South Africa vs Namibia: how the neighbours compare
| Indicator | South Africa | Namibia | Ranks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | |||
| Population | 64.7m2025 | 3.1m2025 | 24 · 136 |
| Area | 1,219,602 km²2024 | 824,292 km²2024 | 24 · 33 |
| Density | 52.82024 | 3.72024 | 151 · 213 |
| Urban share | 63.8%2025 | 50.9%2025 | 111 · 154 |
| Fertility | 2.212024 | 3.212024 | 94 · 50 |
| Aged 65+ | 6.9%2025 | 3.8%2025 | 126 · 171 |
| Economy | |||
| GDP | $427bn2025 | $15.1bn2025 | 40 · 146 |
| GDP per capita | $6,5982025 | $4,8762025 | 126 · 142 |
| GDP per capita, PPP | $15,9062025 | $11,9862025 | 120 · 134 |
| GDP growth | 1.1%2025 | 1.7%2025 | 169 · 157 |
| Agriculture share | 2.8%2025 | 7.0%2025 | 130 · 91 |
| Industry share | 24.1%2025 | 28.9%2025 | 95 · 59 |
| Services share | 63.1%2025 | 55.0%2025 | 68 · 121 |
| Prices & public finance | |||
| Inflation | 3.2%2025 | 3.5%2025 | 89 · 79 |
| Tax revenue | 25.9%2024 | 33.9%2024 | 10 · 2 |
| Military spending | 0.74%2025 | 2.77%2025 | 133 · 35 |
| Trade & investment | |||
| Exports | 31.4%2025 | 44.7%2025 | 110 · 65 |
| FDI inflows | -0.5%2025 | 9.6%2025 | 184 · 22 |
| Labour | |||
| Unemployment | 32.4%2025 | 19.3%2025 | 2 · 8 |
| Aid, poverty & equality | |||
| Women in parliament | 44.9%2025 | 42.3%2025 | 16 · 21 |
| Education | |||
| Tertiary enrolment | 23.5%2023 | 26.1%2022 | 123 · 117 |
| Education spending | 6.0%2024 | 9.1%2024 | 26 · 4 |
| Health | |||
| Life expectancy | 66.3 yrs2024 | 67.5 yrs2024 | 183 · 172 |
| Infant mortality | 24.22024 | 36.42024 | 58 · 30 |
| Health spending | 8.9%2023 | 9.5%2023 | 47 · 35 |
| Physicians | 0.792022 | 0.552022 | 113 · 127 |
| Digital & energy access | |||
| Internet users | 78.4%2024 | 64.9%2024 | 105 · 134 |
| Fixed broadband | 5.32024 | 2.82024 | 137 · 153 |
| Electricity access | 90.2%2024 | 59.3%2024 | 161 · 188 |
| Environment | |||
| CO₂ per person | 6.88 t2024 | 1.20 t2024 | 36 · 135 |
| Renewable energy | 9.7%2021 | 30.0%2021 | 147 · 80 |
| Forest cover | 18.8%2024 | 9.8%2024 | 134 · 168 |
Higher value in each row is highlighted; it is not always the better one (think inflation or emissions). Ranks are world positions.
GDP per capita
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Life expectancy
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Population
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Internet users
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Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
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