Namibia’s stats lag as public data access remains limited
Namibia posted a score of 58.7 in the latest Statistical Performance Indicators published by the World Bank, ranking 138th out of 186 countries and territories worldwide.
Statistical performance refers to how well, how broadly, and how frequently national statistical systems collect, produce, and disseminate high-quality data in a publicly accessible manner.
It comprises five pillars: Data use, services, products, sources, and infrastructure.
Namibia recently improved its score under sources following the release of the 2023 Census, but remains weak in geospatial data and key surveys such as dedicated Income and Expenditure and Labour Force surveys, which are either infrequently collected or currently outdated.
Although Namibia scores moderately well under products due to the collection of a fair variety of data, it performs poorly in terms of richness and openness of online data access – implying that while certain data exists, it is not made accessible to the public.
The Namibia National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS), released in 2023, notes a limited understanding of statistics in the country.
Sector statistics are described as insufficiently valued and prioritised, and data and statistical reports are inadequately disseminated to users.
Statistical awareness is generally deemed ‘moderate’ in offices/ministries/agencies but is high in the Namibia Statistics Agency and the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy and the Ministry of International Relations and Trade.
Worryingly, it is deemed ‘low’ only in the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations, despite the importance of making informed, data-driven decisions on crucial labour statistics.
The NSDS also highlights a shortage of skilled researchers, economists and statisticians, in addition to inadequate funding for statistical activities.
These issues worsen the current lack of prioritisation and limit understanding of the value of collecting, sharing, and using data.
The strategy emphasises the importance of data being widely disseminated and easily accessible to all stakeholders, including:
The government: for policy formulation and decision-making.
Politicians: for debate and assessment of development needs.
Economic agents: for identifying business opportunities and informing decisions.
Researchers: for analysis and value addition to the private and public sector.
Media: to inform the public and hold organisations and the government to accountable.
Citizens: to make informed decisions and participate in public debate.
Regional and international organisations: to assess development needs and inform cooperation and assistance
Without statistics, decision-making is done in the dark. Still, even with high quality data, it is worthless if it is not put to use.
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