FSCI Indicators Breakdown

The Food Systems Countdown Initiative (FSCI) is a collaborative interdisciplinary effort to monitor global food systems. The FSCI developed a framework that includes five themes: (1) diets, nutrition, and health; (2) environment, natural resources, and production; (3) livelihoods, poverty, and equity; (4) governance; and (5) resilience and identified 50 indicators across these themes. This page presents national level data for these 50 indicators for Namibia.

Namibia income group: Upper Middle Income
Comparison
Namibia
Southern Africa
World

Diets, Nutrition, and Health

Less Desirable
More Desirable
Namibia
3.79
Southern Africa
3.43
World
3.32
PPP dollar/capita/day
Cost of a healthy diet per capita
3.79 PPP dollar/capita/day
Per-person cost of the least expensive locally available foods to meet daily needs, based on food-based dietary guidelines
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Namibia
60%
Southern Africa
62%
World
37%
Percent of the population who cannot afford a healthy diet
60%
Share of the population whose food budget is less than the cost of a healthy diet
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Namibia
177
Southern Africa
137.8
World
256.7
g/capita/day
Availability of fruits
177 g/capita/day
Amount of fruits—an underconsumed yet highly nutritious food group—available in a country’s food supply per capita per day
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Namibia
94.9
Southern Africa
97.9
World
278.9
g/capita/day
Availability of vegetables
94.9 g/capita/day
Amount of vegetables—an underconsumed yet highly nutritious food group—available in a country’s food supply per capita per day
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Southern Africa
78%
World
68%
Percent of the population using safely managed drinking water services
No Data
Share of the population that gets drinking water from an improved source, providing the clean water essential for food security (SDG 6.1.1)
Namibia
25.1
Southern Africa
36.7
World
155.1
current PPP dollar/capita/year
Retail value (total sales) of ultra-processed foods per capita
25.1 current PPP dollar/capita/year
Annual perperson sales of ultra-processed foods, which are known to be associated with poor health outcomes
2021
Southern Africa
72%
World
66%
MDD-W: Minimum dietary diversity for women
No Data
Share of women who consumed at least the minimum recommended food groups the previous day, which makes it more likely they consume adequate micronutrients
Southern Africa
23%
World
39%
All-5: Consumption of all five food groups
No Data
Share of the adult population consuming all five food groups typically recommended for daily consumption
Southern Africa
3.3
World
3.8
NCD-Protect
No Data
Average score for adults on an indicator of dietary practices protective against noncommunicable diseases, like eating enough fiber, on a scale from 0 to 9
Southern Africa
3.2
World
2.1
NCD-Risk
No Data
Average score for adults on an indicator of dietary practices known to raise the risk of noncommunicable diseases, like eating too much sugar, on a scale from 0 to 9
Southern Africa
10%
World
11%
Adults: Zero fruit or vegetable consumption
No Data
Share of adults who did not consume any fruits or vegetables the previous day
Southern Africa
51%
World
19%
Adults: Soft drink consumption
No Data
Share of adults who consumed a sugar-sweetened soft drink, which are generally known to be unhealthy, during the previous day
Namibia
17%
Southern Africa
10%
World
11%
POU: Prevalence of undernourishment
17%
Share of the population that goes hungry—that is, lacks enough calories for a healthy, active life (SDG 2.1.1)
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Namibia
60%
Southern Africa
25%
World
29%
Percent of the population experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity
60%
Share of the population experiencing food insecurity, measured according to the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) (SDG 2.1.2)
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Namibia
25%
Southern Africa
39%
World
32%
MDD (IYCF): Minimum dietary diversity for infants and young children
25%
Share of young children who consumed at least the minimum recommended food groups the previous day, which makes it more likely they consume adequate micronutrients
2013
Source: UNICEF
Namibia
52
Southern Africa
37
World
39
% population 6-23 months
Children (6-23 months): Zero fruit or vegetable consumption
52% population 6-23 months
Share of young children who did not consume any fruits or vegetables the previous day
2013
Source: UNICEF
Less Desirable
More Desirable

Environment, natural resources, and production

Less Desirable
More Desirable
Namibia
48%
Southern Africa
56%
World
63%
Cropland nitrogen use efficiency
48%
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Namibia
0.1
Southern Africa
0.4
World
0.4
tonnes/ha
Cereals yield
0.1 tonnes/ha
Yield, or production per unit area (tonnes per hectare)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Namibia
0.5
Southern Africa
2.3
World
1.4
tonnes/ha
Fruit yield
0.5 tonnes/ha
Yield, or production per unit area (tonnes per hectare)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Namibia
1
Southern Africa
1.7
World
2
tonnes/ha
Vegetable yield
1 tonnes/ha
Yield, or production per unit area (tonnes per hectare)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Namibia
4,487
Southern Africa
25,151.3
World
22,628.8
100 g/animal
Cow's milk yield
4,487 100 g/animal
Yield, or production per animal (100 g per animal)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Namibia
273.3
Southern Africa
301.1
World
221
kg/animal
Beef yield
273.3 kg/animal
Yield, or production per animal (100 g per animal)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Namibia
37.2
Southern Africa
37.2
World
21.2
Fishery health index progress score
37.2
An indicator summarizing the availability and sustainability of fish, which are at risk of overfishing or environmental degradation
2021
Namibia
21,531.4
Southern Africa
35,769.4
World
83,692.6
kT CO2eq
Agri-food systems greenhouse gas emissions
21,531.4 kT CO2eq
Greenhouse gas emissions (kt CO2 equivalents) from food systems
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Namibia
0.1
Southern Africa
0.2
World
0.2
kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions intensity for cereals (excluding rice)
0.1 kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions (kg CO2 equivalents) per kilogram produced of cereals (excluding rice)
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Southern Africa
56.4
World
1.1
kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions intensity for rice
No Data
Greenhouse gas emissions (kg CO2 equivalents) per kilogram produced of rice
Source: FAOSTAT
Namibia
4.2
Southern Africa
0.7
World
1
kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions intensity for cow's milk
4.2 kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions (kg CO2 equivalents) per kilogram produced of cow's milk
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Namibia
105.9
Southern Africa
17.6
World
28.3
kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions intensity for beef
105.9 kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions (kg CO2 equivalents) per kilogram produced of beef
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Namibia
0
Southern Africa
0
World
0
% change
Cropland area change
0% change
Average percentage change in cropland over the previous five years; expanding cropland is a major driver of biodiversity and ecosystem service loss and greenhouse gas emissions
2021
Source: FSCI
Namibia
82
Southern Africa
71
World
43
% agricultural land
Functional integrity: Agricultural land with minimum level of natural habitat
82% agricultural land
Percentage of agricultural land area with enough semi-natural or natural habitat, relative to the amount of cropland or rangeland, to maintain biodiversity and functioning ecosystems
2015
Namibia
1%
Southern Africa
21%
World
17%
Agriculture water withdrawal as percent of total renewable water resources
1%
Water withdrawn for irrigation each year, as a percentage of the total renewable water resources available
2020
Source: AQUASTAT
Namibia
1.4
Southern Africa
3.3
World
2.3
kg/ha
Pesticide use per area of cropland
1.4 kg/ha
The use of pesticides per area of cropland (kg active ingredient per hectare); pesticide use can cause pollution and harm health
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Less Desirable
More Desirable

Livelihoods, Poverty, and Equity

Less Desirable
More Desirable
Namibia
8
Southern Africa
3
World
4
% GDP
Share of agriculture in GDP
8% GDP
Percentage of a country’s GDP derived from agriculture, a measure of the level of economic development of the country
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Namibia
15
Southern Africa
26
World
4
% working age population
Unemployment rate (Rural)
15% working age population
Percentage of working-age people in rural areas who are unemployed
2018
Source: ILO
Southern Africa
5
World
6
% working age population
Underemployment rate (Rural)
No Data
Percentage of working-age people in rural areas who are underemployed (i.e., worked fewer hours than expected)
Source: ILO
Namibia
44
Southern Africa
77
World
58
% population
Social protection coverage
44% population
Percentage of people who live in households that benefit from social protection programs, like cash transfers and health insurance
2015
Source: World Bank
Namibia
13
Southern Africa
53
World
23
% welfare of beneficiary households
Social protection adequacy
13% welfare of beneficiary households
An indicator showing the extent to which social protection is sufficient to meet household needs
2015
Source: World Bank
Southern Africa
8
World
8
% children 5-17
Percent of children 5-17 years engaged in child labor
No Data
Percentage of children ages 5–17 who are engaged in child labor, the majority of which is known to be in the food system and specifically in agriculture
Source: UNICEF
Namibia
21
Southern Africa
21
World
31
% landholdings
Share of women among owners or rights-bearers of agricultural land
21% landholdings
2013
Source:
Less Desirable
More Desirable

Governance

Less Desirable
More Desirable
Namibia
0.7
Southern Africa
0.7
World
0.6
Civil society participation index
0.7
An indicator capturing the level of participation in civil society organizations
2022
Namibia
13%
Southern Africa
24%
World
8%
Percent of the urban population living in cities signed onto the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact
13%
Percentage of the urban population that lives in cities signed on to the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, suggesting prioritization of food issues in urban planning
2023
Source: Milan Urban Food Policy Pact
Oakridge National Laboratory (Landscan population product)
FSCI
Southern Africa
NaN
World
NaN
Degree of legal recognition of the right to food
No Data
An indicator that classifies countries by the extent to which national laws or policies recognize or enact people’s right to sufficient food
Source: FAOLEXFSCI
Southern Africa
NaN
World
NaN
Presence of a national food system transformation pathway
No Data
Whether the country has developed a food system transformation pathway through the UNFSS process
Source: FAOFSCI
Namibia
0
Southern Africa
-0.1
World
0
Government effectiveness index
0
An index capturing the perception of how effective the government is in making and enforcing policies and providing services
2022
Namibia
60
Southern Africa
94.5
World
69.5
Food safety capacity
60
Whether functioning mechanisms exist to detect and respond to foodborne disease issues, measured as the percentage of a set of criteria met
2020
Southern Africa
NaN
World
NaN
Presence of national health-related food environment policies
No Data
Whether the country has any health-related food taxes, which are used to discourage consumption of unhealthy foods
Namibia
1
Southern Africa
1.2
World
0.2
V-Dem accountability index
1
An index capturing the extent to which the government is seen as being accountable for its actions
2022
Namibia
42
Southern Africa
79.4
World
43
Open budget index score
42
A score based on how easily the public can access information about how the government raises and spends money
2021
Southern Africa
NaN
World
NaN
Guarantees for public access to information
No Data
Whether the country has and implements guarantees for access to information (SDG 16.10.2)
Less Desirable
More Desirable

Resilience

Less Desirable
More Desirable
Southern Africa
NaN
World
NaN
Ratio of total damages from all disasters to GDP
No Data
Cost of all damage from natural disasters, as a percentage of GDP
Source: EM-DAT
Namibia
0.8
Southern Africa
0.8
World
0.7
Dietary sourcing flexibility index
0.8
An index capturing the diversity of pathways through which food reaches consumers, indicating how difficult it is to disrupt the food supply
2019
Source:
FAO
Namibia
113.2
Southern Africa
127.1
World
110.1
Number per 100 people
Mobile cellular subscriptions
113.2 Number per 100 people
Number of mobile phone subscriptions as a percentage of the population, indicating the level of infrastructure and access to information to respond to shocks
2022
Namibia
0.5
Southern Africa
0.4
World
0.5
Social capital index
0.5
An index for the social capital in the country—how much people feel they can trust and can rely on their government and one another
2021
Namibia
3
Southern Africa
15
World
25
% agricultural land
Proportion of agricultural land with minimum level of species diversity (crop and pasture)
3% agricultural land
Percentage of agricultural land (crop and pasture) containing a sufficient diversity of species, which helps cope with shocks and changes
2020
Source:
Jones et al. 2021
Namibia
2,153
Southern Africa
4,505.9
World
163,165.1
Number of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium- or long-term conservation facilities
2,153
Number of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in medium- or long-term conservation facilities (SDG 2.5.1)
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Namibia
0
Southern Africa
3.4
World
3.8
Number of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium- or long-term conservation facilities
0
Number of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in medium- or long-term conservation facilities (SDG 2.5.1)
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Namibia
0.4
Southern Africa
0.3
World
0.4
Prevalence of severe coping strategies
0.4
Percentage of high-risk populations who need to rely on extreme strategies to cope with food insecurity
2022
Source:
WFP
Namibia
0.6
Southern Africa
0.5
World
0.7
Food price volatility
0.6
How much food prices vary over time, indicating how well the food system can respond to shocks
2022
Source: FAOSTATFSCI
Namibia
19
Southern Africa
32.4
World
32.2
kcal/capita/day
Food supply variability per capita
19 kcal/capita/day
How much the food supply (in calories per person per day) varies over time, indicating how well the food system can respond to shocks
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Less Desirable
More Desirable