Human Development & Quality of Life in Namibia
HDI 0.665 · UNDP rank 136 · latest published data
The headline development measure for Namibia is HDI 0.665 in 2023, corresponding to UNDP rank 136 and the medium human development band. The aggregate hides useful detail: The income component uses GNI per capita of $10,917 in 2021 PPP dollars. The profile also records that the inequality adjustment is one of the most consequential parts of this profile: IHDI falls to 0.438, a 34.1% loss.
What sits inside Namibia's HDI
In the figures presented here, Namibia's 2023 HDI inputs include life expectancy of 67.4, expected schooling of 11.8, mean schooling of 7.3, and GNI per capita of $10,917 in 2021 PPP dollars. Together they explain the headline index without turning any single input into a separate ranking.
Inequality changes the headline
In Namibia's profile, IHDI shows the effect of inequality on health, education and income achievements, the page keeps this distribution measure distinct from broader quality-of-life evidence.
Gender and planetary-pressure adjustments
For Namibia, the available complementary indices are GDI 1.011, GII 0.448, PHDI 0.611. Their scopes differ, which is why the page presents them side by side rather than blending them.
Quality-of-life coverage is conditional
For Namibia, the page has no verified OECD life-satisfaction observation to report. No value is inferred when the underlying source does not publish one. For the profile as a whole, do not substitute a different denominator because the surrounding measures answer different questions.
What Namibia's numbers say together
The supporting measures for Namibia are IHDI 0.438 with a 34.1% loss; PHDI 0.611 after a 8.1% adjustment; GDI 1.011. Each measure has a different definition, so they are not combined.
UNDP reports a 2023 HDI of 0.665 for Namibia, with rank 136. That headline measure is useful for development comparison, but it is not a complete quality-of-life score.
The IHDI is 0.438, and UNDP reports an overall loss of 34.1% relative to the headline index.
The GDI value is 1.011 in group 1; it should be read alongside, not merged into, HDI.
The PHDI is 0.611, with a 8.1% adjustment from the HDI value in UNDP's 2023 table.
Frequently asked questions
What is Namibia's HDI?
The UNDP table records Namibia at 0.665 on HDI in 2023, with global rank 136.
How does inequality affect Namibia's HDI?
After the inequality adjustment, Namibia's index falls to 0.438; UNDP quantifies the overall loss at 34.1%.
Why is there no life satisfaction score on this page?
Quality-of-life data for Namibia appear only when the page can tie the value to a comparable source and year. No proxy is inserted for a value the source does not report.
Is HDI the same as quality of life?
No. The HDI calculation does not include every aspect of quality of life. Life satisfaction remains distinct from the health, education and income dimensions used by HDI. When using this figure elsewhere, retain the original indicator definition before using the result as a shorthand for lived experience.
Sources & methodology
Sources for the development indicators and definitions shown above.
View sources used for this page
Primary source for 2023 HDI and its components, plus IHDI, GDI, GII and PHDI where reported.
Report edition underlying the 2023 human-development indices and ranking.
Data note: Reference years are shown with each indicator; unavailable observations remain unfilled.