Population growth in Zimbabwe
From 1960 to 2021 the population of Zimbabwe increased from 3.78 million to 15.99 million people. This is a growth of 323.5 percent in 61 years. The highest increase in Zimbabwe was recorded in 2015 with 4.18 percent. The smallest increase in 2003 with 0.23 percent.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 160.2 percent.
The average age in Zimbabwe rose by 1.32 years from 2012 to 2020 from 19.18 to 20.50 years (median value).
Around 32 percent of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 2.2 percent 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 Zimbabwe | Birth rate | Death rate | Population World | Change World | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.91 M | 3.40 % | 48.0 ‰ | 14.1 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
| 1962 | 4.04 M | 3.44 % | 48.0 ‰ | 13.8 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
| 1963 | 4.18 M | 3.45 % | 47.9 ‰ | 13.4 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
| 1964 | 4.32 M | 3.45 % | 47.8 ‰ | 13.1 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
| 1965 | 4.47 M | 3.43 % | 47.6 ‰ | 12.8 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
| 1966 | 4.62 M | 3.40 % | 47.5 ‰ | 12.5 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
| 1967 | 4.78 M | 3.38 % | 47.4 ‰ | 12.2 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
| 1968 | 4.94 M | 3.39 % | 47.3 ‰ | 11.9 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
| 1969 | 5.11 M | 3.43 % | 47.3 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
| 1970 | 5.29 M | 3.48 % | 47.3 ‰ | 11.5 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
| 1971 | 5.48 M | 3.55 % | 47.4 ‰ | 11.4 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
| 1972 | 5.67 M | 3.60 % | 47.5 ‰ | 11.3 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
| 1973 | 5.88 M | 3.59 % | 47.7 ‰ | 11.2 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
| 1974 | 6.09 M | 3.53 % | 47.8 ‰ | 11.1 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
| 1975 | 6.29 M | 3.43 % | 47.9 ‰ | 10.9 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
| 1976 | 6.50 M | 3.32 % | 47.8 ‰ | 10.8 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1977 | 6.71 M | 3.23 % | 47.5 ‰ | 10.6 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1978 | 6.93 M | 3.23 % | 47.0 ‰ | 10.3 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1979 | 7.16 M | 3.32 % | 46.2 ‰ | 10.0 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1980 | 7.41 M | 3.47 % | 45.3 ‰ | 9.7 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1981 | 7.68 M | 3.60 % | 44.4 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1982 | 7.96 M | 3.68 % | 43.3 ‰ | 9.0 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1983 | 8.25 M | 3.73 % | 42.4 ‰ | 8.7 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1984 | 8.56 M | 3.73 % | 41.5 ‰ | 8.4 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1985 | 8.88 M | 3.68 % | 40.6 ‰ | 8.3 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1986 | 9.20 M | 3.63 % | 39.8 ‰ | 8.2 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1987 | 9.53 M | 3.55 % | 38.9 ‰ | 8.2 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1988 | 9.85 M | 3.38 % | 38.1 ‰ | 8.4 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1989 | 10.15 M | 3.09 % | 37.1 ‰ | 8.7 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1990 | 10.43 M | 2.74 % | 36.2 ‰ | 9.1 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1991 | 10.68 M | 2.38 % | 35.3 ‰ | 9.6 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
| 1992 | 10.90 M | 2.06 % | 34.5 ‰ | 10.3 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
| 1993 | 11.09 M | 1.76 % | 33.7 ‰ | 11.0 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
| 1994 | 11.26 M | 1.52 % | 33.1 ‰ | 11.9 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
| 1995 | 11.41 M | 1.32 % | 32.6 ‰ | 12.7 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
| 1996 | 11.54 M | 1.14 % | 32.2 ‰ | 13.6 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
| 1997 | 11.65 M | 0.97 % | 31.9 ‰ | 14.4 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
| 1998 | 11.75 M | 0.81 % | 31.8 ‰ | 15.2 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
| 1999 | 11.82 M | 0.64 % | 31.7 ‰ | 15.9 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
| 2000 | 11.88 M | 0.50 % | 31.8 ‰ | 16.5 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
| 2001 | 11.92 M | 0.36 % | 32.0 ‰ | 17.1 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
| 2002 | 11.95 M | 0.25 % | 32.3 ‰ | 17.5 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
| 2003 | 11.98 M | 0.23 % | 32.7 ‰ | 17.8 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
| 2004 | 12.02 M | 0.31 % | 33.2 ‰ | 18.0 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2005 | 12.08 M | 0.47 % | 33.8 ‰ | 17.9 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2006 | 12.16 M | 0.65 % | 34.4 ‰ | 17.6 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2007 | 12.26 M | 0.83 % | 35.0 ‰ | 17.0 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2008 | 12.38 M | 1.01 % | 35.6 ‰ | 16.1 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2009 | 12.53 M | 1.19 % | 36.1 ‰ | 14.9 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2010 | 12.70 M | 1.36 % | 36.5 ‰ | 13.7 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2011 | 12.89 M | 1.55 % | 36.5 ‰ | 12.4 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2012 | 13.12 M | 1.71 % | 36.3 ‰ | 11.2 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2013 | 13.35 M | 1.79 % | 35.8 ‰ | 10.1 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2014 | 13.59 M | 1.77 % | 35.1 ‰ | 9.1 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2015 | 14.15 M | 4.18 % | 34.0 ‰ | 8.8 ‰ | 7,405 M | 1.97 % | |
| 2016 | 14.45 M | 2.10 % | 33.2 ‰ | 8.4 ‰ | 7,492 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2017 | 14.75 M | 2.06 % | 32.5 ‰ | 8.3 ‰ | 7,578 M | 1.15 % | |
| 2018 | 15.05 M | 2.04 % | 32.1 ‰ | 8.0 ‰ | 7,662 M | 1.10 % | |
| 2019 | 15.35 M | 2.01 % | 31.5 ‰ | 8.0 ‰ | 7,743 M | 1.06 % | |
| 2020 | 15.67 M | 2.05 % | 31.0 ‰ | 8.1 ‰ | 7,821 M | 1.01 % | |
| 2021 | 15.99 M | 2.07 % | 7,888 M | 0.86 % |
Birth and death rate in Zimbabwe
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. For example, the year 2020 in the graph: The population in Zimbabwe increased by about 315,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 8.1 per 1,000 people (~ 125,000 deaths) and the birth rate was 31.0 per 1,000 people (~ 476,000 births). As a result, around 36,000 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 130,417 in Zimbabwe. The number of births was 479,405 annually.
The changes in births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
Birth rate Death rate
Comparison of the global population density
Quality of life in country comparison
Members of the ASEAN - Association of Southeast Asian Nations