Namibia: Charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Namibia's charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) rose 144.3% on 2023 (from US$10.02 million to US$24.48 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +14,944,532.6% and a typical year strayed about 81,854,375.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 448,334,917.4% in 2002 and the biggest yearly fall was 100% in 2001. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$1.54 million a year. A straight line explains 47% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Namibia had the 7th highest value of the 20 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Namibia in the 2024 ranking

• Cameroon — 4th of 20: US$62.28 million
• Jordan — 5th of 20: US$32.68 million
• Tanzania — 6th of 20: US$25.96 million
• Côte d'Ivoire — 8th of 20: US$17.76 million
• Bahamas, The — 9th of 20: US$16.91 million
• Zimbabwe — 10th of 20: US$13.32 million

What this measures

Charges for the use of proprietary rights (such as patents, trademarks, copyrights, industrial processes and designs including trade secrets, franchises), and charges for licenses to reproduce or distribute (or both) intellectual property embodied in produced originals or prototypes (such as copyrights on books and manuscripts, computer software, cinematographic works, and sound recordings) and related rights (such as for live performances and television, cable, or satellite broadcast). This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 35 values

Charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) in nearby economies

• Angola — US$106.74 million (2025)
• Benin — US$401,153 (2020)
• Botswana — US$75.39 million (2025)
• Burkina Faso — US$387,343 (2024)
• Burundi — US$588,733 (2025)
• Cabo Verde — US$2.46 million (2025)
• Cameroon — US$62.28 million (2024)
• Comoros — US$2.36 million (2023)
• Côte d'Ivoire

More economic policy & debt data for Namibia

• Adjusted savings, education expenditure (% of GNI) — 8.92% (2021)
• Adjusted savings, net forest depletion (current US$) — US$106.2 million (2021)
• Adjusted savings, mineral depletion (current US$) — US$262.77 million (2021)
• General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) — US$3.36 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU) — 60.11 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) — US$3.51 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (constant LCU) — 45.2 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) — 22.28% (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Namibia's charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$)?

US$24.48 million in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1990?

It is up 874.34% from US$2.51 million in 1990 (6.93% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$24.48 million in 2024 and the lowest US$0.37 in 2001.

How does Namibia rank?

7th highest of 20 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) unusual for Namibia?

In 2024, Namibia's charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) rose 144.3% on 2023 (from US$10.02 million to US$24.48 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +14,944,532.6% and a typical year strayed about 81,854,375.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator BM.GSR.ROYL.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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