49 370 56 034 105 404 4.21 50–54 37 319 44 620 81 939 3.27 55–59 28 792 37 243 66 035 2.64 60–64 20 002 28 448 48 450 1.93 65–69 15 303 21 162 36 465 1.46 70–74 11 841 16 460 28 301 1.13 75–79 6 904 11 064 17 968 0.72 80+ 7 547 14 370 21 917 0.88Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 463 153 454 708 917 861 36.65 15–64 713 228 768 758 1 481 986 59.17 65+ 41 595 63 056 104 651 4.18

Vital statistics

United Nations estimates

Registration of vital events in Namibia is not complete. The website Our World in Data prepared the following estimates based on statistics from the Population Department of the United Nations. Mid-year populationLive birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000)Total fertility rate (TFR)Infant mortality (per 1000 live births)Life expectancy (in years)1950 515,000 22,000 12,000 10,00042.022.519.55.75141.741.51951 521,000 22,000 12,000 10,00042.022.419.65.79140.341.81952 527,000 22,000 12,000 11,00042.022.020.05.83137.642.41953 534,000 22,000 12,000 11,00042.021.620.45.89134.743.01954 540,000 23,000 11,000 11,00041.921.120.85.93131.843.71955 547,000 23,000 11,000 12,00041.720.721.15.97128.844.31956 555,000 23,000 11,000 12,00041.620.221.46.01125.744.91957 562,000 23,000 11,000 12,00041.619.721.86.05122.645.61958 571,000 24,000 11,000 13,00041.619.222.36.10119.446.31959 580,000 24,000 11,000 13,00041.618.822.86.14116.146.91960 590,000 25,000 11,000 14,00041.818.223.56.21112.947.71961 601,000 25,000 11,000 15,00042.017.824.26.27109.748.41962 614,000 26,000 11,000 15,00042.317.325.06.34106.649.11963 627,000 27,000 11,000 16,00042.616.925.76.40103.549.71964 642,000 28,000 11,000 17,00042.816.426.36.43100.650.41965 658,000 28,000 11,000 18,00043.016.026.96.4697.851.01966 675,000 29,000 11,000 18,00043.115.727.46.4995.151.41967 693,000 30,000 11,000 19,00043.315.427.96.5192.552.01968 712,000 31,000 11,000 20,00043.515.028.56.5490.152.61969 733,000 32,000 11,000 21,00043.614.629.06.5587.753.11970 754,000 33,000 11,000 22,00043.714.329.46.5585.453.61971 777,000 34,000 11,000 23,00043.913.930.06.5583.154.21972 801,000 35,000 11,000 24,00043.913.530.46.5580.854.81973 825,000 36,000 11,000 26,00044.113.130.96.5678.655.41974 850,000 37,000 11,000 27,00044.112.831.36.5676.355.91975 877,000 39,000 11,000 28,00043.912.431.56.5474.256.51976 902,000 39,000 11,000 28,00043.512.031.56.5072.257.01977 926,000 40,000 11,000 29,00042.911.731.36.4570.557.61978 942,000 40,000 11,000 30,00042.311.331.06.3869.058.11979 957,000 39,000 11,000 29,00041.011.129.96.3267.658.41980 976,000 40,000 11,000 28,00040.611.628.96.2566.356.81981 987,000 40,000 11,000 28,00039.711.428.46.1664.957.11982 1,006,000 39,000 11,000 28,00038.611.027.66.0863.357.61983 1,033,000 40,000 11,000 29,00038.510.827.86.0061.558.01984 1,062,000 41,000 11,000 30,00038.510.428.15.9359.558.51985 1,093,000 42,000 11,000 31,00038.510.128.35.8557.359.01986 1,128,000 43,000 11,000 32,00038.59.828.75.7755.059.61987 1,165,000 45,000 11,000 34,00038.79.529.25.6752.860.21988 1,208,000 47,000 11,000 36,00038.99.429.55.5851.060.21989 1,288,000 49,000 10,000 39,00039.38.430.95.4749.262.61990 1,369,000 55,000 11,000 44,00040.68.332.25.3248.062.51991 1,416,000 57,000 12,000 45,00040.18.431.65.2347.062.11992 1,462,000 57,000 13,000 45,00039.18.630.55.0746.461.51993 1,510,000 57,000 13,000 44,00037.88.829.14.8946.160.91994 1,558,000 57,000 14,000 42,00036.39.127.24.6746.459.81995 1,605,000 55,000 15,000 40,00034.69.525.14.4347.258.61996 1,650,000 54,000 17,000 38,00033.110.222.84.2148.156.91997 1,693,000 55,000 18,000 37,00032.610.821.84.1548.955.61998 1,736,000 56,000 20,000 36,00032.611.621.04.1549.554.11999 1,778,000 57,000 22,000 36,00032.312.120.14.1149.853.02000 1,819,000 57,000 23,00034,00031.412.718.73.9849.852.02001 1,856,000 56,000 24,000 32,00030.413.117.33.8349.751.32002 1,889,000 56,000 25,000 31,00029.713.116.63.7249.151.32003 1,915,000 56,000 25,000 31,00029.213.215.93.6249.051.12004 1,939,000 56,000 26,000 31,00029.013.215.83.5848.951.22005 1,963,000 57,000 25,000 32,00029.013.016.13.5646.851.82006 1,987,000 58,000 25,000 33,00029.012.516.53.5443.952.72007 2,011,000 59,000 24,000 35,00029.312.017.23.5541.253.72008 2,039,000 61,000 24,000 37,00029.711.618.13.5938.154.72009 2,068,000 62,000 23,000 39,00030.111.218.93.6136.255.52010 2,099,000 64,000 23,000 41,00030.411.119.43.6334.356.02011 2,132,000 66,000 23,000 43,00030.810.919.93.6634.656.62012 2,167,000 67,000 23,000 45,00031.110.420.73.6835.057.62013 2,205,000 68,000 22,000 46,00030.99.921.03.6534.258.72014 2,243,000 69,000 21,000 48,00030.79.421.33.6433.559.82015 2,283,000 70,000 21,000 49,00030.49.121.33.6033.460.72016 2,323,000 70,000 20,000 50,00030.18.721.43.5732.561.72017 2,365,000 70,000 20,000 50,00029.58.521.03.5131.662.32018 2,406,000 70,000 20,000 50,00029.08.420.63.4631.062.62019 2,447,000 70,000 20,000 49,00028.4 8.220.23.4029.863.12020 2,688,000 76,000 21,000 55,00027.77.520.23.3529.564.12021 2,770,000 76,000 26,000 50,160 27.09.217.83.3028.760.92022 2,851,000 76,000 22,000 54,53527.97.518.93.2528.764.22023 2,928,000 77,000 18,000 58,43625.96.219.73.2127.267.42024  59 73925.96.219.73.212025  59 56725.46.219.33.17

Demographic and Health Surveys Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (followed by wanted fertility rate in brackets) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):

Year Total Urban Rural CBR TFR CBR TFR CBR TFR 1992 42 5.4 (4.8) 43 4.0 (3.4) 42 6.3 (5.8) 2000 30.5 4.2 (3.4) 29.9 3.1 (2.4) 30.8 5.1 (4.2) 2006–2007 29.2 3.6 (2.7) 28.8 2.8 (2.2) 29.6 4.3 (3.3) 2013 29.5 3.6 (2.9) 30.0 2.9 (2.4) 29.3 4.7 (3.5)

Fertility data as of 2013 (DHS Program):

Region Total fertility rate Percentage of women age 15–49 currently pregnant Mean number of children ever born to women age 40–49Zambezi 4.2 4.5 4.4Erongo 2.9 6.1 3.3Hardap 3.7 3.8 3.4Karas 3.4 6.4 3.4Kavango 4.6 6.8 5.4Khomas 2.6 6.4 2.7Kunene 4.5 8.5 4.6Ohangwena 5.3 9.8 5.2Omaheke 4.6 8.6 4.2Omusati 4.2 6.3 3.6Oshana 2.7 6.2 3.1Oshikoto 4.2 5.7 4.0Otjozondjupa 4.1 5.4 4.0

Life expectancy at birth Life expectancy from 1950 to 2015 (UN World Population Prospects): PeriodLife expectancy inYears1950–195541.751955–1960 45.271960–1965 48.431965–1970 51.201970–1975 53.521975–1980 56.631980–1985 58.341985–1990 60.671990–1995 61.521995–2000 58.112000–2005 53.832005–2010 54.982010–2015 61.75

Ethnic groups

Namibia has many ethnic groups. The majority of the Namibian population is of Bantu-speaking origin—mostly of the Ovambo ethnicity, which forms about half of the population—residing mainly in the north of the country, although many are now resident in towns throughout Namibia. They also include the Lozi people and Kavango people. Other ethnic groups are the Herero and Himba people, who speak a similar language, and the Damara, who speak the same "click" language as the Nama. Herero and Nama peoples make up less than 10% of the population, but at the beginning of the 20th century and before the Herero and Nama genocide, they made up a majority.

The largest ten ethnic groups are Aakwanyama, Aandonga, Ovaherero, Damara, Aakwambi, Vakwangali, Nama, Aambalantu, Vakavango, and Aangandjera.

In addition to the Bantu majority, there are large groups of San, who are descendants of the original culture of Southern Africa, as well as Nama who are descendants of the above as well as mixed with colonists. They often speak Khoekhoegowab. The country also contains some descendants of refugees from Angola.

There are also two smaller groups of people with mixed racial origins, called "Coloureds" (2.1%) and "Basters" (1.5%). There is a substantial Chinese minority in Namibia; it stood at 40,000 in 2006.

Whites (mainly of Afrikaner, German, British and Portuguese origin) make up 1.8% of the population, according to the 2023 Population and Housing Census. Although their proportion of the population decreased after independence due to emigration and lower birth rates, they still form the second-largest population of European ancestry, both in terms of percentage and actual numbers, in Sub-Saharan Africa (after South Africa/Angola). The majority of Namibian whites and nearly all those who are of mixed race, speak Afrikaans and share similar origins, culture, and religion as the white and coloured populations of South Africa. A large minority of whites (around 30,000) trace their family origins back to the German settlers who colonised Namibia prior to the British confiscation of German lands after World War I, and they maintain German cultural and educational institutions. Nearly all Portuguese settlers came to the country from the former Portuguese colony of Angola. The 1960 census reported 526,004 persons in what was then South West Africa, including 73,464 whites (14%).

Languages

Religion Missionary work during the 19th century drew many Namibians to Christianity, especially Lutheranism. While most Namibian Christians are Lutheran, there also are Roman Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, African Methodist Episcopal, and Dutch Reformed Christians represented.

Christian 80% to 90% (at least 50% Lutheran) Indigenous beliefs 10% to 20%

References

External links

Namibian People