Namibia: Taxes on international trade (current LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Namibia's taxes on international trade (current LCU) rose 16.9% on 2023 (from 24.88 billion to 29.08 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +14.8% and a typical year strayed about 28% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above 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 104.3% in 1991 and the biggest yearly fall was 31.7% in 2021. 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 915.16 million a year. A straight line explains 33% 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 31st highest value of the 68 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

• Ukraine — 28th of 68: 48.5 billion
• Kyrgyz Republic — 29th of 68: 41.99 billion
• Uruguay — 30th of 68: 35.16 billion
• Saudi Arabia — 32nd of 68: 24.5 billion
• Mozambique — 33rd of 68: 21.23 billion
• Morocco — 34th of 68: 16.08 billion

What this measures

Taxes on international trade are taxes that become payable when goods cross the national or customs frontiers of the economic territory or when transactions in services exchange between residents and non-residents. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

All 35 values

Taxes on international trade (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Angola — 487.55 billion (2024)
• Botswana — 24.21 billion (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 525.93 billion (2024)
• Burundi — 140.93 billion (2021)
• Cabo Verde — 6.59 billion (2020)
• Cameroon — 398.08 billion (2021)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 1.52 trillion (2022)
• Congo, Rep. — 111.9 billion (2021)
• Côte d'Ivoire — 1.75 trillion (2023)
• Equatorial Guinea — 25.61 billion (2022)

More public sector data for Namibia

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 410.52 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 7.34 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.77% (2025)
• Grants and other revenue (current LCU) — 3.68 billion (2024)
• Grants and other revenue (% of revenue) — 4.14% (2024)
• Revenue, excluding grants (current LCU) — 88.9 billion (2024)
• Revenue, excluding grants (% of GDP) — 35.56% (2024)
• Taxes on international trade (% of revenue) — 32.72% (2024)
• Tax revenue (current LCU) — 84.69 billion (2024)
• Tax revenue (% of GDP) — 33.87% (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Namibia's taxes on international trade (current LCU)?

29.08 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1990?

It is up 5,631% from 507.5 million in 1990 (12.65% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 29.08 billion in 2024 and the lowest 507.5 million in 1990.

How does Namibia rank?

31st highest of 68 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in taxes on international trade (current LCU) unusual for Namibia?

In 2024, Namibia's taxes on international trade (current LCU) rose 16.9% on 2023 (from 24.88 billion to 29.08 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +14.8% and a typical year strayed about 28% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above 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 GC.TAX.INTT.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance 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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