Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Namibia
Namibia: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 3.6 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
3.6 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
213th
of 216 countries
All-time high
3.6 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
3.22 people per sq. km of land area
in 2019
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Namibia, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
Namibia recorded 3.6 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 11.8% over five years.
Over the whole period, population density in Namibia peaked at 3.6 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 3.22 people per sq. km of land area, in 2019.
Namibia ranks 213th of 216 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Namibia, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.7325 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 0.7479 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1963 | 0.7647 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1964 | 0.7829 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1965 | 0.8023 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1966 | 0.8231 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1967 | 0.8454 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1968 | 0.8691 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1969 | 0.8941 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1970 | 0.9205 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1971 | 0.9481 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1972 | 0.9771 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1973 | 1.01 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1974 | 1.04 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1975 | 1.07 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1976 | 1.1 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1977 | 1.13 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1978 | 1.15 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1979 | 1.17 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 1.19 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1981 | 1.21 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 1.23 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 1.26 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1984 | 1.29 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 1.33 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 1.37 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1987 | 1.42 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 1.47 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 1.57 people per sq. km of land area | +6.6% |
| 1990 | 1.66 people per sq. km of land area | +6.2% |
| 1991 | 1.72 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 1992 | 1.77 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1993 | 1.83 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1994 | 1.89 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1995 | 1.95 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 2 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 2.05 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 2.1 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 2.16 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 2.21 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 2.26 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 2.3 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 2.33 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 2.36 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 2.39 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 2.42 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 2.45 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 2.49 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 2.52 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 2.56 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 2.61 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 2.67 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 2.74 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 2.81 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 2.88 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 2.96 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 3.04 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 3.13 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 3.22 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 3.31 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 3.41 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 3.51 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 3.6 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 3.6 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 80.91 people per sq. km of land area, 4% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 3.6 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 68.7 people per sq. km of land area, 5% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.8069 people per sq. km of land area | 0.7325 people per sq. km of land area | 0.8941 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.05 people per sq. km of land area | 0.9205 people per sq. km of land area | 1.17 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.33 people per sq. km of land area | 1.19 people per sq. km of land area | 1.57 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.91 people per sq. km of land area | 1.66 people per sq. km of land area | 2.16 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.37 people per sq. km of land area | 2.21 people per sq. km of land area | 2.52 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.86 people per sq. km of land area | 2.56 people per sq. km of land area | 3.22 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.46 people per sq. km of land area | 3.31 people per sq. km of land area | 3.6 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
- 210 Suriname 3.92 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 211 Guyana 3.91 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 212 Iceland 3.82 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 214 Australia 3.47 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 215 Mongolia 2.23 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 216 Greenland 0.1385 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Namibia
- Population in the largest city 32.5% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 14.23 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in largest city 511,369 (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 0 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 78.23 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
- Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen 2.49 million (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Namibia?
- Population density in Namibia was 3.6 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.6 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.22 people per sq. km of land area in 2019.
- How does Namibia rank for population density?
- Namibia ranks 213th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Where does this Namibia data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.