50% of wealth in rich hands

Inequality is still rife in Namibia with about 50% of the Namibia's wealth in the hands of the richest 10% of the population. Namibia remains one of the countries with the most blatant inequalities in the world, although it has made significant progress on the human development index over the past 28 years.According to the Global Human Development Report recently released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Namibia's income inequality stands at 53.6%. The report ranks Namibia at number 130 as a “medium human development country”, while in 2017 the country was ranked 129th. The country has managed to improve on its Human Development Index (HDI) score from 1990 to 2018, recorded at 0.579 to 0.645, but there are still serious gaps between the rich and the poor.According to the report the estimated gross national income per capita is N$9 683. Women, at N$8 917, earn less than men at N$10 497. It says the estimated population in multidimensional poverty stands at 963 000 and that 12.2% of Namibians are in severe multidimensional poverty. According to the report 17.4% of the Namibian population is living below the poverty line. The report says the Namibian life expectancy at birth is 63.4 years, while expected years of schooling are 12.6 years and mean years of schooling 6.9 years. The report further says that 40.5% of women in Namibia have some form of secondary education, while 41.9% of men have some form of secondary education. With regard to labour force participation, 65.2% of men work and 56.2% of Namibians contribute to the labour force. According to UNDP, African countries have made significant strides in advancing human development, gaining ground on primary education and health. “However, a new generation of inequalities is opening up that, left unchecked, threatens to undermine further progress and make it harder for those already behind to catch up.”The report says as the gap in basic living standards is narrowing, with an unprecedented number of people escaping poverty, hunger and disease, new inequalities are becoming more pronounced. “These inequalities are more pronounced around tertiary education, and the seismic effects of technology and the climate crisis.” UNDP says that Namibia continues to be in the medium human development category with an HDI value of 0.645 for 2018, positioning it at 130 out of 189 countries and territories. Namibia's Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) estimation (2013) reveals that 38% of the population (963 000 people) are multidimensional poor while an additional 20.3% are classified as vulnerable to multidimensional poverty (514 000 people).Despite improved gender parity in education, the report notes that African women and girls continue to face deeply entrenched challenges to their human development.Namibia has a Gender Inequality Index value of 0.460, ranking it 108th out of 162 countries in the 2018 index, which makes it one of the most unequal countries globally.The HDI points out that Africa has experienced one of the most significant improvements in human development. “Yet, significant challenges remain. African countries find themselves at a crossroads, facing the dual challenge of ensuring that those furthest behind make progress with the basics, while paving the way for those further ahead to keep pace with the emerging requirements of today's world.”Although poverty rates have declined across the continent, progress has been uneven. “If current trends continue, the report asserts that nearly nine of ten people in extreme poverty - more than 300 million - will be in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2030. And among countries that are off track to achieve the SDGs by 2030, most are in Africa.” It says many African countries also face low tertiary education rates and relatively limited access to broadband internet, thwarted in part by low digital literacy and skills.The report recommends policies that go beyond income and are anchored in lifespan interventions starting even before birth. “Such human capital investments must continue through a person's life, from pre-natal care, to education, to the labour market and retirement.”ELLANIE SMIT

50% of wealth in rich hands

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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50% of wealth in rich hands

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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