Economy of Namibia

Economy of Namibia
Windhoek, the capital and economic centre of Namibia
Currency
1 NAD = 1 ZAR
1 April – 31 March
Trade organisations
AU, AfCFTA, WTO, SADC, SACU
Country group
Statistics
PopulationNeutral increase 3,022,401 (2023)
GDP
  • Increase $14.69 billion (nominal; 2025)
  • Increase $37.63 billion (PPP; 2025)
GDP rank
  • 3.7% (2024)
  • 3.8% (2025)
GDP per capita
  • Increase $4,413 (nominal; 2025)
  • Increase $12,341 (PPP; 2025)
GDP per capita rank
1.4% (2024)
GDP by sector
GDP shares (2024):
Positive decrease 3.5% (2025)
59.1 high (2015, World Bank)
  • Increase 0.665 medium (2023) (136th)
  • Increase 0.438 low IHDI (2023)
Labour force
  • Decrease 867,247 (strict, 2023)
  • Increase 1,209,178 (broad, 2023)*
  • Negative increase 36.9% (strict, 2023)
  • Negative increase 54.8% (broad, 2023)
Main industries
Financial services; wholesale and retail trade; manufacturing (alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, grain mill products, meat processing, fish processing, dairy products, diamond processing); mining (diamonds, gold, uranium, copper, lead, zinc, tin, silver, tungsten); agriculture (cattle, chicken, poultry, crops, forestry), fishing
External
ExportsIncrease N$125.7 billion (2025)
Export goods
Top 5 export goods (2025):
  • Uranium: 22.4%
  • Non-monetary gold: 16.0%
  • Precious stones (diamonds): 11.7%
  • Fish: 11.4%
  • Petroleum oils: 3.8%
Main export partners
Top 5 export markets (2025):
ImportsPositive decrease N$150.7 billion (2025)
Import goods
Top 5 import goods (2025):
  • Petroleum oils: 14.9%
  • Motor vehicles (commercial): 4.2%
  • Nickel ores, concentrates: 3.1%
  • Base metal ores, concentrates: 2.6%
  • Motor vehicles (for personal use): 2.6%
Main import partners
Top 5 import partners (2025):
FDI stock
  • Increase N$222.0 billion inflow stock as at Q2 2025
Increase −N$34.7 billion (2024)
Public finance
Negative increase 67.3% of GDP (2024/25)
Increase N$63.0 billion (31 December 2024)
Increase N$89.1 billion (2024/25)
Negative increase N$99.5 billion (2024/25)
All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars.

Namibia has a developing economy. It has a modern market sector, which produces most of the country's wealth, and a traditional subsistence sector. Although the majority of the population engages in subsistence agriculture and herding, the nation has more than 200,000 skilled workers.