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Fertility & birth rates in Namibia and Somalia

Updated on by Georank team

Namibia has an annual birth rate of 25.9 births per 1,000 people, compared to 43 for Somalia. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 3.21 in Namibia and 6.13 in Somalia — 90.9% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -48.6% in Namibia and by -15.4% in Somalia — in 1960, it was 6.24 and 7.25, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Namibia is ranked 49/196 by birth rate compared to 2/196 for Somalia.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 28.9 in Namibia — it's 29.4 in Somalia.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 66 in Namibia vs 117.1 in Somalia.
  • In Namibia, 25.7% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 22.4% in Somalia.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was +1.97% in Namibia and +3.31% in Somalia.

Birth rate data compared

Namibia Somalia
Fertility rate 3.21 6.13
Birth rate 25.9 43
Birth rate rank 49/196 2/196
Age at first childbirth 21.6 years n/a
Average age at childbearing 28.9 years 29.4 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 64.8 114.3
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 147.3 269
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 50.3 98.9
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 25.7% 22.4%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 55.3% 0.9%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 88.2% 31.9%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.14% 0.56%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 2.41% 3.49%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 3.84% 6.78%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 4.07% 10.4%
Population change due to births and deaths +58,435 +608,203
Natural population change rank 90/196 31/196
Natural population change rate +1.97% +3.31%
Population growth +2.26% +3.54%
Population growth rank 43/197 9/197
Life expectancy 67.7 years 59.1 years

Fertility rate in Namibia vs Somalia chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Namibia was 3.21 children per woman in 2023, compared to 6.13 in Somalia in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

Check Namibia vs Somalia population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Namibia
Factual

UN forecast
Somalia
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Namibia Somalia
1960 6.24 7.25
1961 6.29 7.25
1962 6.35 7.26
1963 6.41 7.26
1964 6.43 7.26
1965 6.45 7.26
1966 6.47 7.26
1967 6.49 7.25
1968 6.5 7.23
1969 6.51 7.21
1970 6.52 7.18
1971 6.52 7.15
1972 6.53 7.12
1973 6.54 7.09
1974 6.55 7.06
1975 6.53 7.03
1976 6.49 7.02
1977 6.44 7
1978 6.38 7.13
1979 6.31 7.16
1980 6.24 7.18
1981 6.16 7.23
1982 6.08 7.25
1983 6 7.28
1984 5.94 7.3
1985 5.88 7.33
1986 5.79 7.35
1987 5.7 7.37
1988 5.61 7.4
1989 5.52 7.42
1990 5.4 7.44
1991 5.29 7.47
1992 5.11 7.5
1993 4.91 7.53
1994 4.68 7.54
1995 4.42 7.58
1996 4.2 7.62
1997 4.17 7.66
1998 4.18 7.66
1999 4.14 7.66
2000 3.99 7.65
2001 3.83 7.64
2002 3.69 7.63
2003 3.58 7.6
2004 3.55 7.57
2005 3.57 7.53
2006 3.6 7.49
2007 3.61 7.46
2008 3.62 7.42
2009 3.63 7.38
2010 3.66 7.32
2011 3.66 7.27
2012 3.68 7.21
2013 3.65 7.14
2014 3.64 7.06
2015 3.6 6.98
2016 3.57 6.88
2017 3.51 6.77
2018 3.46 6.66
2019 3.4 6.56
2020 3.35 6.45
2021 3.3 6.35
2022 3.25 6.26
2023 3.21 6.13
2024 3.21 6.01
2025 3.17 5.91
2026 3.13 5.8
2027 3.09 5.68
2028 3.06 5.58
2029 3.02 5.47
2030 2.98 5.35
2031 2.94 5.25
2032 2.91 5.14
2033 2.88 5.04
2034 2.84 4.94
2035 2.81 4.84
2036 2.78 4.74
2037 2.75 4.63
2038 2.72 4.52
2039 2.68 4.44
2040 2.66 4.35
2041 2.63 4.26
2042 2.6 4.16
2043 2.58 4.07
2044 2.56 3.99
2045 2.53 3.91
2046 2.51 3.84
2047 2.49 3.78
2048 2.47 3.71
2049 2.45 3.65
2050 2.43 3.6

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Namibia
Factual

UN forecast
Somalia
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Namibia Somalia
1960 42.2% 44.4%
1961 42.4% 44.7%
1962 42.6% 44.8%
1963 42.7% 45%
1964 42.9% 45.1%
1965 43% 45.1%
1966 43.2% 44.9%
1967 43.3% 44.8%
1968 43.5% 44.7%
1969 43.6% 44.6%
1970 43.8% 44.5%
1971 43.9% 44.5%
1972 44.1% 44.4%
1973 44.3% 44.4%
1974 44.6% 44.4%
1975 44.8% 44.3%
1976 45% 44.3%
1977 45.3% 44.3%
1978 45.9% 44.4%
1979 46.3% 44.5%
1980 46.6% 44.6%
1981 47.1% 44.8%
1982 47.2% 45%
1983 46.9% 45.2%
1984 46.6% 45.4%
1985 46.2% 45.6%
1986 45.8% 45.8%
1987 45.3% 46%
1988 44.8% 46.3%
1989 43.4% 46.7%
1990 42.3% 47%
1991 42.2% 47%
1992 42.2% 46.5%
1993 42.2% 46.4%
1994 42.2% 46.5%
1995 42.1% 46.7%
1996 42% 46.9%
1997 41.9% 47%
1998 41.8% 47.1%
1999 41.7% 47.2%
2000 41.5% 47.4%
2001 41.3% 47.5%
2002 41% 47.6%
2003 40.5% 47.7%
2004 40% 47.9%
2005 39.4% 48.2%
2006 38.7% 48.6%
2007 38.1% 48.9%
2008 37.5% 48.9%
2009 37.1% 48.8%
2010 36.8% 48.7%
2011 36.7% 48.3%
2012 36.6% 47.9%
2013 36.6% 47.8%
2014 36.5% 47.7%
2015 36.5% 47.6%
2016 36.5% 47.5%
2017 36.7% 47.4%
2018 36.8% 47.3%
2019 37% 47.1%
2020 37.1% 47%
2021 37.4% 47%
2022 37.5% 46.8%
2023 37.3% 46.7%
2024 37% 46.6%
2025 36.7% 46.6%
2026 36.3% 46.5%
2027 35.9% 46.4%
2028 35.5% 46.1%
2029 35.1% 45.8%
2030 34.6% 45.4%
2031 34% 45.1%
2032 33.5% 44.7%
2033 32.9% 44.3%
2034 32.4% 43.9%
2035 31.8% 43.5%
2036 31.1% 43.1%
2037 30.6% 42.6%
2038 30.3% 42.1%
2039 30% 41.7%
2040 29.7% 41.2%
2041 29.5% 40.8%
2042 29.2% 40.3%
2043 29% 39.9%
2044 28.8% 39.4%
2045 28.5% 39%
2046 28.3% 38.6%
2047 28.1% 38.2%
2048 27.9% 37.8%
2049 27.7% 37.4%
2050 27.5% 37%

Children aged 0-14 make up 37% of the population in Namibia and 46.6% in Somalia in 2024, compared to 42.3% and 47% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Namibia and Somalia compared.

Natural population change in Namibia vs Somalia by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +2.04% in Namibia and +3.34% in Somalia. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Namibia
Somalia

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Namibia Somalia
1960 14,307 73,850
1961 14,936 75,513
1962 15,656 77,737
1963 16,430 79,859
1964 17,134 82,042
1965 17,902 84,448
1966 18,635 86,930
1967 19,498 89,497
1968 20,470 92,208
1969 21,387 95,045
1970 22,414 98,025
1971 23,467 101,196
1972 24,606 104,493
1973 25,754 108,038
1974 26,844 104,813
1975 27,882 108,998
1976 28,785 113,319
1977 29,241 124,818
1978 29,821 132,689
1979 28,930 151,016
1980 28,142 174,790
1981 27,938 185,211
1982 27,474 182,793
1983 28,307 190,775
1984 29,395 199,017
1985 30,575 207,960
1986 31,764 218,416
1987 33,340 231,580
1988 34,798 215,599
1989 37,715 225,255
1990 43,956 225,162
1991 44,523 53,052
1992 43,945 57,495
1993 42,861 232,960
1994 41,316 246,950
1995 39,119 254,509
1996 37,177 264,807
1997 37,256 271,894
1998 37,500 284,779
1999 37,233 295,523
2000 35,280 306,651
2001 32,942 319,059
2002 31,947 331,215
2003 31,115 341,192
2004 31,478 351,959
2005 32,909 363,117
2006 34,690 372,597
2007 36,430 380,303
2008 38,147 394,258
2009 39,942 405,784
2010 42,046 385,571
2011 43,557 203,213
2012 46,204 399,468
2013 47,801 448,518
2014 49,581 464,481
2015 50,846 481,573
2016 52,228 495,132
2017 52,975 478,556
2018 53,970 514,244
2019 54,769 548,756
2020 55,034 561,311
2021 50,160 566,399
2022 54,534 551,450
2023 58,435 608,203

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Namibia vs Somalia

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 139 deaths per 100,000 live births in Namibia, compared to 563 deaths in Somalia.

Namibia
Somalia
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Namibia Somalia
1985 354 1,465
1986 348 1,452
1987 336 1,393
1988 342 1,423
1989 306 1,395
1990 325 1,358
1991 337 1,431
1992 346 1,339
1993 354 1,195
1994 367 1,254
1995 369 1,210
1996 387 1,225
1997 383 1,206
1998 396 1,177
1999 371 1,170
2000 384 1,150
2001 376 1,129
2002 313 1,121
2003 290 1,111
2004 282 1,104
2005 344 1,086
2006 408 1,085
2007 489 1,074
2008 537 1,035
2009 547 995
2010 531 1,062
2011 498 972
2012 439 894
2013 402 855
2014 369 816
2015 307 784
2016 250 754
2017 213 716
2018 198 727
2019 175 656
2020 143 655
2021 254 726
2022 127 622
2023 139 563

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 4.07% in Namibia and 10.4% in Somalia. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Namibia
Somalia

Probability that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five

Year Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births
Namibia Somalia
1967 9.66% -
1968 9.64% -
1969 9.65% -
1970 9.65% -
1971 9.67% -
1972 9.68% -
1973 9.73% -
1974 9.79% -
1975 9.89% -
1976 10% -
1977 10.2% -
1978 10.3% -
1979 10.3% -
1980 10.3% -
1981 10.2% -
1982 9.93% 20.1%
1983 9.61% 19.8%
1984 9.22% 19.5%
1985 8.81% 19.3%
1986 8.43% 19%
1987 8.09% 18.8%
1988 7.81% 18.6%
1989 7.57% 18.3%
1990 7.39% 18%
1991 7.24% 44.3%
1992 7.14% 45.6%
1993 7.1% 17.3%
1994 7.13% 17.2%
1995 7.24% 17.2%
1996 7.39% 17.2%
1997 7.56% 17.2%
1998 7.7% 17.2%
1999 7.79% 17.2%
2000 7.79% 17.2%
2001 7.71% 17.2%
2002 7.61% 17.2%
2003 7.51% 17.2%
2004 7.41% 17.2%
2005 7.05% 17.2%
2006 6.49% 17.2%
2007 6.06% 17%
2008 5.64% 16.6%
2009 5.29% 16.2%
2010 5.08% 18.6%
2011 5.16% 35.9%
2012 5.51% 18.4%
2013 5.4% 14.3%
2014 5.31% 13.8%
2015 5.5% 13.4%
2016 5.42% 13%
2017 5.19% 15.5%
2018 5.01% 13.6%
2019 4.78% 11.8%
2020 4.57% 11.4%
2021 4.38% 11.1%
2022 4.2% 14.3%
2023 4.07% 10.4%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Namibia vs Somalia
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