Population and Demographics of Namibia
Population changed +2.26% in 2024 · median age 21 years
Children under 15 make up 36.98% of Namibia's population. The 33.31-point difference between the under-15 and 65-plus shares shows how strongly the age balance leans younger. Under the UN medium scenario, the 2050 total is 4.51 million, a 48.9% increase from 2024.
Population Over Time in Namibia
Namibia's population stood at 1.819M in 2000 and 3.030M in 2024, equivalent to a +66.6% change over that period. Looking ahead, the medium projection points to 4.512M in 2050, 48.9% higher than the 2024 level. The chart connects dated reference points only and should not be read as an annual interpolated series.
Age Structure and Sex Balance
Looking beyond the headline population number, Namibia's 2024 age structure is very young. Children under 15 make up 36.98% of the population, compared with 3.67% aged 65 or older, and 59.35% are 15 to 64. The age balance is weighted toward younger residents.
Population by broad age group
In the World Bank 2024 series, females account for 51.2% of Namibia's population and males 48.8%. Females exceed males by 2.4 percentage points.
Female and male population share
Females made up 51.2% of the population in the World Bank's 2024 series, compared with 48.8% males.
What Is Shaping Population Change
Namibia pairs a 2024 annual population rate of +2.26% with fertility of 3.2, while 36.98% of residents are under 15 and 3.67% are 65 or older.
Over the longer record, Namibia changed +66.6% from 2000 to 2024, before a projected +48.9% shift to 2050 under the medium scenario; the page therefore distinguishes measured direction from unmeasured demographic drivers.
2024 estimate for Namibia. The world comparison value is 2.25 children per woman.
Namibia vs. World
Using one 2024 comparison table keeps the context consistent. Namibia's population change is higher than the global rate, fertility is above the global level, and its population is younger than the world median-age profile.
| Indicator | Namibia | World | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual population change | +2.26% | +0.87% | 2024 |
| Total fertility rate | 3.2 | 2.25 | 2024 |
| Median age | 21 | 30.6 | 2024 |
To keep the comparison defensible, all three indicators come from one harmonized 2024 table that attributes the demographic series to UN WPP 2024.
Key Takeaways
At 3.030M, the 2024 population is paired with an annual change rate of +2.26%.
Age structure is a key feature of the profile: 36.98% are under 15 and 3.67% are 65 or older.
The World Bank 2024 sex-share series is 51.2% female and 48.8% male.
By 2050, the medium projection is 4.512M, differing from 2024 by roughly 1.48 million people.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Namibia?
The 2024 harmonized population estimate for Namibia is 3,030,131 people.
Is the population of Namibia growing or declining?
In the 2024 estimate, Namibia's population is growing, with annual change of +2.26%.
What percentage of the population of Namibia is aged 65 or older?
People aged 65 or older account for 3.67% of Namibia's 2024 population in the UN WPP-based broad age data.
What is the projected population of Namibia in 2050?
The UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium projection puts Namibia's 2050 population at 4,512,301.
What is the fertility rate in Namibia?
The 2024 harmonized fertility estimate for Namibia is 3.2 children per woman.
Sources & methodology
This profile uses United Nations World Population Prospects 2024 as the primary framework for globally comparable population, age, fertility and projection data. The World Bank is the primary source for the female population share. Some country values were accessed through secondary retrieval interfaces that republish or organize UN data; those interfaces are identified below as secondary and are not treated as the original statistical publishers.
View sources used for this page
Primary global framework for the population estimates and projections.
Harmonized 2024 country table based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Harmonized broad age shares based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Harmonized reference for the 2000 population point.
Harmonized 2050 country projection based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Used for the 2024 female share; the male share is calculated as the remainder to 100%.