Namibia’s Unemployment Rises to 36.9%, Youth Joblessness Exceeds 54%
January 29, 2025
The Namibia Statistics Agency released its Labour Force Survey this morning, revealing that Namibia’s unemployment rate now stands at 36.9%, up from 33.4% in 2018. The survey indicates that out of 1.87 million Namibians of working age, only 867,247 are currently employed.
The data also highlights that youth unemployment is particularly high, especially among individuals aged 15-19 and 20-24. According to Namibia Statistics Agency senior statistician Onesmus Shalonda, the unemployment rate for the 15-24 age group exceeds 54%, while it is significantly lower at 19.4% among those aged 55-59.
Shalonda was speaking at the launch of Namibia’s national labour statistics earlier today.
We are now joined by teacher, youth activist from the Kavango regions, and author of the book A Job Versus Work, Filipe Kandjiilu.
