Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population) (World Population) in Namibia
Namibia: Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population) (World Population) was 67.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
67.9%
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
48th
of 218 countries
All-time high
105.4%
in 1982
All-time low
66.8%
in 2015
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Age dependency ratio in Namibia, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
In 2025, age dependency ratio in Namibia stood at 67.9%.
That represents a change of down 0.9% on the previous year and up 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Namibia peaked at 105.4% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 66.8%, in 2015.
That places Namibia 48th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population) (World Population) in Namibia, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 87.4% | — |
| 1961 | 87.9% | +0.6% |
| 1962 | 88.4% | +0.6% |
| 1963 | 89.0% | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 89.6% | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 90.1% | +0.5% |
| 1966 | 90.6% | +0.6% |
| 1967 | 91.1% | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 91.6% | +0.5% |
| 1969 | 92.1% | +0.5% |
| 1970 | 92.5% | +0.5% |
| 1971 | 93.1% | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 93.6% | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 94.2% | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 94.9% | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 95.6% | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 96.5% | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 97.5% | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 99.8% | +2.3% |
| 1979 | 101.8% | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 102.9% | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 105.0% | +2.0% |
| 1982 | 105.4% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 104.1% | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 102.6% | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 100.9% | -1.7% |
| 1986 | 98.9% | -2.0% |
| 1987 | 96.8% | -2.1% |
| 1988 | 94.4% | -2.4% |
| 1989 | 88.6% | -6.1% |
| 1990 | 84.4% | -4.8% |
| 1991 | 84.0% | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 83.8% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 83.6% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 83.4% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 83.0% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 82.5% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 82.1% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 81.7% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 81.3% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 80.7% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 79.9% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 78.9% | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 77.6% | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 76.0% | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 74.2% | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 72.2% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 70.5% | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 69.1% | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 68.0% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 67.3% | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 67.1% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 67.0% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 67.0% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 66.8% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 66.8% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 66.9% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 67.3% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 67.8% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 68.2% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 68.7% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 69.2% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 69.5% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 69.1% | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 68.5% | -0.9% |
| 2025 | 67.9% | -0.9% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 67.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 63.2%, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 67.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 74.9%, 91% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 89.8% | 87.4% | 92.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 95.9% | 92.5% | 101.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 99.9% | 88.6% | 105.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 83.0% | 81.3% | 84.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 74.7% | 68.0% | 80.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 67.2% | 66.8% | 68.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 68.8% | 67.9% | 69.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
- 45 Equatorial Guinea 69.1% compare
- 46 Saint Martin (French part) 68.7% compare
- 47 Pakistan 68.4% compare
- 49 Gabon 67.7% compare
- 50 Solomon Islands 67.3% compare
- 51 Nauru 67.1% compare
More health data for Namibia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.75 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6445 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,046 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 561 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1 (2024)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -1.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0644 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -1.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Namibia?
- Age dependency ratio in Namibia was 67.9% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 105.4% in 1982.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 66.8% in 2015.
- How does Namibia rank for age dependency ratio?
- Namibia ranks 48th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Namibia data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.