Rank #212 by World Population

🇿🇼Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has a population of 16,340,822, ranking #212 in the world. The capital is Harare. Located in Sub-Saharan Africa .

World Bank: Lower middle income

16,340,822

Population

#212

World Rank

62.8

Life Expectancy

$2,195

GDP Per Capita

Zimbabwe, #212 by world population

Zimbabwe Population History (1960-2024)

The country of Zimbabwe had a population of 3,809,389 in 1960 and 16,634,373 in 2024, a 4.4× growth over 64 years. The peak was 16,634,373 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 2.34%.

Zimbabwe population, 1960–2024 · Source: U.S. Census Bureau — decennial census & Population Estimates

16,634,373

Population (2024)

3,809,389

Population (1960)

16,634,373

Peak (2024)

2.34%

Avg Annual Growth

Year	Population	Change	Annual %	Source
1960	3,809,389	-	-	estimate
1961	3,930,401	+121,012	+3.18%	estimate
1962	4,055,959	+125,558	+3.19%	estimate
1963	4,185,877	+129,918	+3.20%	estimate
1964	4,320,006	+134,129	+3.20%	estimate
1965	4,458,462	+138,456	+3.20%	estimate
1966	4,601,217	+142,755	+3.20%	estimate
1967	4,748,307	+147,090	+3.20%	estimate
1968	4,900,440	+152,133	+3.20%	estimate
1969	5,058,181	+157,741	+3.22%	estimate
1970	5,215,918	+157,737	+3.12%	estimate
1971	5,374,712	+158,794	+3.04%	estimate
1972	5,542,445	+167,733	+3.12%	estimate
1973	5,720,404	+177,959	+3.21%	estimate
1974	5,908,328	+187,924	+3.29%	estimate
1975	6,098,658	+190,330	+3.22%	estimate
1976	6,287,105	+188,447	+3.09%	estimate
1977	6,449,512	+162,407	+2.58%	estimate
1978	6,543,575	+94,063	+1.46%	estimate
1979	6,647,556	+103,981	+1.59%	estimate
1980	7,041,303	+393,747	+5.92%	estimate
1981	7,498,635	+457,332	+6.49%	estimate
1982	7,796,496	+297,861	+3.97%	estimate
1983	8,098,404	+301,908	+3.87%	estimate
1984	8,391,488	+293,084	+3.62%	estimate
1985	8,686,813	+295,325	+3.52%	estimate
1986	8,982,578	+295,765	+3.40%	estimate
1987	9,284,644	+302,066	+3.36%	estimate
1988	9,583,094	+298,450	+3.21%	estimate
1989	9,864,798	+281,704	+2.94%	estimate
1990	10,137,281	+272,483	+2.76%	estimate
1991	10,404,816	+267,535	+2.64%	estimate
1992	10,702,700	+297,884	+2.86%	estimate
1993	10,860,288	+157,588	+1.47%	estimate
1994	10,873,148	+12,860	+0.12%	estimate
1995	10,974,599	+101,451	+0.93%	estimate
1996	11,158,360	+183,761	+1.67%	estimate
1997	11,369,827	+211,467	+1.90%	estimate
1998	11,594,297	+224,470	+1.97%	estimate
1999	11,783,458	+189,161	+1.63%	estimate
2000	11,892,055	+108,597	+0.92%	estimate
2001	11,971,901	+79,846	+0.67%	estimate
2002	12,087,653	+115,752	+0.97%	estimate
2003	12,232,323	+144,670	+1.20%	estimate
2004	12,365,896	+133,573	+1.09%	estimate
2005	12,483,432	+117,536	+0.95%	estimate
2006	12,636,445	+153,013	+1.23%	estimate
2007	12,804,058	+167,613	+1.33%	estimate
2008	12,959,149	+155,091	+1.21%	estimate
2009	13,142,790	+183,641	+1.42%	estimate
2010	13,356,548	+213,758	+1.63%	estimate
2011	13,595,424	+238,876	+1.79%	estimate
2012	13,817,887	+222,463	+1.64%	estimate
2013	14,013,808	+195,921	+1.42%	estimate
2014	14,207,359	+193,551	+1.38%	estimate
2015	14,399,013	+191,654	+1.35%	estimate
2016	14,600,294	+201,281	+1.40%	estimate
2017	14,812,482	+212,188	+1.45%	estimate
2018	15,034,452	+221,970	+1.50%	estimate
2019	15,271,368	+236,916	+1.58%	estimate
2020	15,526,888	+255,520	+1.67%	estimate
2021	15,797,210	+270,322	+1.74%	estimate
2022	16,069,056	+271,846	+1.72%	estimate
2023	16,340,822	+271,766	+1.69%	estimate
2024	16,634,373	+293,551	+1.80%	estimate

Demographics

Population	16,340,822
Population Growth Rate	1.68%
Urban Population	39.3%
Fertility Rate	3.72 births/woman
Life Expectancy	62.8 years
Infant Mortality Rate	62.2 per 1,000
Literacy Rate	-

Economy & Trade

$2,195

GDP Per Capita

9.3%

Unemployment Rate

Lower middle income

Income Level

50.3

Gini Index (inequality)

40.3%

Trade (% of GDP)

639,000

Tourism Arrivals

Health & Education

2.9%

Health Expenditure (% GDP)

0.14

Physicians per 1,000

0.4%

Education Expenditure (% GDP)

62.2

Infant Mortality (per 1,000)

Development & Connectivity

62.0%

Electricity Access

36.3%

Internet Users

Mobile Subs per 100

42.2

People per km2

-97,380

Net Migration

Environment

44.7%

Forest Area

Other Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi

Zimbabwe in global context

Zimbabwe is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.

World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →

Other related entities

Angola (36,749,906)Benin (14,111,034)Botswana (2,480,244)Burkina Faso (23,025,776)Burundi (13,689,450)All countries →

Country rankings

Populated Countries in the World Countries With Highest GDP Per Capita Countries With Highest Life Expectancy Countries With Highest Fertility Rates Countries With Highest Literacy Rates Urbanized Countries in the World Fastest Growing Countries by Population Countries With Highest Infant Mortality Countries With Highest Income Inequality Countries With Most International Tourism All rankings →

Frequently Asked Questions

Zimbabwe has a population of 16,340,822, ranking #212 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 1.68%.

Life expectancy in Zimbabwe is 62.8 years. The infant mortality rate is 62.2 per 1,000 live births.

Zimbabwe's GDP per capita is $2,195. It is classified as a lower middle income country by the World Bank.

39.3% of Zimbabwe's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 42.2 people per square kilometer.

Literacy data for Zimbabwe is available from the World Bank.

Sources: World Bank Open Data

International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.

With 16,340,822 residents, Zimbabwe is a country in Sub-Saharan Africa . Its population is growing quickly, by about 1.7% a year.

Zimbabwe is a lower-income economy, with GDP per capita of about $2,195. Life expectancy is 62.8 years, below the global average, with a fertility rate of 3.7 births per woman, and 39.3% of the population lives in urban areas.

Source: World Bank Open Data, 2026.