
Population growth in Zimbabwe
From 1960 to 2019 the population of Zimbabwe increased from 3.75 m to 14.65 m people. This is a growth by 290.8 percent in 59 years. The highest increase in Zimbabwe was recorded in 1979 with 6.82%. The smallest increase in 2003 with 0.23%.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 152.9 percent.
The average age in Zimbabwe rose by 0.32 years from 2012 to 2013 from 19.18 to 19.50 years (median value).
Around 32% of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 1.4% annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Zimbabwe
Population development in Zimbabwe since 1960
(Data in millions of inhabitants)Year | Population Zimbabwe | Change | Birthrate | Deathrate | Population World | Change | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1961 | 3.87 M | 3.29 % | 3,075 M | 1.35 % | |||
1962 | 4.00 M | 3.32 % | 3,128 M | 1.72 % | |||
1963 | 4.13 M | 3.33 % | 3,193 M | 2.07 % | |||
1964 | 4.27 M | 3.32 % | 3,258 M | 2.05 % | |||
1965 | 4.41 M | 3.29 % | 3,325 M | 2.05 % | |||
1966 | 4.55 M | 3.25 % | 3,395 M | 2.10 % | |||
1967 | 4.70 M | 3.22 % | 3,464 M | 2.05 % | |||
1968 | 4.85 M | 3.22 % | 3,535 M | 2.03 % | |||
1969 | 5.01 M | 3.26 % | 3,609 M | 2.11 % | |||
1970 | 5.18 M | 3.32 % | 3,685 M | 2.09 % | |||
1971 | 5.35 M | 3.39 % | 3,762 M | 2.10 % | |||
1972 | 5.54 M | 3.45 % | 3,839 M | 2.04 % | |||
1973 | 5.73 M | 3.45 % | 3,915 M | 1.98 % | |||
1974 | 5.92 M | 3.39 % | 3,991 M | 1.96 % | |||
1975 | 6.12 M | 3.28 % | 4,066 M | 1.87 % | |||
1976 | 6.31 M | 3.15 % | 4,139 M | 1.79 % | |||
1977 | 6.50 M | 3.07 % | 4,212 M | 1.75 % | |||
1978 | 6.70 M | 3.10 % | 4,286 M | 1.75 % | |||
1979 | 7.16 M | 6.82 % | 47.0 ‰ | 10.7 ‰ | 4,358 M | 1.68 % | |
1980 | 7.41 M | 3.47 % | 46.6 ‰ | 10.4 ‰ | 4,434 M | 1.75 % | |
1981 | 7.68 M | 3.60 % | 45.9 ‰ | 10.0 ‰ | 4,512 M | 1.76 % | |
1982 | 7.96 M | 3.68 % | 45.2 ‰ | 9.7 ‰ | 4,593 M | 1.80 % | |
1983 | 8.25 M | 3.73 % | 44.3 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 4,675 M | 1.78 % | |
1984 | 8.56 M | 3.73 % | 43.3 ‰ | 9.2 ‰ | 4,757 M | 1.75 % | |
1985 | 8.88 M | 3.68 % | 42.3 ‰ | 9.0 ‰ | 4,840 M | 1.75 % | |
1986 | 9.20 M | 3.63 % | 41.2 ‰ | 8.9 ‰ | 4,926 M | 1.77 % | |
1987 | 9.53 M | 3.55 % | 40.2 ‰ | 8.9 ‰ | 5,014 M | 1.78 % | |
1988 | 9.85 M | 3.38 % | 39.2 ‰ | 9.1 ‰ | 5,102 M | 1.77 % | |
1989 | 10.15 M | 3.09 % | 38.3 ‰ | 9.3 ‰ | 5,191 M | 1.74 % | |
1990 | 10.43 M | 2.74 % | 37.4 ‰ | 9.6 ‰ | 5,281 M | 1.74 % | |
1991 | 10.68 M | 2.38 % | 36.7 ‰ | 10.1 ‰ | 5,369 M | 1.66 % | |
1992 | 10.90 M | 2.06 % | 36.0 ‰ | 10.6 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
1993 | 11.09 M | 1.76 % | 35.4 ‰ | 11.3 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
1994 | 11.26 M | 1.52 % | 34.9 ‰ | 12.0 ‰ | 5,623 M | 1.52 % | |
1995 | 11.41 M | 1.32 % | 34.4 ‰ | 12.7 ‰ | 5,708 M | 1.51 % | |
1996 | 11.54 M | 1.14 % | 34.0 ‰ | 13.5 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
1997 | 11.65 M | 0.97 % | 33.8 ‰ | 14.3 ‰ | 5,873 M | 1.43 % | |
1998 | 11.75 M | 0.81 % | 33.6 ‰ | 15.1 ‰ | 5,955 M | 1.39 % | |
1999 | 11.82 M | 0.64 % | 33.5 ‰ | 15.7 ‰ | 6,035 M | 1.35 % | |
2000 | 11.88 M | 0.50 % | 33.5 ‰ | 16.3 ‰ | 6,115 M | 1.32 % | |
2001 | 11.92 M | 0.36 % | 33.6 ‰ | 16.6 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
2002 | 11.95 M | 0.25 % | 33.8 ‰ | 16.8 ‰ | 6,274 M | 1.28 % | |
2003 | 11.98 M | 0.23 % | 34.1 ‰ | 16.7 ‰ | 6,353 M | 1.26 % | |
2004 | 12.02 M | 0.31 % | 34.4 ‰ | 16.5 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
2005 | 12.08 M | 0.47 % | 34.7 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | 6,513 M | 1.25 % | |
2006 | 12.16 M | 0.65 % | 35.1 ‰ | 15.4 ‰ | 6,594 M | 1.24 % | |
2007 | 12.26 M | 0.83 % | 35.4 ‰ | 14.6 ‰ | 6,675 M | 1.24 % | |
2008 | 12.38 M | 1.01 % | 35.7 ‰ | 13.7 ‰ | 6,758 M | 1.24 % | |
2009 | 12.53 M | 1.19 % | 36.1 ‰ | 14.9 ‰ | 6,841 M | 1.22 % | |
2010 | 12.70 M | 1.36 % | 36.5 ‰ | 13.7 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.19 % | |
2011 | 12.89 M | 1.55 % | 36.5 ‰ | 12.4 ‰ | 7,003 M | 1.17 % | |
2012 | 13.12 M | 1.71 % | 36.3 ‰ | 11.2 ‰ | 7,086 M | 1.18 % | |
2013 | 13.35 M | 1.79 % | 35.8 ‰ | 10.1 ‰ | 7,170 M | 1.18 % | |
2014 | 13.59 M | 1.77 % | 35.0 ‰ | 9.3 ‰ | 7,254 M | 1.18 % | |
2015 | 13.81 M | 1.68 % | 34.0 ‰ | 8.7 ‰ | 7,339 M | 1.17 % | |
2016 | 14.03 M | 1.56 % | 32.9 ‰ | 8.3 ‰ | 7,424 M | 1.16 % | |
2017 | 14.24 M | 1.47 % | 31.7 ‰ | 8.0 ‰ | 7,509 M | 1.14 % | |
2018 | 14.44 M | 1.42 % | 30.7 ‰ | 7.9 ‰ | 7,592 M | 1.10 % | |
2019 | 14.65 M | 1.43 % | 7,674 M | 1.07 % |

Birth- and deathrate in Zimbabwe
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. The example of the year 2018 in the graph: The population in Zimbabwe increased by about 202,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 7.9 per 1000 people (~ 112,000 deaths) and the birth rate was 30.7 per 1000 people (~ 437,000 births). As a result, around 123,000 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 139,251 in Zimbabwe. The number of births was 464,058 annually.
The development of births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1000 inhabitants.
Birthrate Deathrate