Salomo Hei, Board Chairperson of the Namibia Statistics Agency has bemoaned funding gaps that have hampered the Agency’s statistical collection initiatives highlighting that this gap has led to a statistics gap, hindering NSA’s ability to conduct all planned surveys and gather comprehensive data.
Notable absentees of latest statistics are: the Labour Force Survey and the Financial Inclusion Survey amongst others.
“The World of Statistics is not always linear. However, I am glad to note that the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises has made provisions for the Namibia Household Income and Expenditure Survey (NHIES), a crucial survey for the revision of the National Accounts as well as a provision for the Census of Agriculture.
“While we have made strides in capturing the essence of our population, there remain segments of society whose voices have not been fully heard. It is our obligation to address this challenge and ensure that no one is left behind in our quest for progress and an equitable society,” said Hei last week while presenting preliminary results of the Population and Housing Census that was concluded recently.
The preliminary results show that the 2023 total population of Namibia was 3,022,401. The figure further shows that Namibia’s population has been increasing since the 1991 Census, from 1,409,920 to 3,022,401 in 2023, representing an increase of 114.4 percent over a period of 32 years.
It is observed also that in 2023, the rural population was record as 1,527,409 which is slightly more than the urban population recorded at 1,494,992 people. The result also shows that the population in urban areas increased by 65.5 percent between the 2011 and 2023 census, while those in rural area population increased by 26.3 percent between the two Census years.
“The preliminary report of our nation’s 4th Population and Housing Census marks a significant milestone in our journey towards understanding and addressing the needs of our people. The success of the PH Census remains a collective success and it is imperative to reflect back on our accomplishments and the challenges we have encountered along the way. The immediate success relate to the significant reduction in time for the release of the preliminary statistics, in 2011 we released the data in a period of 12 month post enumeration.
“The Census serves as the cornerstone of our nation’s statistical framework, the basis for research providing essential data for informed decision-making, policy formulation and resource allocation. Furthermore, the implementation of this mandate informs businesses and investors to make informed decisions regarding market opportunities and investment strategies. The NSA’s data on demographics, consumer behavior, and business activity helps them understand market dynamics and assess risks for mitigation. Under the guidance of the NSA, we have embarked on a journey to capture the socio-economic essence of our diverse population, ensuring that no voice goes unheard,” further explained Hei.
The Namibia 2023 Population and Housing Census (PHC) was conducted with the primary objective of providing up-to-date demographic, social, and housing statistics to support Namibia’s planning efforts, policy formulation, and decision-making. The data further supports the monitoring and tracking progress towards achieving national and international development objectives. The Namibia 2023 Population and Housing Census was conducted in line with the provision of Part III, Section 7, sub-section 2(d) of the Statistics Act No. 9 of 2011, giving authority to the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) to carry out a Population and Housing Census every 10 years. This was the first digital census for the country. Implemented successfully from 18 September to 05 November 2023, the census involved enumeration of all individuals in the country during the Census Reference Night (CRN) of 24 September 2023. This marks the fourth Population & Housing Census (PHC) since Namibia’s independence, following those conducted in 1991, 2001, and 2011. The Namibia 2023 Population and Housing Census falls within the UN 2020 Round of censuses, where Member States are expected to conduct a population and housing census between 2015 and 2024.