Total natural resource rents in Namibia

Namibia: Total natural resource rents was 4.0% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
4.0%
Change on year
up 108.8%
World rank
83rd
of 211 countries
All-time high
40.1%
in 1988
All-time low
0.5%
in 1993
Years of data
42
1980–2021

Total natural resource rents in Namibia, 1980–2021

0102030401980200020211980: 6.3 % of GDP1981: 4.4 % of GDP1982: 2.9 % of GDP1983: 2.4 % of GDP1984: 3.6 % of GDP1985: 4.6 % of GDP1986: 1.4 % of GDP1987: 2.3 % of GDP1988: 40.1 % of GDP1989: 32 % of GDP1990: 10.7 % of GDP1991: 1.3 % of GDP1992: 0.661 % of GDP1993: 0.483 % of GDP1994: 0.57 % of GDP1995: 0.812 % of GDP1996: 0.635 % of GDP1997: 0.905 % of GDP1998: 0.756 % of GDP1999: 0.533 % of GDP2000: 0.592 % of GDP2001: 0.635 % of GDP2002: 0.599 % of GDP2003: 0.931 % of GDP2004: 0.794 % of GDP2005: 1.2 % of GDP2006: 2.7 % of GDP2007: 5.8 % of GDP2008: 2.3 % of GDP2009: 1.9 % of GDP2010: 2.4 % of GDP2011: 2.1 % of GDP2012: 1.7 % of GDP2013: 1.2 % of GDP2014: 1.6 % of GDP2015: 1.9 % of GDP2016: 2.6 % of GDP2017: 3.4 % of GDP2018: 1.3 % of GDP2019: 1.4 % of GDP2020: 1.9 % of GDP2021: 4 % of GDP

Source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

In 2021, total natural resource rents in Namibia stood at 4.0%.

That represents a change of up 108.8% on the previous year and up 94.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total natural resource rents in Namibia peaked at 40.1% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 1993.

That places Namibia 83rd out of 211 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 10.0% 1.4% 40.1% 10
1990s 1.7% 0.5% 10.7% 10
2000s 1.7% 0.6% 5.8% 10
2010s 2.0% 1.2% 3.4% 10
2020s 3.0% 1.9% 4.0% 2

Countries ranked near Namibia

  1. 80 Senegal 4.4% compare
  2. 81 Lesotho 4.3% compare
  3. 82 Malawi 4.2% compare
  4. 84 Rwanda 4.0% compare
  5. 85 Nicaragua 3.8% compare
  6. 86 Panama 3.7% compare

See the full ranking of 211 places →

More reference data data for Namibia

All data for Namibia →

Frequently asked questions

What is total natural resource rents in Namibia?
Total natural resource rents in Namibia was 4.0% in 2021, according to The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest total natural resource rents recorded in Namibia?
The highest recorded value was 40.1% in 1988.
What is the lowest total natural resource rents recorded in Namibia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 1993.
How does Namibia rank for total natural resource rents?
Namibia ranks 83rd out of 211 countries with data for 2021.
Is total natural resource rents rising or falling in Namibia?
Over the last ten years it is up 94.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Namibia data come from?
The figures come from The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total natural resource rents. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Total natural resource rents
Unit
% of GDP
Source
The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
211 places, 9,209 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed

Natural resources rents are estimated as the difference between the price of a commodity and the average cost of producing it. Total natural resources rents are the sum of oil rents, natural gas rents, coal rents, mineral rents, and forest rents.