Over 80% members of Namibia's marginalised communities have received birth certificates, marking progress in ensuring access to legal identity among groups that have lacked such documents.
However, the 2023 Marginalised Communities Profile recently released by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), shows that while documentation coverage has improved, challenges remain in areas such as national identification, education, employment, access to technology and household living conditions. The report, based on the 2023 Population and Housing Census, examines the socio-economic conditions of the San, Ovatue/Ovatwa and Ovatjimba communities, providing data to guide policies aimed at improving inclusion.
The census recorded 75 569 people belonging to marginalised communities, representing 2.5% of Namibia's total population of 3 022 401 people. Of this population, 50 163 people live in rural areas compared to 25 406 people in urban areas. This shows that most marginalised communities remain concentrated in rural settlements.
Birth registration shows positive progress. The findings indicate that over 80% of people in marginalised communities possess birth certificates issued by the government. The NSA reported that this trend was observed across most areas, although some regions, including Omusati, Kavango West, Ohangwena and Kavango East, recorded lower levels of birth certificate coverage.
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Birth certificates remain an important foundation for accessing other services, including education, healthcare, social grants and national identity documents. Despite this progress, the findings suggest that ensuring every member of these communities has access to legal identity remains an ongoing challenge, particularly for those living in remote areas where distance, transport costs and limited access to government services can create barriers.
ID access
While birth registration has improved, the census highlights continued challenges in access to national identification documents.
The report identifies birth certificates and national IDs as key indicators of inclusion because they enable citizens to access government programmes and participate fully in social and economic activities.
For communities living far from service points, obtaining identity documents can remain difficult due to logistical and financial constraints. The marginalised communities have a predominantly youthful population, with children and young adults making up the majority. According to the census, people aged between 0 and 14 years and those aged 15 to 34 years account for more than two-thirds of the population, representing 75.9%. The median age among marginalised communities was recorded at 18.8 years, with rural communities having a younger median age of 18.2 years compared to 20.2 years in urban areas.
The youthful population provides an opportunity for Namibia to invest in education, skills development and employment creation. However, without sufficient opportunities, the growing young population could face increased vulnerability to unemployment and poverty.
Economic inclusion
Limited access to education opportunities, employment and economic resources continues to affect many households.
These challenges are particularly significant in rural areas where communities often depend on subsistence activities and have limited access to infrastructure and services. NSA said the findings are intended to support evidence-based planning and targeted interventions to reduce inequalities and promote inclusive development.
NSA further stated that the distribution of marginalised communities differs significantly across Namibia. Otjozondjupa recorded the largest number of people from these communities at 23 864, followed by Omaheke with 17 452 and Kunene with 9 366. When measured as a proportion of regional populations, Omaheke had the highest share at 17%, followed by Otjozondjupa at 10.8% and Kunene at 7.8%.
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The San community remains the largest marginalised group, accounting for 94.2% of the total marginalised population, followed by the Ovatjimba at 4.9% and Ovatwa at 0.9%.
Interventions
The census findings highlight both progress and persistent inequalities. While increased birth certificate coverage demonstrates improvement in government efforts to provide legal identity, the report shows that documentation alone is not enough to overcome historical disadvantages.
The NSA noted that the census provides updated evidence that can guide government, development partners and civil society organisations in designing programmes aimed at addressing the challenges faced by these communities.
