Between 2018 and 2021, the death toll rose from 18939 to 24117.

The majority of these fatalities affected males, infants, and the elderly.

This is contained in the second series of mortality and causes of death reports launched by the Namibia Statistics Agency today.

The recorded deaths are attributed to hypertensive diseases in 2020 with 8,8%, while COVID-19 was the leading cause of death in 2021 with 18,6%, followed by HIV and lower respiratory infections.