Employment in services (% of total employment) in Namibia
Namibia: Employment in services (% of total employment) was 61.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Namibia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment in services (% of total employment) in Namibia stood at 61.1%.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in services (% of total employment) in Namibia peaked at 61.2% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 38.5%, in 1991.
That places Namibia 89th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Namibia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 38.5% | — |
| 1992 | 39.7% | +3.2% |
| 1993 | 40.6% | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 41.6% | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 44.1% | +6.1% |
| 1996 | 46.7% | +5.8% |
| 1997 | 49.3% | +5.7% |
| 1998 | 52.4% | +6.2% |
| 1999 | 55.5% | +5.9% |
| 2000 | 58.5% | +5.4% |
| 2001 | 58.1% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 57.8% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 57.5% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 57.3% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 57.3% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 57.6% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 57.8% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 57.9% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 57.7% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 57.8% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 58.3% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 58.7% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 54.2% | -7.8% |
| 2014 | 55.8% | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 58.6% | +4.9% |
| 2016 | 60.6% | +3.4% |
| 2017 | 61.0% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 61.2% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 60.9% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 60.4% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 60.3% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 60.5% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 60.7% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 60.9% | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 61.1% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 45.4% | 38.5% | 55.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 57.7% | 57.3% | 58.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.7% | 54.2% | 61.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.6% | 60.3% | 61.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More work & labour data for Namibia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.0916 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.0906 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.0929 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.3746 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.88 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 3,116 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,223 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 3,070 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,828 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,898 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in services (% of total employment) in Namibia?
- Employment in services (% of total employment) in Namibia was 61.1% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 61.2% in 2018.
- What is the lowest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.5% in 1991.
- How does Namibia rank for employment in services (% of total employment)?
- Namibia ranks 89th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in services (% of total employment) rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment in services (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The services sector consists of wholesale and retail trade and restaurants and hotels; transport, storage, and communications; financing, insurance, real estate, and business services; and community, social, and personal services, in accordance with divisions 6-9 (ISIC 2) or categories G-Q (ISIC 3) or categories G-U (ISIC 4).