Namibia

Southern Africa

Africa

A low-cost Southern African economy with English as a working language, a 5-year citizenship path and a digital-nomad visa, but high personal taxes.

Overall score

Moderate · 94% data coverage

Language

English

Currency

NAD

Citizenship

5 years

Personal tax

Up to 37% headline

Cost of living

Consumer price level 41 (world = 100, 2025)

Rules change often. Confirm any immigration, tax or legal decision with a qualified professional.

Score breakdown

Access

17%

48Residence12%

47Citizenship and passport5%

Earning power

25%

32Salary and work12%

56Buying power13%

Business and wealth

20%

31Taxes7%

52Business8%

36Investment5%

Daily life

25%

47Quality of life18%

60Education7%

Rights and institutions

13%

77Freedom6%

58Rule of law7%

Pros

Relative affordability score 73/100
Human development score 67/100
Internet use 65%

Cons

Tax friendliness score 31/100
Passport mobility score 39/100
Institutional environment score 53/100

Best for

English-speaking applicantsCost-conscious residentsPeople with a confirmed local employment or study route

Score profile

Access

Residence

Citizenship

Passport

Earning power

Salary & work

Buying power

Cost of living

Economy

Business and wealth

Taxes

Personal tax

Corporate tax

Business

Investment

Wealth building

Daily life

Safety

Healthcare

Environment

Infrastructure

Education

HDI

Rights and institutions

Freedom

Rule of law

How the scores are calculated

Access

Residence

Openness to residents

Moderate

Migrant stock3.8% of population (2024)

Regulatory quality0.13 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Main pathways

Employment residenceStudy residenceFamily reunificationBusiness or investment residence where eligibleDigital nomad / remote-work route

Student	Admission, proof of funds, accommodation, insurance, and immigration approval are normally required; work rights vary.
Work	A local employer, qualifying occupation, or other work authorization is normally required; labour-market tests may apply.
Self-employed	Business registration, tax registration, and a residence or work authorization suitable for self-employment are generally required.
Permanent	Eligibility depends on years and continuity of lawful residence, route, income, character, and country-specific legislation.

Citizenship

Citizenship accessibility

Moderate

Years required	5 years
Dual allowed	Conditional or route-dependent
Language	Language, integration, character, and documentation requirements depend on the nationality law and route.
Residence	Headline ordinary naturalization period: 5 years. Continuous residence and absence rules may apply.
Notes	This is a statutory headline from a sourced comparison table. Confirm the current nationality law and administrative practice before relying on it.

Passport

Passport power

Limited

79 / 198

Mobility

#63

Global rank

Yes

Biometric

Visa-free45
On arrival31
eTA3
Visa required119

Placeholder estimates for 2024 to 2025. Check entry rules with each destination before travelling.

Earning power

Salary & work

Labour-market strength

Limited

Output per worker$34,279 PPP (2024)

Unemployment19.3% (2025)

Participation58.8% of 15+ (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Mean monthly earnings of employees

Overall$212 · $390 PPP (2018)

Tech (IT & comms)$756 · $1,394 PPP (2018)

Source: ILOSTAT (International Labour Organization)

Freelance	Internet use is 65%; remote and freelance access still depends on payments, language, regulation, and immigration status.
Job market	Latest comparable unemployment rate: 19.3%. Role-specific demand varies substantially by city and sector.

Buying power

Purchasing power score

Moderate

GNI / person$11,260 PPP (2025)

Consumption / person$8,578 PPP (2024)

Price level41 (US = 100) (2025)

Income inequality59.1 Gini (2015)

Inflation3.5% / yr (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Cost of living

Affordability

Excellent

Price level41 (US = 100) (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Rent	Model benchmark: about $250 monthly housing share; derived from the World Bank consumer price level, not a market listing.
Monthly	Model benchmark: about $620 / month at a US$1,500 world-price baseline.
Cities	Windhoek, Walvis Bay, Swakopmund

Economy

Economic strength

Moderate

Output & income

GDP$15.1B (2025)

GDP / person$4,876 (2025)

GNI / person$11,260 PPP (2025)

GDP growth3.7% / yr (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Stability & labour

Inflation3.5% / yr (2025)

Unemployment19.3% (2025)

Output per worker$34,279 PPP (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Sector composition

Agriculture7.0% of GDP (2025)

Industry28.9% of GDP (2025)

Services55.0% of GDP (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Main industries

Mining (diamonds, uranium)FishingAgriculture & livestockTourism

Top exports

DiamondsUraniumFishCopper & zinc

Type	Upper-middle-income, mining-led
Key sectors	Diamond & uranium mining, Fisheries, Tourism
Summary	A sparsely populated, mining-driven economy and major uranium and diamond producer, with rich fisheries.
Currency	Namibian dollar (pegged to the South African rand)

Business and wealth

Taxes

Tax friendliness

Limited

Personal	37
Corporate	31 (30% rate effective for companies whose financial years will commence on or after 1 January 2025)
Capital gains	Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary.
Dividends	Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility.
Exit tax	No harmonized cross-country answer; verify current deemed-disposal and residence-cessation rules.
Foreign companies	Permanent-establishment, management-and-control, transfer-pricing, withholding, and reporting rules may apply.

Personal tax

Limited

Personal	37
Freelance	Freelancers typically need appropriate immigration permission plus business and tax registration.
Capital gains	Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary.
Dividends	Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility.
Exit tax	No harmonized cross-country answer; verify current deemed-disposal and residence-cessation rules.

Corporate tax

Low

Corporate	31 (30% rate effective for companies whose financial years will commence on or after 1 January 2025)
Capital gains	Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary.
Dividends	Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility.
Foreign companies	Permanent-establishment, management-and-control, transfer-pricing, withholding, and reporting rules may apply.

Business

Business friendliness

Moderate

Regulation & bureaucracy

Regulatory quality0.13 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Government effectiveness0.10 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Operating rules

Foreign company	Foreign ownership is generally possible, subject to sector restrictions, licensing, local-participation rules, and beneficial-ownership checks.
Local company	Local company forms are available; registration, tax, capital, director, address, and licensing requirements vary.
Freelance	Freelancers typically need appropriate immigration permission plus business and tax registration.

Investment

Investing environment

Limited

Market cap18% of GDP (2024)

Private credit55% of GDP (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Capital gains	Capital-gains treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position.
Dividends	Data not available yet
ETFs & funds	Data not available yet
Wealth tax	Verify current national and subnational net-wealth, property, inheritance, and transfer taxes.
Brokers	Local and international broker access depends on residency, exchange controls, sanctions screening, and platform onboarding.
Foreign access	Data not available yet
Tax-advantaged	Data not available yet

Wealth building

Wealth accumulation

Moderate

Salary & work

Limited

Business

Moderate

Investment

Limited

Tax friendliness

Limited

Cost of living

Excellent

Daily life

Safety

Safety & stability

Moderate

Personal safety

Homicide rate11.2 per 100,000 (2021)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Institutions & stability

Control of corruption0.13 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Political stability0.55 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Check current government travel and security advice before relocating.

Healthcare

Healthcare score

Moderate

Outcomes

Life expectancy67.5 years (2024)

Under-5 mortality39.5 per 1,000 births (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Capacity & resourcing

Physicians0.55 per 1,000 (2022)

Hospital beds2.70 per 1,000 (2009)

Health spending$1,068 PPP / person (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

System & costs

System	Public and private provision coexist; eligibility, service quality, and capacity vary by location.
Insurance	Insurance and proof-of-cover requirements depend on immigration status, employer, and residence route.
Average cost	Health expenditure: $1,068 PPP per person (2023).

Environment

Environment score

Excellent

Environmental pressure

PM2.5 exposure14.2 μg/m³ annually (2023)

Water stress0.3% (2022)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Infrastructure

Infrastructure score

Limited

Digital infrastructure

Internet use64.9% (2024)

Internet resilience47 / 100 (2026)

Fixed speed45 / 100 download index (2026)

Mobile speed58 / 100 download index (2026)

Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators · Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Index

Utilities

Electricity access56.7% (2023)

Grid losses27.8% of output (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Transport

Transport quality2.80 / 5 (2022)

Air connectivity957 departures / million people (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Education

Education score

Moderate

Attainment

Expected schooling11.8 years (2023)

Mean schooling7.3 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Participation & investment

Tertiary enrolment26% gross (2022)

Education spending9.1% of GDP (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Tuition	Fees vary by institution, programme, level, and nationality; no harmonized official tuition series is used.
Public university	Check current public-university fee schedules and scholarship rules directly with each institution.
Languages	English
Student work	Student employment rights vary by permit and may require separate authorization or hour limits.

HDI

Human development score

Good

HDI0.665 (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Long & healthy life

Life expectancy67.4 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Knowledge

Expected schooling11.8 years (2023)

Mean schooling7.3 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025