Namibia
Everything Palanor holds about Namibia, in one place: 129 public signals, what its economy runs on, how often America’s largest companies name it, the news that names it, and Country Posture. Every figure is computed from stored readings and carries its source and date.
AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaMiddle East & Africa
The latest read
- GDP in current U.S. dollars: $15.1 billion (2025); record high since 1980; 1y +10.6%.
- Real GDP growth: 1.73% (2025); 33rd percentile since 1981; lowest since 2020; 1y −2.05 pts.
- Consumer price inflation: 3.51% (2025); 15th percentile since 2003; lowest since 2020; 1y −0.73 pts.
- Unemployment: 19.3% (2025); 24th percentile since 1991; highest since 2022; 1y +0.13 pts.
- Household consumption, share of GDP: 78.3% of GDP (2025); record high since 1990; 1y +0.67 pts.
- Net exports, share of GDP: -19.2% of GDP (2025); 26th percentile since 1990; highest since 2022; 1y +6.64 pts.
Country Posture
What Namibia’s economy is doing
Momentum
2025Inputs only. Did not pass the pre-registered back-test: 1996–2009: AUC 0.590 below 0.60; AUC 0.590 below the single-input baseline (0.624); 2010–2022: AUC 0.595 below 0.60; AUC 0.595 below the single-input baseline (0.641).
Inputs
| Real GDP growth | 1.7 |
| Growth against its three-year average | -2.8 |
| Change in unemployment | 0.1 |
| Change in the employment rate | -0.1 |
| Export volume growth | — |
| OECD leading indicator | — |
Resilience
202535Moderate buffers
0 = thin buffers · 100 = deep buffers
Inputs
| Interest as a share of revenue (2024) | 14.7 | 11 |
| Budget balance (2024) | -4.7 | 35 |
| Reserves, months of imports (2024) | 4.0 | 62 |
| Current account (2024) | -13.4 | 12 |
| Governance (WGI mean) | 0.30 | 46 |
| External debt | — | — |
Pressure
2025Inputs only. Did not pass the pre-registered back-test: 1996–2009: AUC 0.657 below the single-input baseline (0.672).
Inputs
| Inflation | 3.5 |
| Change in inflation | -0.7 |
| Currency move against the dollar | -2.4% |
| Conflict deaths per million | 0.0 |
| Political stability | 0.74 |
| Private credit, three-year change (2024) | -13.8 |
| Bond spread over U.S. Treasuries | — |
Posture describes what an economy is doing; it is not a rating and never ranks countries. Each input is read against the country’s own history and against every other economy that year. An axis shows a score only after passing a back-test fixed before any result was computed. Method and back-test.
Country Schemas
Where Namibia is in its cycles
Where Namibia sits in eight long cycles, each read from published statistics against a method fixed before any reading was computed. A stage describes; it is not a rating, and no stage is better or worse than another.
- Development stage
Take-off50% · 2025
Pre-take-offTake-offDrive to maturityHigh mass consumption20002025
- Demographic stage
Late expanding99% · 2025
High stationaryEarly expandingLate expandingLow stationaryDeclining20002025
- Debt cycle stage
Deleveraging83% · 2025
Early cycleLeveragingLate cycleDeleveraging20002025
- External balance stage
Immature debtor52% · 2025
Immature debtorMature debtorDebt repayerImmature creditorMature creditorCredit disinvestor20002025
- Export structure stage
Diversifying57% · 2025
Commodity-reliantDiversifyingManufacturing exporterComplex exporter20002025
- Structural pressure
Building62% · 2025
LowBuildingHighAcute20002025
- Middle-class stage
Withheld.
Pre-middle-classEmerging middle classMiddle-class majorityAffluent20002025
Withheld: too little of its evidence is published and fresh.
- Electoral cycle
Mid-term99% · 2026-10
Post-electionMid-termPre-election2020-012026-10
Passport reach
Where a Namibia passport opens doors
The share of world GDP, outside Namibia itself, in the economies whose published rules let a holder of this passport in, as of October 2026. Palanor records the rules of destinations holding 88% of world GDP, from each government’s own list, and weights them by World Bank GDP for 2025. Rank is among 199 passports.
Work
0.0%rank 114 of 199
the right to work (free movement in full; treaty and working-holiday routes at half); 0 destinations in full.
Recorded changes
- 2025-05-05Türkiye · visit: Visa required → E-visa before travel source
Reach is shown here and not weighted into Country Strength: it rewards membership of a free-movement area or a treaty more than the strength of an economy. Entry is always at the border officer’s discretion, and conditions (length of stay, fees, age limits) vary. Method, sources and the full ranking: Passports and citizenship.
Palanor calculation from each destination government's published rules; GDP weights from the World Bank (CC BY 4.0), one year for the whole line, so it moves only when a list changes.
GDP by expenditure
What Namibia’s economy runs on
In 2025, household spending was 78.3% of GDP, government consumption 22.3%, investment 18.7% and net exports -19.2% (exports 44.7%, imports 63.9%).
World Bank national accounts. The parts can miss 100 by a few points (the statistical discrepancy).
Same World Bank definition for every country, so the shares compare directly: What each economy runs on.
IMF World Economic Outlook
The IMF’s outlook for Namibia
The latest year before the October 2026 edition (often still an IMF estimate) and the IMF’s own projections. These are the IMF’s published forecasts, shown as published; Palanor does not project them further. Since the previous edition the IMF cut its growth forecast for this year by 0.4 percentage points (Palanor calculation).
| Measure | 2025 | 2026 IMF f’cast | 2027 IMF f’cast | 2031 IMF f’cast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real GDP growth% | 1.7 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 3.0 |
| Inflation, average consumer prices% | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.0 |
| GDP, current US dollarsUS$ bn | 15.1 | 17.9 | 19.5 | 23.7 |
| GDP at purchasing-power parityintl $ bn | 37.1 | 39.1 | 41.4 | 50.3 |
| GDP per person, US dollarsUS$ | 4,924 | 5,742 | 6,127 | 6,918 |
| Current account balance% of GDP | -13.1 | -16.9 | -14.4 | -10.3 |
| Government gross debt% of GDP | 67.5 | 67.5 | 67.8 | 71.2 |
| Government net debt% of GDP | 67.4 | 67.4 | 67.6 | 71.1 |
| Government overall balance% of GDP | -5.9 | -5.8 | -5.0 | -4.9 |
| Government primary balance% of GDP | -0.7 | -0.6 | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| Government net interest paid% of GDP · Palanor calc. | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.6 |
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database (edition on the projection). Dashed: the IMF's published projection.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database (edition on the projection). Dashed: the IMF's published projection.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database, October 2026. Provided by the IMF “as is” and free of charge from the IMF; the IMF does not endorse Palanor. Net interest paid is a Palanor calculation: the IMF's primary balance minus its overall balance.
Charts
The headline series
Conflict
Organized violence
News
In the news
- Namibia's disputed petroleum bill clears second reading in parliament reut.rs/3UatIHO
Reuters · Bluesky2026-10-21neutral
- Namibia diamond mine revival draws $50M investment
MINING.COM2026-10-07positive · +investment
Headlines that name Namibia, matched by name with fixed rules (a wrong match is worse than a missing one). Tone is read from each headline’s own words; no model reads or summarizes an article, and other publishers’ stories link out.
Company graph
Companies headquartered in Namibia
Palanor’s company graph holds 2 entities headquartered here (GLEIF headquarters address, else legal address).
Signals
Every series about Namibia
Grouped by theme, the most-read first. All 129 in the Library.
Growth and output8 of 27
- Namibia · Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added · % of GDP5th percentile since 1980; lowest since 2016; 1y −0.165 pts6.99% of GDP2025
- Namibia · GDP · USD bn (current)record high since 1980; 1y +10.6%$15.1bn2025
- Namibia · Industry (incl. Construction) Value Added · % of GDP60th percentile since 1980; lowest since 2022; 1y −0.583 pts28.9% of GDP2025
- Namibia · Manufacturing Value Added · % of GDP40th percentile since 1980; lowest since 2014; 1y −0.273 pts10% of GDP2025
- Namibia · Services Value Added · % of GDP47th percentile since 1980; highest since 2022; 1y +0.923 pts55% of GDP2025
- Namibia · Real GDP Growth · % y/y33rd percentile since 1981; lowest since 2020; 1y −2.05 pts1.73%2025
- Namibia · GDP per Capita · PPP USDrecord high since 1990; 1y +2.5%11,986 usd2025
- Namibia · Country Strength26th percentile since 1991; 1y +3.9%37.5 index2025
Prices1 of 3
- Namibia · Inflation · CPI % y/y15th percentile since 2003; lowest since 2020; 1y −0.73 pts3.51%2025
Jobs and people at work3 of 4
- Namibia · Female Labor Force Participation · %79th percentile since 1990; highest since 2019; 1y +0.01 pts54.9%2025
- Namibia · Male Labor Force Participation · %76th percentile since 1990; lowest since 2021; 1y −0.07 pts63%2025
- Namibia · Unemployment Rate · %24th percentile since 1991; highest since 2022; 1y +0.13 pts19.3%2025
Government and debt8
- Namibia · Budget Balance · % GDP21st percentile since 1990; lowest since 2022; 1y −2.15-5.91 pct_gdp2025
- Namibia · Government Spending · % GDP82nd percentile since 1990; 1y −0.2%38.8 pct_gdp2025
- Namibia · Net Interest · % GDPrecord high since 1990; 1y +2.0%5.21 pct_gdp2025
- Namibia · Primary Balance · % GDP54th percentile since 1990; lowest since 2022; 1y −2.04-0.7 pct_gdp2025
- Namibia · Interest · % of Revenue (central govt)record high since 1990; 1y +0.24 pts14.7%2024
- Namibia · Government Debt · % GDP89th percentile since 1993; 1y −1.3%67.5 pct_gdp2025
- Namibia · Budget Balance · % GDP (central govt)48th percentile since 1991; 1y −2.27-4.73 pct_gdp2024
- Namibia · Interest · % of Expense (central govt)record high since 1991; 1y +1.30 pts14.1%2023
Trade and capital flows2 of 3
- Namibia · Current Account · % GDP10th percentile since 1990; 1y +1.62-13.4 pct_gdp2024
- Namibia · Net International Investment Position, % of GDP (IMF)51st percentile since 1989; highest since 2021; 1y +4.10 pts9.31% of GDP2025
Conflict and geopolitics6 of 12
- Namibia · Organized-Violence Deaths (UCDP, annual)record low since 1989; 1y unchanged0 deaths2025
- Namibia · State-Based Conflict Deaths (UCDP, annual)record low since 1989; 1y unchanged0 deaths2025
- Namibia · Governance · WGI six-dimension mean31st percentile since 1996; 1y −2.9%0.3 index2025
- Namibia · Political Stability · WGI72nd percentile since 1996; highest since 2013; 1y +21.1%0.74 index2025
- Namibia · Regulatory Quality · WGI9th percentile since 1996; lowest since 2011; 1y −53.2%0.07 index2025
- Namibia · Rule of Law · WGI80th percentile since 1996; 1y −2.8%0.38 index2025
Migration4 of 6
- International Migrant Stock: Namibia (UN)69th percentile since 1990; highest since 2000116,035 people2024
- International Migrants as a Share of Population: Namibia (UN)record low since 19903.83% of population2024
- U.S.-Born People Living in Namibia (UN)56th percentile since 1990; highest since 20001,165 people2024
- Change in Migrant Share of Population Since 2000: Namibia (UN)-3.622024
AI stance and technology1 of 2
- AI User Share: Namibia (Microsoft AI Diffusion)1y +2.40 pts15.4% of people aged 15-642026-06-30
Climate and the physical world4 of 6
- Namibia · Arable Land · % of land67th percentile since 1961; 1y unchanged0.97% of land area2024
- Namibia · Renewable Freshwater · m³ per personrecord low since 1961; 1y −2.7%2,1322022
- Namibia · Forest Area · % of landrecord low since 1990; 1y unchanged9.77%2024
- Namibia · PM2.5 Exposure · µg/m³28th percentile since 1990; 1y +2.7%19.2 µg/m³2020
Health and living standards5
- Namibia · Life Expectancy at Birth · yearsrecord high since 1960; 1y +0.2%67.5 years2024
- Namibia · Human Development Index · UNDPrecord high since 1990; 1y +2.5%0.67 index2023
- Namibia · Access to Electricity · % of populationrecord high since 1992; 1y +2.60 pts59.3%2024
- Namibia · Basic Drinking Water Access · % of populationrecord high since 2000; 1y +0.37 pts86.5%2024
- Namibia · Undernourishment · % of population23rd percentile since 2001; lowest since 2005; 1y −0.2 pts20.1%2024
Sentiment and attention1
- Namibia · Search Attention91st percentile since Sep 2021; 1y −41.2%40 index2026-09-20
More about this country1 of 15
- Namibia · IMF Credit Outstanding · USD bn (IMF)record low since Apr 2021; 1y −100.0%$0bn2026-09-01
Peers
Elsewhere in Africa
Alphabetical. Palanor does not rank countries.
AlgeriaAngolaBeninBotswanaBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBurkina FasoBurundiCabo VerdeCameroonCentral African RepublicChadComorosCongoCôte d'IvoireDjiboutiDR CongoEgyptEquatorial GuineaEritreaEswatiniEthiopiaGabonGambiaGhanaGuineaGuinea-BissauKenyaLesothoLiberiaLibyaMadagascarMalawiMaliMauritaniaMauritiusMoroccoMozambiqueNigerNigeriaRéunionRwandaSao Tome and PrincipeSenegalSeychellesSierra LeoneSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth SudanSudanTanzaniaTogoTunisiaUgandaZambiaZimbabwe