Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Namibia
Namibia: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 21.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Namibia, 1991–2023
Source: ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Namibia is 21.5%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 31.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Namibia peaked at 48.3% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 20.1%, in 2016.
That places Namibia 82nd out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Namibia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 48.3% | — |
| 1992 | 47.4% | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 47.1% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 46.6% | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 43.9% | -5.6% |
| 1996 | 41.3% | -6.1% |
| 1997 | 38.5% | -6.7% |
| 1998 | 36.1% | -6.2% |
| 1999 | 33.7% | -6.7% |
| 2000 | 31.3% | -7.2% |
| 2001 | 31.2% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 30.9% | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 30.5% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 30.0% | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 30.3% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 30.4% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 30.6% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 30.9% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 31.5% | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 31.7% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 29.5% | -6.9% |
| 2012 | 27.4% | -7.3% |
| 2013 | 31.4% | +14.7% |
| 2014 | 29.3% | -6.6% |
| 2015 | 24.4% | -16.6% |
| 2016 | 20.1% | -17.9% |
| 2017 | 21.4% | +6.5% |
| 2018 | 22.6% | +5.6% |
| 2019 | 22.2% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 22.3% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 22.2% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 21.7% | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 21.5% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 42.5% | 33.7% | 48.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 30.7% | 30.0% | 31.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.0% | 20.1% | 31.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.9% | 21.5% | 22.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More agriculture & rural data for Namibia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0699 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 340.78 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4913 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 7.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 7.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Namibia?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Namibia was 21.5% in 2023, according to ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 48.3% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.1% in 2016.
- How does Namibia rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Namibia ranks 82nd out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Namibia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The share of people employed in agriculture includes working-age people with a job in farming, forestry, fishing, and related activities, including those temporarily absent.