Female employment rate in Namibia
Namibia: Female employment rate was 45.1% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Female employment rate in Namibia, 1991–2018
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for female employment rate in Namibia is 45.1%, measured in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.1% on the previous year and up 58.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment rate in Namibia peaked at 46.5% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 28.4%, in 2008.
Namibia ranks 115th of 172 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 36.2% | 33.5% | 38.0% | 3 |
| 2000s | 32.0% | 28.4% | 37.4% | 4 |
| 2010s | 44.0% | 41.7% | 46.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More work & labour data for Namibia
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 0 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 58.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 63.0% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 87.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 54.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 60.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 63.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 56.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment rate in Namibia?
- Female employment rate in Namibia was 45.1% in 2018, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment rate recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 46.5% in 2013.
- What is the lowest female employment rate recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.4% in 2008.
- How does Namibia rank for female employment rate?
- Namibia ranks 115th out of 172 countries with data for 2018.
- Is female employment rate rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 58.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Female employment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the female working-age population who are employed. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.