Labor force participation rate in Namibia
Namibia: Labor force participation rate was 58.84 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
58.84
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
112th
of 186 countries
All-time high
61.7
in 2013
All-time low
53.5
in 1997
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Namibia, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force participation rate in Namibia is 58.84, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Namibia peaked at 61.7 in 2013 and was at its lowest, 53.5, in 1997.
That places Namibia 112th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate in Namibia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 55.12 | — |
| 1991 | 55.1 | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 55.09 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 55.09 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 55.08 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 54.55 | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 54.03 | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 53.5 | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 53.71 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 53.92 | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 54.13 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 54.42 | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 54.7 | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 54.99 | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 55.27 | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 55.55 | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 55.84 | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 56.12 | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 56.41 | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 56.69 | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 56.97 | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 57.25 | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 57.53 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 61.7 | +7.2% |
| 2014 | 60.83 | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 60.64 | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 60.45 | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 59.67 | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 58.88 | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 58.92 | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 55.98 | -5.0% |
| 2021 | 56.48 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 58.91 | +4.3% |
| 2023 | 58.9 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 58.87 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 58.84 | -0.1% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 58.84 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 57.67, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 58.84 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.31, 91% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 54.52 | 53.5 | 55.12 | 10 |
| 2000s | 55.41 | 54.13 | 56.69 | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.28 | 56.97 | 61.7 | 10 |
| 2020s | 58 | 55.98 | 58.91 | 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 labor force participation rate in Namibia?
- Labor force participation rate in Namibia was 58.84 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 61.7 in 2013.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 53.5 in 1997.
- How does Namibia rank for labor force participation rate?
- Namibia ranks 112th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).