Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Namibia

Namibia: Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas was 77.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
77.2%
Change on year
up 2.9%
World rank
196th
of 212 countries
All-time high
78.4%
in 2009
All-time low
66.0%
in 1992
Years of data
33
1992–2024

Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Namibia, 1992–2024

0204060801992200820241992: 66 % of urban population1993: 71 % of urban population1994: 70.7 % of urban population1995: 70.9 % of urban population1996: 71 % of urban population1997: 71.2 % of urban population1998: 71.3 % of urban population1999: 71.5 % of urban population2000: 73.2 % of urban population2001: 71.6 % of urban population2002: 71.7 % of urban population2003: 71.8 % of urban population2004: 71.9 % of urban population2005: 72.1 % of urban population2006: 72.2 % of urban population2007: 77.6 % of urban population2008: 72.6 % of urban population2009: 78.4 % of urban population2010: 73 % of urban population2011: 70.1 % of urban population2012: 73.4 % of urban population2013: 72.2 % of urban population2014: 73.8 % of urban population2015: 74.6 % of urban population2016: 69.3 % of urban population2017: 74.3 % of urban population2018: 74.4 % of urban population2019: 74.5 % of urban population2020: 74.7 % of urban population2021: 74.7 % of urban population2022: 74.8 % of urban population2023: 75 % of urban population2024: 77.2 % of urban population

Source: SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of urban population.

Analysis

In 2024, access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Namibia stood at 77.2%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 4.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Namibia peaked at 78.4% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 66.0%, in 1992.

That places Namibia 196th out of 212 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 70.5% 66.0% 71.5% 8
2000s 73.3% 71.6% 78.4% 10
2010s 73.0% 69.3% 74.6% 10
2020s 75.3% 74.7% 77.2% 5

Countries ranked near Namibia

  1. 193 Uganda 78.3% compare
  2. 194 Eritrea 78.1% compare
  3. 195 Angola 78.0% compare
  4. 197 Madagascar 75.9% compare
  5. 198 Djibouti 74.9% compare
  6. 199 Somalia 73.4% compare

See the full ranking of 212 places →

More energy & mining data for Namibia

All data for Namibia →

Frequently asked questions

What is access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Namibia?
Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Namibia was 77.2% in 2024, according to SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas recorded in Namibia?
The highest recorded value was 78.4% in 2009.
What is the lowest access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas recorded in Namibia?
The lowest recorded value was 66.0% in 1992.
How does Namibia rank for access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas?
Namibia ranks 196th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
Is access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas rising or falling in Namibia?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Namibia data come from?
The figures come from SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas
Unit
% of urban population
Source
SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
212 places, 6,652 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed

The definition used in international statistics adopts a very low cutoff for what it means to ‘have access to electricity’. It is defined as having an electricity source that can provide very basic lighting, and charge a phone or power a radio for 4 hours per day.