Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) in Namibia
Namibia: Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) was 47.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Namibia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Namibia recorded 47.5% for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Namibia peaked at 50.0% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 40.4%, in 1997.
That places Namibia 155th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) in Namibia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 44.6% | — |
| 1992 | 44.7% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 44.6% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 44.4% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 42.9% | -3.3% |
| 1996 | 41.7% | -2.9% |
| 1997 | 40.4% | -3.0% |
| 1998 | 41.3% | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 42.2% | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 43.1% | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 43.0% | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 42.9% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 42.8% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 43.1% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 43.3% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 43.6% | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 43.7% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 44.0% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 44.1% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 44.4% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 46.1% | +3.9% |
| 2012 | 47.9% | +3.9% |
| 2013 | 50.0% | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 49.6% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 48.0% | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 46.3% | -3.5% |
| 2017 | 46.7% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 47.2% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 47.2% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 44.2% | -6.3% |
| 2021 | 44.7% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 47.4% | +6.0% |
| 2023 | 47.6% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 47.6% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 47.5% | -0.2% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 47.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 54.4%, 87% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 47.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 58.8%, 81% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 43.0% | 40.4% | 44.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 43.4% | 42.8% | 44.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 47.3% | 44.4% | 50.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.5% | 44.2% | 47.6% | 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 to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Namibia?
- Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Namibia was 47.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 50.0% in 2013.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.4% in 1997.
- How does Namibia rank for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%)?
- Namibia ranks 155th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. 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 to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.