Summary
- Exports
- $7.9billion
- Imports
- $9.2billion
- Trade balance
- -$1.3billion
Products
What it exports
Diamonds (13.8%) and uranium and thorium ore (13.6%) together make up 27.4% of its exports.
What it imports
Refined petroleum (14.9%) and copper ore (4.7%) together make up 19.6% of its imports.
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
| Chapter | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 71 · Gems and precious metals | $1.9 billion | $11 million |
| 26 · Ores and slag | $1.6 billion | $868 million |
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals | $1 billion | $247 million |
| 03 · Fish and seafood | $804 million | $35 million |
| 74 · Copper | $705 million | $13 million |
| 27 · Oil, gas and coal | $306 million | $1.6 billion |
| 25 · Salt, stone and cement | $165 million | $70 million |
| 08 · Fruit and nuts | $141 million | $25 million |
| 01 · Live animals | $134 million | $3 million |
| 84 · Mechanical machinery | $117 million | $945 million |
| 02 · Meat and offal | $114 million | $41 million |
| 44 · Wood | $105 million | $55 million |
| 31 · Fertilizers | $87 million | $203 million |
| 22 · Beverages and spirits | $84 million | $191 million |
| 72 · Iron and steel | $77 million | $116 million |
| 85 · Electrical and electronic equipment | $72 million | $535 million |
| 40 · Rubber | $50 million | $161 million |
| 19 · Baked goods and cereal products | $42 million | $67 million |
| 73 · Iron and steel products | $36 million | $286 million |
| 39 · Plastics | $33 million | $236 million |
| 87 · Vehicles | $33 million | $679 million |
| 07 · Vegetables | $28 million | $24 million |
| 38 · Miscellaneous chemicals | $20 million | $112 million |
| 63 · Home textiles and used clothing | $20 million | $45 million |
| 68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles | $18 million | $14 million |
| 11 · Milling products and malt | $17 million | $36 million |
| 34 · Soap and cleaning products | $16 million | $91 million |
| 90 · Precision and medical instruments | $15 million | $150 million |
| 23 · Animal feed and food waste | $12 million | $75 million |
| 16 · Prepared meat and fish | $11 million | $44 million |
| 41 · Hides and leather | $9 million | $2 million |
| 12 · Oilseeds and grains | $8 million | $27 million |
| 94 · Furniture and lighting | $6 million | $79 million |
| 17 · Sugar and sweets | $5 million | $127 million |
| 82 · Tools and cutlery | $4 million | $47 million |
| 97 · Art and antiques | $4 million | $2 million |
| 69 · Ceramics | $4 million | $31 million |
| 76 · Aluminum | $4 million | $30 million |
| 33 · Perfumes and cosmetics | $3 million | $107 million |
| 81 · Other base metals | $3 million | $196 thousand |
| 32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents | $3 million | $41 million |
| 30 · Pharmaceuticals | $3 million | $209 million |
| 62 · Woven clothing | $3 million | $64 million |
| 04 · Dairy, eggs and honey | $3 million | $51 million |
| 48 · Paper and paperboard | $3 million | $138 million |
| 15 · Fats and oils | $2 million | $61 million |
| 83 · Miscellaneous metal goods | $2 million | $30 million |
| 64 · Footwear | $2 million | $50 million |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | $2 million | $21 million |
| 88 · Aircraft and spacecraft | $2 million | $186 million |
| 21 · Food preparations | $1 million | $73 million |
| 75 · Nickel | $1 million | $693 thousand |
| 47 · Wood pulp | $1 million | $240 thousand |
| 05 · Other animal products | $1 million | $2 million |
| 89 · Ships and boats | $1 million | $198 million |
| 86 · Railway equipment | $1 million | $8 million |
| 61 · Knitted clothing | $1 million | $79 million |
| 43 · Fur and fur goods | $1 million | $107 thousand |
| 24 · Tobacco | $1 million | $34 million |
| 20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables | $1 million | $61 million |
| 80 · Tin | $1 million | $2 million |
| 79 · Zinc | $717 thousand | $338 thousand |
| 96 · Other manufactured goods | $693 thousand | $14 million |
| 56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope | $676 thousand | $13 million |
| 95 · Toys and sports gear | $670 thousand | $17 million |
| 70 · Glass | $592 thousand | $42 million |
| 78 · Lead | $459 thousand | $956 thousand |
| 42 · Leather goods and bags | $434 thousand | $21 million |
| 10 · Cereals | $402 thousand | $174 million |
| 49 · Books and printed matter | $398 thousand | $15 million |
| 36 · Explosives and matches | $388 thousand | $11 million |
| 93 · Weapons and ammunition | $281 thousand | $5 million |
| 35 · Glues, starches and enzymes | $203 thousand | $8 million |
| 92 · Musical instruments | $169 thousand | $820 thousand |
| 57 · Carpets and rugs | $168 thousand | $5 million |
| 65 · Hats | $163 thousand | $7 million |
| 18 · Cocoa and chocolate | $150 thousand | $17 million |
| 60 · Knitted fabric | $130 thousand | $1 million |
| 59 · Coated and technical textiles | $111 thousand | $5 million |
| 06 · Live plants and flowers | $95 thousand | $5 million |
| 09 · Coffee, tea and spices | $91 thousand | $29 million |
| 52 · Cotton | $67 thousand | $1 million |
| 55 · Synthetic staple fibers | $65 thousand | $1 million |
| 54 · Synthetic filaments | $45 thousand | $4 million |
| 51 · Wool | $43 thousand | $240 thousand |
| 13 · Gums and plant extracts | $33 thousand | $755 thousand |
| 91 · Watches and clocks | $30 thousand | $3 million |
| 66 · Umbrellas and canes | $29 thousand | $709 thousand |
| 46 · Wicker and basketware | $26 thousand | $382 thousand |
| 53 · Other plant fibers | $21 thousand | $465 thousand |
| 67 · Feathers and artificial flowers | $16 thousand | $6 million |
| 58 · Special fabrics and lace | $14 thousand | $5 million |
| 14 · Other plant products | $3 thousand | $71 thousand |
| 45 · Cork | $3 thousand | $57 thousand |
| 50 · Silk | $2 thousand | $2 million |
| 37 · Photographic goods | $1 thousand | $708 thousand |
Trading partners
Its main destination is China (22.9% of exports) and its main source is South Africa (37.1% of imports).
Who it sells to
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 1.8 | 22.9% | Air |
| South Africa | 1.2 | 15.5% | Land |
| Botswana | 0.97 | 12.3% | Land |
| Belgium | 0.71 | 9% | Sea |
| Zambia | 0.47 | 6% | Land |
| Spain | 0.3 | 3.8% | Sea |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 0.22 | 2.7% | Sea |
| Netherlands | 0.21 | 2.7% | Sea |
| France | 0.19 | 2.5% | Air |
| United Arab Emirates | 0.19 | 2.4% | Air |
Who it buys from
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 3.4 | 37.1% | Land |
| China | 0.99 | 10.8% | Sea |
| Zambia | 0.36 | 3.9% | Land |
| Peru | 0.32 | 3.5% | Sea |
| United Arab Emirates | 0.32 | 3.5% | Sea |
| India | 0.31 | 3.4% | Sea |
| United States | 0.3 | 3.3% | Sea |
| Germany | 0.23 | 2.5% | Sea |
| Oman | 0.21 | 2.3% | Sea |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 0.18 | 2% | Sea |
Overview 1995–2024
In 2024, Namibia accounted for 0.03% of world exports, compared with 0.02% in 2000.
Exports and imports
Exports grew 7-fold since 2000
USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 7.9
- Imports 9.2
- Balance -1.3
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 1996 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 1997 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 1998 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 1999 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 2000 | $1.2 billion | $1.5 billion | -$331 million |
| 2001 | $1.6 billion | $1.6 billion | $20 million |
| 2002 | $1.6 billion | $1.4 billion | $149 million |
| 2003 | $1.7 billion | $1.5 billion | $207 million |
| 2004 | $2.4 billion | $2.6 billion | -$191 million |
| 2005 | $3.1 billion | $2.7 billion | $351 million |
| 2006 | $4 billion | $3 billion | $1 billion |
| 2007 | $4.5 billion | $4.4 billion | $84 million |
| 2008 | $5.4 billion | $5 billion | $375 million |
| 2009 | $6.2 billion | $6.6 billion | -$408 million |
| 2010 | $5.8 billion | $6.5 billion | -$673 million |
| 2011 | $6.7 billion | $7.2 billion | -$474 million |
| 2012 | $6.1 billion | $8 billion | -$1.9 billion |
| 2013 | $7 billion | $8.2 billion | -$1.2 billion |
| 2014 | $6.7 billion | $8.9 billion | -$2.2 billion |
| 2015 | $5.4 billion | $8.6 billion | -$3.2 billion |
| 2016 | $5.4 billion | $7.1 billion | -$1.8 billion |
| 2017 | $5.9 billion | $6.9 billion | -$1 billion |
| 2018 | $8.1 billion | $8.6 billion | -$493 million |
| 2019 | $5.9 billion | $6 billion | -$125 million |
| 2020 | $4.9 billion | $5.2 billion | -$378 million |
| 2021 | $5.5 billion | $7.7 billion | -$2.2 billion |
| 2022 | $6.1 billion | $7.9 billion | -$1.7 billion |
| 2023 | $6.3 billion | $8 billion | -$1.7 billion |
| 2024 | $7.9 billion | $9.2 billion | -$1.3 billion |
World rank
Namibia rose from 120th to 115th among the world's exporters
Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).
- 120th in 2000
- 115th in 2024
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1995 | — |
| 1996 | — |
| 1997 | — |
| 1998 | — |
| 1999 | — |
| 2000 | 120th |
| 2001 | 113th |
| 2002 | 113th |
| 2003 | 116th |
| 2004 | 115th |
| 2005 | 112th |
| 2006 | 111th |
| 2007 | 111th |
| 2008 | 110th |
| 2009 | 95th |
| 2010 | 105th |
| 2011 | 107th |
| 2012 | 109th |
| 2013 | 106th |
| 2014 | 107th |
| 2015 | 112th |
| 2016 | 110th |
| 2017 | 109th |
| 2018 | 102nd |
| 2019 | 115th |
| 2020 | 118th |
| 2021 | 122nd |
| 2022 | 122nd |
| 2023 | 124th |
| 2024 | 115th |
What it sells
Gems and precious metals became its top export group: from 19% to 24%
% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.
- Other 16%
- Fruit and nuts 2%
- Salt, stone and cement 2%
- Oil, gas and coal 4%
- Copper 9%
- Fish and seafood 10%
- Inorganic chemicals 13%
- Ores and slag 21%
- Gems and precious metals 24%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Chapter | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Gems and precious metals | 0% | 24% |
| Ores and slag | 0% | 20.7% |
| Inorganic chemicals | 0% | 12.8% |
| Fish and seafood | 0% | 10.2% |
| Copper | 0% | 8.9% |
| Oil, gas and coal | 0% | 3.9% |
| Salt, stone and cement | 0% | 2.1% |
| Fruit and nuts | 0% | 1.8% |
| Other | 0% | 15.7% |
Who it trades with
South Africa went from 55% to 27% of Namibia's trade
% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.
- South Africa 27%
- China 16%
- Botswana 6%
- Zambia 5%
- Belgium 5%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Partner | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 0% | 27.1% |
| China | 0% | 16.4% |
| Botswana | 0% | 5.9% |
| Zambia | 0% | 4.9% |
| Belgium | 0% | 4.7% |
Production hubs
Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)
No hubs above the globe threshold.
View on the globeLargest economic production hubs (gridded GDP, 2024)
No hubs above the globe threshold.
View on the globeSources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- Climate TRACE · CC BY 4.0 (emissions by asset; the 3 largest per country are shown)
- Kummu et al., gridded GDP · CC BY 4.0 (hubs aggregated by this site)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
Methodology
Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Ranks are computed among the countries with data each year. Services are not included. Data up to 2024.