- Three-fourths (74%) of respondents say Namibia is a "somewhat safe" (39%) or “very safe” (35%) country to live in (Figure 1).
- The same proportion (74%) say Namibia has become "much more safe" (38%) or "somewhat more safe" (36%) over the past five years (Figure 2).
- At the same time, more than half (52%) of Namibians say they experienced fear of crime in their own homes “just once or twice,” “several times,” “many times,” or “always” during the past year, the highest number recorded over the past two decades (Figure 3).
- Nearly six out of 10 respondents (59%) say they felt unsafe walking in their neighbourhoods at least once during the past year, the highest number since 2012 (Figure 4).
- When faced with a security concern, almost half (46%) of citizens say they turn first to the police. About one-fourth (27%) seek assistance first from family members, while only one in 10 (11%) go to community leaders first (Figure 5).
- Theft and break-ins rank as the biggest perceived threat to safety and security in communities, cited by 27% of Namibians, followed by robberies (14%), drugs/alcohol (14%), and livestock theft (11%) (Figure 7).
Three out of four Namibians consider their country a safe place to live, a recent Afrobarometer survey indicates.
The same proportion of citizens say safety and security have improved in Namibia over the past five years – even as increasing numbers report fear of crime.
More than half of Namibians say they experienced fear of crime in their homes and felt unsafe walking in their neighbourhoods during the past year.
Citizens facing a security threat are most likely to seek assistance first from the police, according to the survey. About one in four say they go to other family members first.
Theft and break-ins rank as the most serious threat to safety and security in the eyes of Namibians, followed by robberies and drugs and alcohol.