Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Namibia: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCB, ranked #114 of 195).
Namibia is a presidential republic in Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa. The country's capital is Windhoek; it covers 824,292 sq km. Independence: 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate). Terrain: mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east. Climate: desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic. Population: 2.9 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +1.76% per year. Median age: 23.1 years. Life expectancy: 65.9 years (2024 est.). Languages: Oshiwambo languages 49.7%, Nama/Damara 11%, Kavango languages 10.4%, Afrikaans 9.4%, Herero languages 9.2%, Zambezi languages 4.9%, English (official) 2.3%, other Afri…
| Capital | Windhoek |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,852,777 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $31.154 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $10,300 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 3.7% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 4.2% |
| Unemployment | 19.2% |
| Public debt | 4.64% of GDP (2019 est.) |
| Exports | $5.887 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $9.199 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 65.9 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 23.1 |
| Urbanization | 54.9% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate) |
| Languages | Oshiwambo languages 49.7%, Nama/Damara 11%, Kavango languages 10.4%, Afrikaans 9.4%, Herero languages 9.2%, Zambezi languages 4.9%, English (official) 2.3%, other African languages 1.5%, other European languages 0.7%, other 1% (2016 est.) |
MCB · 46/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The quarter passed without decisive turns. Governance continued, markets functioned, and the score reflects that uneventfulness.
For countries like this, the real story is always the slow one — and this quarter added no new chapter to it.
Diamonds, Copper, Uranium, Gold, Silver, Lead, Tin, Lithium, Tungsten, Zinc, Salt, Hydropower.
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah — President. President Netumbo NANDI-NDAITWAH (since 21 March 2025)
Namibia maintains 30 embassies and 3 consulates abroad, hosts 33 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 30 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 3 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 33 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 1572 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 259 + 1 heliports (registration prefix V5) |
| Major seaports | Luderitz Bay, Walvis Bay |
| Railways | 2628 km |
Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) — Windhoek; Walvis Bay International Airport (WVB) — Walvis Bay(Rooikop); Eros Airport (ERS) — Windhoek; Katima Mulilo Airport (MPA) — Mpacha; Luderitz Airport (LUD) — Luderitz; Ondangwa Airport (OND) — Ondangwa; Oranjemund Airport (OMD) — Oranjemund; Rundu Airport (NDU) — Rundu.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28)
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCB · 46 Ranked #114 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Namibia.
