Namibia economic growth too slow for jobs, IMF warns
Namibia’s economy is not growing at a fast enough pace to address the high unemployment rate and inequality. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says economic growth remains too weak to make a meaningful dent in unemployment, inequality and poverty. In its 2026 Article IV consultation, the IMF says Namibia’s economy grew by just 1.7% in […] The post Namibia economic growth too slow for jobs, IMF warns appeared first on The Namibian .
Namibia’s economy is not growing at a fast enough pace to address the high unemployment rate and inequality.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says economic growth remains too weak to make a meaningful dent in unemployment, inequality and poverty.
In its 2026 Article IV consultation, the IMF says Namibia’s economy grew by just 1.7% in 2025, with growth continuing to depend heavily on the mineral sector.
“Economic growth remains insufficient to meaningfully reduce unemployment, inequality, and poverty, which are key government objectives,” the IMF says in its staff appraisal.
The fund says Namibia’s narrow production base remains a major concern, with the economy still concentrated in the public and extractive sectors.
Despite more moderate inflation and support from commodity exports and foreign investment in oil and gas exploration, the IMF says these developments had not yet translated into sufficiently broad-based employment.
