Namibia’s education investment shows progress, but secondary school remains a challenge
A UNESCO report indicates that while Namibia has made significant progress in education financing and pre-primary access, the country struggles to retain students through secondary school. High completion rates at the primary level drop significantly as students reach upper secondary education.
Why it matters
The findings highlight a critical gap in educational continuity in developing nations, impacting long-term workforce development and economic stability.
NAMIBIA is maintaining a strong commitment to education financing while making significant progress in pre-primary access, but the country continues to face challenges in keeping learners in school beyond primary education, according to UNESCO’s 2026 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report.
The 2026 GEM Report highlights Namibia’s high level of public investment in education, with education expenditure amounting to 9.1% of gross domestic product and 24.6% of total government expenditure. The latter is above the Sustainable Development Goal benchmark of 15% to 20% of public spending for education.
Namibia also has a highly qualified teaching workforce, with 93% of pre-primary teachers, 95% of primary teachers and 96% of secondary teachers formally trained and qualified, according to the report.
Pupil-teacher ratios stand at 24 learners per teacher at pre-primary level, 28 at primary level and 22 at secondary level.
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