Namibia's population has surpassed the three million mark.
This was announced by the Statistician General, Alex Shimuafeni, during the launch of the preliminary census report.
Shimuafeni also noted that average household sizes have increased to 62.7%, indicating shifting demographic trends in the country.
Namibia's increase in population is nearly a two-fold increase since its first post-independence census in 1991.
The announcement of the increase in population excited those in attendance.
"This is the figure; we have hit the 3 million mark! The official figure is 3,022,401. If you can allow me to just dive down deeper to break down this figure, how has the population grown? In 1991, we were 1. 4 million; in 2011, it increased to 2.1 million; and now we are at 3.02 million."
Implemented as Namibia's inaugural fully digital census, the 2023 Census capitalised on available technology to ensure operational efficiency, data quality, and expedited result dissemination.
During the initial enumeration period from September 25th to October 6th, 2023, with a mop-up period extending to October 30th, 2023, the following key findings emerged:
Females continue to constitute a higher proportion of the population, accounting for 51.2%, while males account for 48.8%, maintaining the national sex ratio at 95 males per 100 females.
The |Khomas Region retains its status as the most populated, trailed by Ohangwena and Omusati, consistent with trends observed in the 2011 census.
Conversely, the Omaheke Region remains the least populous.
Average household size, which has been on the decline since 1991, stands at three-comma-eight persons per household, with a notable 62.7% increase in total households compared to 2011.
Khomas and Ohangwena regions emerged as the most populous regions, housing 494,729 and 337,729 people, respectively.
The ||Kharas and Erongo regions report the smallest average household size at three-comma-one persons.
In her address, Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila emphasised the significance of the census exercise and commended the team responsible for its successful execution.
"Statistics is important in governance as it informs decision-making; in fact, it is said that when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. The population and housing census hasn't been undertaken with a background of difficult economic and public revenue situations, which stands as a clear testimony of the government's commitment to the availability of data."
The final report, expected this year, might show slight changes.