Urban population in Namibia
Namibia: Urban population was 50.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Urban population in Namibia, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban population in Namibia is 50.9%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in Namibia peaked at 50.9% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 23.4%, in 1960.
That places Namibia 155th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Urban population in Namibia, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 23.4% | — |
| 1961 | 23.6% | +1.0% |
| 1962 | 23.8% | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 24.0% | +0.8% |
| 1964 | 24.2% | +0.7% |
| 1965 | 24.4% | +0.6% |
| 1966 | 24.5% | +0.6% |
| 1967 | 24.6% | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 24.7% | +0.5% |
| 1969 | 24.9% | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 24.9% | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 25.0% | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 25.1% | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 25.2% | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 25.2% | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 25.3% | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 25.4% | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 25.4% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 25.5% | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 25.6% | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 25.6% | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 25.7% | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 25.8% | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 25.9% | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 26.0% | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 26.1% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 26.2% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 26.4% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 26.5% | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 26.7% | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 26.9% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 27.1% | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 27.3% | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 27.7% | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 28.1% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 28.7% | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 29.3% | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 29.9% | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 30.6% | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 31.4% | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 32.1% | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 32.9% | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 33.6% | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 34.5% | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 35.5% | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 36.6% | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 37.7% | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 38.8% | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 39.8% | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 40.9% | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 41.8% | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 42.6% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 43.4% | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 44.1% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 44.8% | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 45.5% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 46.2% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 46.8% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 47.4% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 48.0% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 48.5% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 49.1% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 49.5% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 50.0% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 50.4% | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 50.9% | +0.9% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 50.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 50.9%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 50.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.9%, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 24.2% | 23.4% | 24.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 25.3% | 24.9% | 25.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 26.1% | 25.6% | 26.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 28.7% | 26.9% | 31.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 36.2% | 32.1% | 40.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.1% | 41.8% | 48.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.7% | 48.5% | 50.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
- 152 Uzbekistan 51.0% compare
- 153 Kosovo 50.9% compare
- 153 Kosovo (UNSCR 1244) 50.9% compare
- 156 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 48.0% compare
- 157 Turkmenistan 47.1% compare
- 158 Guinea-Bissau 46.7% compare
More climate change data for Namibia
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 5.64 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 5,137 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,753 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3,384 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 6.62 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 120.84 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 57.2 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 54.43 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2.77 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.2054 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population in Namibia?
- Urban population in Namibia was 50.9% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 50.9% in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.4% in 1960.
- How does Namibia rank for urban population?
- Namibia ranks 155th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.