Homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 in Namibia
Namibia: Homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 was 11.21 homicides per 100,000 population in 2021. ▼ Falling
Homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 in Namibia, 1995–2021
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in homicides per 100,000 population.
Analysis
In 2021, homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 in Namibia stood at 11.21 homicides per 100,000 population.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and down 21.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 in Namibia peaked at 23.49 homicides per 100,000 population in 1998 and was at its lowest, 11.1 homicides per 100,000 population, in 2020.
That places Namibia 34th out of 178 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 18 years of available data.
Homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 in Namibia, year by year
| Year | homicides per 100,000 population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 23.28 homicides per 100,000 population | — |
| 1996 | 21.44 homicides per 100,000 population | -7.9% |
| 1997 | 19.36 homicides per 100,000 population | -9.7% |
| 1998 | 23.49 homicides per 100,000 population | +21.3% |
| 1999 | 21.34 homicides per 100,000 population | -9.2% |
| 2000 | 20.89 homicides per 100,000 population | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 19.01 homicides per 100,000 population | -9.0% |
| 2002 | 18.31 homicides per 100,000 population | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 18.12 homicides per 100,000 population | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 17.29 homicides per 100,000 population | -4.6% |
| 2009 | 18.68 homicides per 100,000 population | +8.0% |
| 2010 | 14.88 homicides per 100,000 population | -20.3% |
| 2011 | 14.35 homicides per 100,000 population | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 17.68 homicides per 100,000 population | +23.2% |
| 2018 | 18.47 homicides per 100,000 population | +4.5% |
| 2019 | 12.04 homicides per 100,000 population | -34.8% |
| 2020 | 11.1 homicides per 100,000 population | -7.7% |
| 2021 | 11.21 homicides per 100,000 population | +0.9% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 11.21 homicides per 100,000 population is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.2 homicides per 100,000 population, 2.7× the median. (32 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 11.21 homicides per 100,000 population is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.43 homicides per 100,000 population, 2.1× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 21.78 homicides per 100,000 population | 19.36 homicides per 100,000 population | 23.49 homicides per 100,000 population | 5 |
| 2000s | 18.72 homicides per 100,000 population | 17.29 homicides per 100,000 population | 20.89 homicides per 100,000 population | 6 |
| 2010s | 15.48 homicides per 100,000 population | 12.04 homicides per 100,000 population | 18.47 homicides per 100,000 population | 5 |
| 2020s | 11.16 homicides per 100,000 population | 11.1 homicides per 100,000 population | 11.21 homicides per 100,000 population | 2 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
- 31 Botswana 11.37 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 32 Nicaragua 11.35 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 33 Uruguay 11.25 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 35 Dominican Republic 10.92 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 36 Antigua and Barbuda 10.72 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 37 Iraq 9.46 homicides per 100,000 population compare
More social development data for Namibia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 5,470 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 685 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 3 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 3 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0002 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 685 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0018 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 in Namibia?
- Homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 in Namibia was 11.21 homicides per 100,000 population in 2021, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 23.49 homicides per 100,000 population in 1998.
- What is the lowest homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.1 homicides per 100,000 population in 2020.
- How does Namibia rank for homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020?
- Namibia ranks 34th out of 178 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Namibia data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Intentional homicide rate per 100,000 population.