Namibia’s population growth fell to 2% y/y in 2025.

Neither way is good in itself. Faster growth brings more workers and customers but also more people needing homes and schools, while slower growth eases that pressure and adds fewer people to the labour force. For that reason the direction carries no verdict on its own. The latest figure, for January 2025, is 2% y/y, down from 2.2% y/y a year earlier, a fall of 0.19 percentage points. That is the lowest reading since 2016, when the span begins. The peak over the same span was 3% y/y in January 2021.

Why it matters. At 2% y/y, Namibia still adds people every year, so households in growing areas keep competing for housing and school places. Firms see a customer base and a labour pool that are expanding, though more slowly than in 2021. The state has to plan services and jobs for a larger population each year, and the pace of that increase has eased since the 2021 high.