Namibia (Republic of Namibia)

Namibia Republic of Namibia
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	115th best
Capital	Windhoek
Land Area	823 290km21
Location	Africa
Population	2.4m2
Life Expectancy	59.27yrs (2017)3
GNI	$8 634 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	NA, NAM, 5165
Internet Domain	.na6
Currency	Dollar (NAD)7
Telephone	+2648

1. Overview
2. Namibia National and Social Development
3. Namibia's Demographics and Migration
4. Namibia's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Namibia's Health
6. Namibia's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Namibia's Modernity and Learning
8. Namibia's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

“South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that became Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia has been governed by SWAPO since the country won independence in 1990. Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in November 2004 in a landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led the country during its first 14 years of self rule. POHAMBA was reelected in November 2009.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Namibia posesses some of the most stunning landscapes in Africa, and a trip through the country is one of the great road adventures. Natural wonders such as that mighty gash in the earth at Fish River Canyon and the wildlife utopia of Etosha National Park enthral, but it´s the lonely desert roads, where mighty slabs of granite rise out of swirling desert sands, that will sear themselves in your mind. It´s like a coffee-table book come to life as sand dunes in the world´s oldest desert meet the crashing rollers along the wild Atlantic coast. Among all this is a German legacy, evident in the cuisine and art nouveau architecture of Lüderitz or Swakopmund and in festivals such as Windhoek´s legendary Oktoberfest.

Namibia is also the headquarters of adventure activities in the region, so whether you´re a dreamer or love hearing the crunch of earth under your boots, travel in Namibia will stay with you long after the desert vistas fade.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Namibia National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #namibia #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
136	Kiribati	0.624
137	Honduras	0.621
138	Sao Tome & Principe	0.618
139	Namibia	0.615
140=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.607
140=	Laos	0.607
140=	Vanuatu	0.607
143	Nepal	0.602
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
114	Philippines	$8 920
115	Jamaica	$8 834
116	Guatemala	$8 723
117	Namibia	$8 634
118	El Salvador	$8 296
119	Bolivia	$8 111
120	Uzbekistan	$7 917
121	Cuba	$7 879
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	29.7
2	Norway	33.6
3	Switzerland	35.2
	...
112	Azerbaijan	94.5
113	Kyrgyzstan	94.6
114	Paraguay	95.9
115	Namibia	96.2
116	Guyana	96.4
117	Algeria	96.4
118	Brunei	96.5
119	Oman	97.0
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.9
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

Progress in Namibia is always going to be difficult whilst the richest 10% hold 47% of the country's entire income₁₃.

3. Namibia's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Namibia's population is predicted to rise to 3.042 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 3.25. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
138	Albania	2.9m
139	Lithuania	2.8m
140	Qatar	2.8m
141	Namibia	2.4m
142	Gambia	2.3m
143	Botswana	2.3m
144	Gabon	2.1m
145	Lesotho	2.1m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
180	Guinea-Bissau	59.7
181	Mozambique	59.3
182	Burkina Faso	59.3
183	Namibia	59.3
184	Zimbabwe	59.3
185	Congo, DR	59.2
186	Mali	58.9
187	Guinea	58.9
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
154	Papua New Guinea	3.17
155	Tonga	3.19
156	S. Korea	0.78
157	Namibia	3.25
158	Kiribati	3.27
159	Kenya	3.30
160	Hong Kong	0.70
161	Uzbekistan	3.31
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better16
Pos.		2016 Per 10016
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
46	Congo, (Brazzaville)	07.0
47=	Solomon Islands	07.0
47=	Rwanda	07.0
49	Namibia	07.4
50=	Botswana	07.7
50=	UAE	07.7
52	Oman	07.8
53	Jordan	08.0
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants17
Pos.		2017 %17
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
92	Uganda	3.9%
93	Dominican Rep.	3.9%
94	Mauritania	3.8%
95	Namibia	3.8%
96	Burkina Faso	3.7%
97	Trinidad & Tobago	3.7%
98	Togo	3.6%
99	Uzbekistan	3.6%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants18
Pos.		2010 %18
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
177	India	0.9%
178	Papua New Guinea	0.9%
179	USA	0.8%
180	Namibia	0.7%
181	Ethiopia	0.7%
182	Tanzania	0.7%
183	Brazil	0.7%
184	Saudi Arabia	0.7%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Namibia's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #namibia #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to Africa (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Mauritius	63.7
2	S. Africa	64.3
3	Cape Verde	68.0
4	Seychelles	73.8
5	Namibia	77.7
6	Senegal	84.7
7	Botswana	86.8
8	Ghana	92.3
9	Tunisia	95.2
10	Lesotho	100.4
11	Sao Tome & Principe	101.2
12	Burkina Faso	101.3
13	Mali	101.6
	Africa Avg	110.04
q=54.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
77	Bosnia & Herzegovina	76.0
78	Georgia	76.4
79	Tuvalu	76.7
80	Namibia	77.7
81	Dominican Rep.	78.0
82	Micronesia	78.2
83	Armenia	78.5
84	St Kitts & Nevis	79.1
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₂₀. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, N. Korea and Afghanistan₂₀.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₂₀, whereas the worst are Africa, The Middle East and Asia₂₀.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets:

Press Freedom Higher is better21
Pos.		202521
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
25	France	76.62
26	Jamaica	75.83
27	S. Africa	75.71
28	Namibia	75.35
29	Australia	75.15
30	Cape Verde	74.98
31	Poland	74.79
32	Suriname	74.49
	Africa Avg	52.30
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Slavery Lower is better22
Pos.		2018 % Victims22
1	Japan	0.03
2=	Canada	0.05
2=	Taiwan	0.05
	...
63	Senegal	0.29
64	Trinidad & Tobago	0.30
65	Yemen	0.31
66=	Namibia	0.33
66=	Serbia	0.33
68	Bosnia & Herzegovina	0.34
69=	Botswana	0.34
69=	Honduras	0.34
	Africa Avg	0.96
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better23
Pos.		2014 Rank23
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
67	Serbia	67
68	Guatemala	68
69=	Moldova	69
69=	Namibia	69
71	Bolivia	71
72	Indonesia	72
73	Turkey	73
74=	S. Africa	74
	Africa Avg	114.2
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
80	Colombia	2.5
81=	Nauru	2.5
81=	Lesotho	2.5
81=	Namibia	2.5
81=	Brazil	2.5
81=	Bhutan	2.5
86	Liberia	3.0
87=	Peru	3.0
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better24
Pos.		2009 Treaties24
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
31	Georgia	20
32=	Albania	20
32=	Cyprus	20
32=	Namibia	20
32=	Ukraine	20
32=	Macedonia	20
32=	Slovakia	20
32=	Honduras	20
	Africa Avg	14.8
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better25
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty25
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
9	Bulgaria	4.24
10	Panama	4.26
11	Senegal	4.32
12	Namibia	4.36
13	Egypt	4.52
14	Spain	4.60
15	Peru	4.64
16	Sweden	4.88
	Africa Avg	9.88
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Namibia stated:

“Police continued to use excessive force against protesters. A cybercrime bill threatened to curtail the rights to freedom of expression, association, assembly and privacy. Early marriage persisted. Survey results showed that most Nambians believe gender-based violence is common in their communities. Parliament held public consultations on petitions to decriminalize abortion. LGBTI people’s rights were curtailed. Mining companies’ activities threatened to damage the environment and undermine the rights of Indigenous peoples.”

"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₂₆

Gender Equality Datasets:

Namibia is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)
• "Christianity and Women: Biblical Misogyny and Male Dominance" by Vexen Crabtree (2019)

Gender Inequality Lower is better27
Pos.		202227
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
109	Morocco	0.44
110	Indonesia	0.44
111	India	0.45
112	Namibia	0.45
113	Jordan	0.45
114	Belize	0.46
115	Laos	0.46
116	Myanmar (Burma)	0.48
	Africa Avg	0.53
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
178	Liechtenstein	1984
179=	Djibouti	1986
179=	Central African Rep.	1986
181	Namibia	1989
182	Samoa	1990
183	Kazakhstan	1993
184=	Moldova	1994
184=	Oman	1994
	Africa Avg	1961
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice Datasets:

LGBT Equality Higher is better28
Pos.		2017 Score28
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
124	Sierra Leone	-3
125=	Grenada	-5
125=	Dominica	-5
125=	Namibia	-5
125=	Kiribati	-5
125=	Jamaica	-5
125=	Cook Islands	-5
125=	Guyana	-5
	Africa Avg	-10.4
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better29
Pos.		202129
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
14	Mongolia	1.7
15=	S. Africa	1.7
16	St Kitts & Nevis	1.8
17=	Namibia	1.8
17=	Mozambique	1.8
17=	Micronesia	1.8
17=	USA	1.8
17=	Slovenia	1.8
	Africa Avg	3.1
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Namibia's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #namibia #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Mauritius	73.2
2	Tunisia	73.7
3	Morocco	82.7
	...
21	Congo, (Brazzaville)	120.7
22	Egypt	121.0
23=	Guinea-Bissau	121.1
23=	Namibia	121.1
25	Mauritania	121.5
26	Benin	122.5
27	Lesotho	123.4
28	Zimbabwe	123.7
29	Congo, DR	124.5
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
163	Congo, (Brazzaville)	120.7
164	Egypt	121.0
165=	Guinea-Bissau	121.1
165=	Namibia	121.1
167	Mauritania	121.5
168	Benin	122.5
169	Lesotho	123.4
170	Zimbabwe	123.7
	World Avg	96.49
q=213.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, The Cook Islands and S. Sudan₃₁.

27 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₁, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Melanesia and Australasia₃₁.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Health Datasets:

Namibia is a pretty unhealthy country. Namibia does better than average for its smoking rate₃₂ and in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₃ (but bad for Africa). But unfortunately Namibia gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average when it comes to its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₄ (still good for Africa), its immunizations take-up₃₅, its adolescent birth rate₃₆ (still good for Africa), its alcohol consumption rate₃₇ and in its fertility rate₁₅ (still low for Africa). And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in its average life expectancy₁₁. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in Namibia was static between 1990 and 2019, whereas almost all of the rest of the world improved. Namibia's peak fertility rate was 6.56 in 1974.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
180	Guinea-Bissau	59.7
181	Mozambique	59.3
182	Burkina Faso	59.3
183	Namibia	59.3
184	Zimbabwe	59.3
185	Congo, DR	59.2
186	Mali	58.9
187	Guinea	58.9
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better37
Pos.		2016 Per Capita37
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
144	Barbados	9.6
145=	Argentina	9.8
145=	Georgia	9.8
145=	Namibia	9.8
145=	USA	9.8
149	St Lucia	9.9
150=	Swaziland	9.9
151	Spain	10.0
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
154	Papua New Guinea	3.17
155	Tonga	3.19
156	S. Korea	0.78
157	Namibia	3.25
158	Kiribati	3.27
159	Kenya	3.30
160	Hong Kong	0.70
161	Uzbekistan	3.31
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better32
Pos.		Total %32
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
53	Australia	13.1%
54	Iran	13.3%
55	St Lucia	13.9%
56	Namibia	14.2%
57=	Burkina Faso	14.3%
57=	Norway	14.3%
57=	UK	14.3%
60	Rwanda	14.3%
	Africa Avg	12.4%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
93	Bahrain	93
94	Philippines	94
95	Bosnia & Herzegovina	95
96	Namibia	96
97	Guyana	97
98	Colombia	98
99	Vietnam	99
100	Lesotho	100
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better33
Pos.		1976 %33
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
59	Botswana	13.6
60	Japan	15.2
61	Lesotho	15.4
62	Namibia	15.7
63	Swaziland	15.8
64	Zimbabwe	16.3
65=	N. Korea	16.8
65=	Brunei	16.8
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better38
Pos.		2022 %38
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
57	Thailand	14.5%
58	Sao Tome & Principe	15.0%
59	Cape Verde	15.1%
60	Namibia	15.3%
61	Sudan	15.5%
62	Comoros	15.5%
63	Liberia	16.2%
64	Sweden	16.4%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better36
Pos.		2022 Per 100036
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
141	Ecuador	62.1
142	Kenya	62.6
143	Bolivia	63.1
144	Namibia	63.1
145	Guatemala	63.2
146	Vanuatu	63.2
147	Dominican Rep.	63.2
148	Nepal	63.4
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better35
Pos.		2015 Avg %35
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
135	Suriname	87.2
136	Ecuador	86.8
137	Cambodia	86.5
138	Namibia	86.5
139	Dominican Rep.	86.3
140	Panama	86.1
141	Belarus	85.3
142=	Canada	85.2
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Namibia's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #namibia #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)39
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank39
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
32	Algeria	79.7
33	Sierra Leone	83.6
34	Guinea-Bissau	83.7
35	Namibia	83.9
36	Central African Rep.	84.2
37	Djibouti	84.5
38	Zambia	85.4
39	Gabon	87.9
40	Equatorial Guinea	91.2
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)39
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank39
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
100	Georgia	83.6
101	Sierra Leone	83.6
102	Guinea-Bissau	83.7
103	Namibia	83.9
104	S. Korea	84.0
105	Cambodia	84.0
106	Central African Rep.	84.2
107	Djibouti	84.5
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₀. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

With regard to its responsibility towards the environment, Namibia ranks 103rd in the world. This is computed from 21 data sets. Namibia does better than average when it comes to reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₁ (but high for Africa) and in its environmental performance₄₂. But that's it. Namibia has problems. It does worse than average when it comes to the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₃, energy to GDP efficiency₄₄ and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 when it comes to its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₅.

Environmental Performance Higher is better42
Pos.		201842
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
76	Antigua & Barbuda	59.2
77	UAE	58.9
78	Jamaica	58.6
79	Namibia	58.5
80	Iran	58.2
81	Belize	57.8
82	Philippines	57.7
83	Mongolia	57.5
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better44
Pos.		2022 Avg44
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
82	Austria	1.04
83	Japan	1.05
84	Benin	1.06
85	Namibia	1.07
86	Cambodia	1.07
87	Albania	1.08
88	Jordan	1.10
89	Mexico	1.10
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
120	Ethiopia	55%
121	Ivory Coast	55%
122	Syria	54%
123	Namibia	54%
124	Algeria	54%
125	Dominican Rep.	54%
126	Tajikistan	54%
127	St Kitts & Nevis	54%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better43
Pos.		2011 %43
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
75	Mauritania	38.0%
76	Croatia	37.8%
77	Cambodia	37.1%
78	Namibia	36.6%
79	Germany	36.1%
80	Montenegro	35.9%
81	Rwanda	35.8%
82	Romania	33.4%
	Africa Avg	38.3%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better41
Pos.		2021 kg41
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
68	Lebanon	36.3
69	Paraguay	36.4
70	Azerbaijan	37.1
71	Namibia	37.2
72	Georgia	37.8
73	Cape Verde	38.4
74	Honduras	38.8
75	Kyrgyzstan	39.0
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

7. Namibia's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #modernity #research #science #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	S. Africa	56.9
2	Tunisia	70.8
3=	Mauritius	79.6
	...
14	Nigeria	111.1
15	Zimbabwe	111.6
16	Cape Verde	113.3
17	Namibia	113.4
18	Cameroon	114.2
19	Swaziland	115.9
20	Zambia	116.3
21	Rwanda	123.0
22	Guinea-Bissau	124.4
	Africa Avg	120.19
q=53.

Modernity & Learning (2020)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
127	Marshall Islands	111.1
128	Zimbabwe	111.6
129	Cape Verde	113.3
130	Namibia	113.4
131	Turkmenistan	114.0
132	Cameroon	114.2
133	Swaziland	115.9
134	Pakistan	116.1
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₇. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₇. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₈.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₄₉

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₇, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₇.

For more, see:

• "Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education Datasets:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2950
2	Israel	4.1150
3	Japan	3.5850
	...
99=	Kyrgyzstan	0.1651
99=	Sri Lanka	0.1652
101	Albania	0.1553
102	Namibia	0.1452
103=	Georgia	0.1354
103=	Gambia	0.1351
105	Tajikistan	0.1255
106=	Burundi	0.1251
	Africa Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better56
Pos.		201856
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
121	Thailand	44.8%
122	Zambia	44.3%
123	El Salvador	42.8%
124	Namibia	41.1%
125	Syria	41.0%
126	Sao Tome & Principe	40.8%
127	Togo	40.5%
128	Laos	40.4%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better57
Pos.		2021 Years57
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
136	Iraq	12.1
137	Ghana	12.0
138	Lesotho	12.0
139	Namibia	11.9
140	Comoros	11.9
141	India	11.9
142	Kiribati	11.8
143	Nauru	11.7
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
63	Ghana	63
64	Samoa	64
65	Jordan	65
66	Namibia	66
67	India	67
68	Lebanon	68
69	Senegal	69
70	China	70
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

IQ Higher is better58
Pos.		200658
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
109=	Zambia	71
109=	Jamaica	71
109=	Ghana	71
112	Namibia	70
113=	Togo	70
113=	Botswana	70
113=	Rwanda	70
113=	Benin	70
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better59
Pos.		201659
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
162=	S. Sudan	17%
163	Gambia	17%
164	Laos	16%
165	Namibia	16%
166	Turkmenistan	15%
167	Bangladesh	13%
168	Iraq	13%
169	Kiribati	13%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better60
Pos.		2017 Ratio60
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
127=	Algeria	0.0
127=	Djibouti	0.0
127=	Guyana	0.0
127=	Namibia	0.0
127=	Tonga	0.0
127=	Myanmar (Burma)	0.0
127=	Morocco	0.0
127=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.0
	Africa Avg	0.04
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better61
Pos.		202461
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
99	Benin	32.8%
100	Nigeria	32.7%
101	Iran	32.5%
102	Namibia	32.1%
103	Laos	31.5%
104	Guatemala	31.0%
105	Nepal	30.3%
106	Venezuela	30.1%
	Africa Avg	32.3%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Namibia's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#botswana #capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #social_development

Compared to Africa (2020)62
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank62
1	Mauritius	48.3
2	Sao Tome & Principe	67.7
3	Tunisia	74.9
	...
8	Botswana	83.3
9	S. Africa	84.8
10	Algeria	86.2
11	Namibia	87.3
12	Zambia	88.5
13	Cape Verde	90.8
14	Malawi	91.3
15	Ethiopia	92.2
16	Burkina Faso	93.2
	Africa Avg	101.84
q=53.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)62
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank62
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
105	Turkey	86.8
106	Georgia	87.1
107	Mexico	87.2
108	Namibia	87.3
109	Peru	87.3
110	Ecuador	88.1
111	Saudi Arabia	88.4
112	Zambia	88.5
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture Datasets:

World Giving Index Higher is better63
Pos.		2022 %63
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
89=	S. Africa	35.0
89=	Ivory Coast	35.0
89=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	35.0
89=	Namibia	35.0
93	Togo	34.0
94=	Mozambique	34.0
94=	Albania	34.0
94=	Montenegro	34.0
	Africa Avg	38.2
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better64
Pos.		2022 Points64
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
56	Saudi Arabia	51.0
57	Croatia	50.0
58=	Mauritius	50.0
59	Namibia	49.0
60	Vanuatu	48.0
61=	Jordan	47.0
61=	Malaysia	47.0
63	Armenia	46.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better65
Pos.		2024 Score65
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
100	Congo, (Brazzaville)	5.0
101	Iraq	5.0
102	Guinea	4.9
103	Namibia	4.9
104	Cameroon	4.9
105	Nigeria	4.9
106	Azerbaijan	4.9
107	Senegal	4.9
	Africa Avg	4.42
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
39	Bulgaria	39
40	Marshall Islands	40
41	Malaysia	41
42	Namibia	42
43	St Vincent & Grenadines	43
44	Cyprus	44
45	Japan	45
46	Moldova	46
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
133	Indonesia	133
134	Egypt	134
135	Uruguay	135
136	Namibia	136
137	Yemen	137
138	Cambodia	138
139	Antigua & Barbuda	139
140	Afghanistan	140
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability Datasets:

Global Peace Index Lower is better66
Pos.		2023 Score66
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
53	Indonesia	1.83
54	Argentina	1.84
55	Madagascar	1.85
56	Namibia	1.86
57	Moldova	1.87
58	Chile	1.87
59	Gambia	1.89
60	Greece	1.89
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
86	Cambodia	86
87	Bangladesh	87
88	Honduras	88
89	Namibia	89
90	Uganda	90
91	Congo, DR	91
92	Pakistan	92
93	Estonia	93
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
103	Barbados	103
104	Armenia	104
105	Suriname	105
106	Namibia	106
107	Tunisia	107
108	Cape Verde	108
109	China	109
110	Kazakhstan	110
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better67
Pos.		201967
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
133	Senegal	21.20
134	Eritrea	21.40
135	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	21.70
136	Namibia	22.10
137=	Kenya	22.50
137=	Bolivia	22.50
139	Laos	22.60
140=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	22.80
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better68
Pos.		2023 %68
1	Slovakia	24.1%69
2	Slovenia	24.3%69
3	Belarus	24.4%70
	...
160	Zambia	51.5%71
161	Brazil	52.0%71
162	Botswana	53.3%72
163	Swaziland	54.6%73
164	Colombia	54.8%71
165	Belize	57.7%74
166	Namibia	59.1%72
167	S. Africa	63.0%75
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Namibia - only for 4 years between 1980 and 2019. It was measured once in the 1990s, and by a large margin was the most unequal of all 117 countries surveyed throughout that decade. In the 2000s, it was only 2nd-worse, after its neighbour Botswana.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better76
Pos.		2018 Severity76
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
57	Lesotho	.146
58	Nepal	.148
59	Cambodia	.170
60	Namibia	.171
61	Vanuatu	.174
62	Bhutan	.175
63	Myanmar (Burma)	.176
64	Kenya	.178
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion

Disbelief In God (2007)77
Pos.		Higher is better %77
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
51=	Ireland	5
51=	Mozambique	5
53	Zimbabwe	4
54=	Namibia	4
54=	Iran	4
54=	Mexico	4
54=	Portugal	4
54=	Romania	4
54=	Argentina	4
54=	Georgia	4
54=	Uzbekistan	4
62	Lebanon	3
63=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	3
63=	Poland	3
63=	Jamaica	3
63=	India	3
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₇₈:

Christian	97.5%
Muslim	0.3%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.2%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	1.9%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Christian 80% to 90% (at least 50% Lutheran), indigenous beliefs 10% to 20%₇₉.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?