Share of students studying abroad in Namibia
Namibia: Share of students studying abroad was 5.2% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Share of students studying abroad in Namibia, 1998–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Namibia recorded 5.2% for share of students studying abroad in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 17.9% on the previous year and down 48.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students studying abroad in Namibia peaked at 63.7% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 5.2%, in 2022.
That places Namibia 96th out of 175 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of students studying abroad in Namibia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 36.1% | — |
| 2001 | 48.8% | +35.4% |
| 2002 | 57.6% | +18.1% |
| 2003 | 63.7% | +10.5% |
| 2005 | 51.8% | -18.6% |
| 2006 | 61.5% | +18.6% |
| 2008 | 45.9% | -25.3% |
| 2014 | 10.1% | -77.9% |
| 2015 | 10.7% | +5.5% |
| 2016 | 9.8% | -7.9% |
| 2017 | 9.1% | -7.3% |
| 2018 | 9.3% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 7.5% | -19.0% |
| 2020 | 6.4% | -14.7% |
| 2022 | 5.2% | -17.9% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 5.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.8%, 77% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 5.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.6%, 79% of the median. (40 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 36.1% | 36.1% | 36.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 54.9% | 45.9% | 63.7% | 6 |
| 2010s | 9.4% | 7.5% | 10.7% | 6 |
| 2020s | 5.8% | 5.2% | 6.4% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More education data for Namibia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 10,653 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 90,003 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 26,964 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 27,746 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 236,050 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 590,029 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.48 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1947 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students studying abroad in Namibia?
- Share of students studying abroad in Namibia was 5.2% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of students studying abroad recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 63.7% in 2003.
- What is the lowest share of students studying abroad recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.2% in 2022.
- How does Namibia rank for share of students studying abroad?
- Namibia ranks 96th out of 175 countries with data for 2022.
- Is share of students studying abroad rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Namibia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of students studying abroad. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of a country's tertiary level students studying abroad as international students. International students are those that move from their home countries for education, identified based on their past education, residence, or distinct immigration regulations.