Windhoek, 10 October 2023 (ECA) - Recent estimates of poverty, vulnerability and inequality are crucial in understanding the impact of overlapping crises and to devise suitable policies. This was underscored at a Stakeholder’s meeting on Estimating Poverty, Vulnerability and Inequality in Namibia in the Absence of Recent Household Survey Data convened by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in partnership with the Namibia National Planning Commission.
Held in Windhoek, the meeting brought together officials from government, academia, development partners and regional councils to discuss the findings of a report that applied an innovative approach to estimate poverty and inequality in Namibia in the absence of recent household survey data.
Commissioned by ECA, and undertaken jointly with the Namibia’s National Planning Commission, the study generated estimates of poverty, vulnerability and inequality in Namibia from 2016-2023 in the absence of recent household survey data. With Namibia’s most recent Household Income and Expenditure Survey (NHIES) having been undertaken in 2015, the study has bridged a critical gap in the unavailability of recent household survey data in Namibia.
In his remarks, Namibia’s National Planning Commission’s Chief National Development Advice, Mr. Sylvester Mbangu stated that accurate, precise and readily available data on poverty, vulnerability and inequality are vital for national development planning, noting that if these challenges cannot be measured accurately, they are unlikely to be managed effectively.
Stakeholders underscored the importance of enhancing the capacities of member States to readily assess poverty, vulnerability and inequality in order to support robust policymaking.
The study’s findings are timely and will inform the forthcoming National Development Plan (NDP) 6 whose priorities are to tackle poverty, inequality and unemployment in Namibia, including through better target setting.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org