Expense in Namibia
Namibia: Expense was 36.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Expense in Namibia, 1991–2023
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for expense in Namibia is 36.2%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expense in Namibia peaked at 40.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 22.9%, in 2007.
That places Namibia 30th out of 157 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Expense in Namibia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 30.1% | — |
| 1992 | 29.6% | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 29.3% | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 28.1% | -3.9% |
| 2001 | 28.9% | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 27.3% | -5.4% |
| 2003 | 28.7% | +4.9% |
| 2004 | 25.6% | -10.7% |
| 2005 | 25.4% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 24.0% | -5.6% |
| 2007 | 22.9% | -4.3% |
| 2008 | 25.2% | +9.7% |
| 2009 | 27.0% | +7.5% |
| 2010 | 28.1% | +3.9% |
| 2011 | 34.2% | +21.7% |
| 2012 | 31.7% | -7.3% |
| 2013 | 35.4% | +11.9% |
| 2014 | 37.2% | +4.8% |
| 2015 | 38.0% | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 35.5% | -6.7% |
| 2017 | 38.6% | +8.8% |
| 2018 | 35.1% | -9.0% |
| 2019 | 34.5% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 40.3% | +16.8% |
| 2021 | 37.6% | -6.7% |
| 2022 | 35.7% | -5.0% |
| 2023 | 36.2% | +1.2% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 36.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 22.3%, 1.6× the median. (37 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 36.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16.5%, 2.2× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 29.7% | 29.3% | 30.1% | 3 |
| 2000s | 26.3% | 22.9% | 28.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.8% | 28.1% | 38.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.5% | 35.7% | 40.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More economy & growth data for Namibia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.07 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.64 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 44.40 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0033 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 14.65 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 1.93 billion BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -15.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.1418 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 638.56 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate -7.48 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expense in Namibia?
- Expense in Namibia was 36.2% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest expense recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 40.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest expense recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.9% in 2007.
- How does Namibia rank for expense?
- Namibia ranks 30th out of 157 countries with data for 2023.
- Is expense rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Expense (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Expense is a decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.