Namibia Unemployment Rate
Unemployment as % of total labor force SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
Namibia's unemployment rate was 19.29% in 2025, ranked 175th globally. This represents a 0.7% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
Namibia's unemployment rate stood at 19.29% in 2025, a rise of +0.13pp from 2024. Namibia ranked 175th globally.
Namibia’s unemployment rate has hovered around the high‑teens for three and a half decades, reaching 19.29 % in 2025, which places the country 175th in global rankings. The labor market’s most severe contraction occurred in 1997 when the rate peaked at 24.45 %, while the lowest point was recorded in 2012 at 16.77 %. Since the 2012 trough, unemployment has risen steadily, surpassing the 1991 level of 19.14 % and remaining above the rates of peers such as Somalia (Fed. Rep.) at 18.95 % and the Republic of Congo at 19.88 %. Structural constraints, limited diversification beyond mining and agriculture, and persistent skill mismatches have impeded a durable decline. Continued investment in vocational training, expansion of the services sector, and improved labour‑market information systems could help reverse the upward trajectory and bring the unemployment rate closer to the regional trough observed in the early 2010s.
Data & projection
| Year | Unemployment Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 19.29% | +0.13pp | #175 |
| 2024 | 19.16% | +0.00pp | #181 |
| 2023 | 19.15% | −0.46pp | #183 |
| 2022 | 19.62% | −1.32pp | #183 |
| 2021 | 20.93% | −0.07pp | #184 |
| 2020 | 21.00% | +1.07pp | #183 |
| 2019 | 19.93% | +0.05pp | #184 |
| 2018 | 19.88% | −1.87pp | #184 |
| 2017 | 21.75% | −1.60pp | #186 |
| 2016 | 23.35% | +2.56pp | #185 |
| 2015 | 20.79% | +2.27pp | #182 |
| 2014 | 18.52% | −0.51pp | #176 |
| 2013 | 19.03% | +2.26pp | #175 |
| 2012 | 16.77% | −2.71pp | #170 |
| 2011 | 19.48% | −2.64pp | #179 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Namibia matched the Stagflation Risk pattern in 2009. Historically, 38% of countries showing this pattern (117 out of 307) saw unemployment rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Namibia's unemployment rate was 19.29% in 2025. Ranked 175th globally. This represents a 0.7% increase from the previous year.
Namibia's unemployment rate peaked at 24.45% in 1997.
The lowest unemployment rate in Namibia was 16.77% in 2012.
Namibia ranks 175th globally in unemployment rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The unemployment rate of Namibia in 2025 was 19.29%. This ranks 175th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_namibia_unemployment-rate,
title = {Namibia Unemployment Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/namibia/unemployment-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}