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Communications

Broadband - fixed subscriptions [time series]

total: 187,310 (2017 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2017 est.)

Broadcast media [time series]

government owns all local radio and TV stations; foreign shortwave broadcasts and satellite TV are available to those who can afford antennas and receivers; in rural areas, access to TV broadcasts is extremely limited; analog TV only, no digital service (2017)

Internet country code [time series]

.zw

Internet users [time series]

total: 3,363,256 (July 2016 est.) | percent of population: 23.1% (July 2016 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: competition has driven rapid expansion of telecommunications, particularly cellular voice and mobile broadband, in recent years; continued economic instability and infrastructure limitations, such as reliable power, hinder progress (2017) | domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, fiber-optic cable, VSAT terminals, and a substantial mobile-cellular network; Internet connection is most readily available in Harare and major towns; two government owned and two private cellular providers; 3G and VoIP services are widely available with 4G/LTE service being deployed (2017) | international: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 5 international digital gateway exchanges; fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable (2017)

Telephones - fixed lines [time series]

total subscriptions: 264,150 (2017 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2017 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

total subscriptions: 14,092,104 (2017 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 102 (2017 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

tobacco, corn, cotton, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; sheep, goats, pigs

Budget [time series]

revenues: 3.8 billion (2017 est.) | expenditures: 5.5 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]

-9.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central bank discount rate [time series]

7.17% (31 December 2010) | 975% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

18% (31 December 2017 est.) | 7.1% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current account balance [time series]

-$716 million (2017 est.) | -$553 million (2016 est.)

Debt - external [time series]

$9.357 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $10.14 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

43.2 (2011 est.) | 50.1 (2006)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Zimbabwe's economy depends heavily on its mining and agriculture sectors. Following a contraction from 1998 to 2008, the economy recorded real growth of more than 10% per year in the period 2010-13, before falling below 3% in the period 2014-17, due to poor harvests, low diamond revenues, and decreased investment. Lower mineral prices, infrastructure and regulatory deficiencies, a poor investment climate, a large public and external debt burden, and extremely high government wage expenses impede the country’s economic performance. Until early 2009, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) routinely printed money to fund the budget deficit, causing hyperinflation. Adoption of a multi-currency basket in early 2009 - which allowed currencies such as the Botswana pula, the South Africa rand, and the US dollar to be used locally - reduced inflation below 10% per year. In January 2015, as part of the government’s effort to boost trade and attract foreign investment, the RBZ announced that the Chinese renmimbi, Indian rupee, Australian dollar, and Japanese yen would be accepted as legal tender in Zimbabwe, though transactions were predominantly carried out in US dollars and South African rand until 2016, when the rand’s devaluation and instability led to near-exclusive use of the US dollar. The government in November 2016 began releasing bond notes, a parallel currency legal only in Zimbabwe which the government claims will have a one-to-one exchange ratio with the US dollar, to ease cash shortages. Bond notes began trading at a discount of up to 10% in the black market by the end of 2016. Zimbabwe’s government entered a second Staff Monitored Program with the IMF in 2014 and undertook other measures to reengage with international financial institutions. Zimbabwe repaid roughly $108 million in arrears to the IMF in October 2016, but financial observers note that Zimbabwe is unlikely to gain new financing because the government has not disclosed how it plans to repay more than $1.7 billion in arrears to the World Bank and African Development Bank. International financial institutions want Zimbabwe to implement significant fiscal and structural reforms before granting new loans. Foreign and domestic investment continues to be hindered by the lack of land tenure and titling, the inability to repatriate dividends to investors overseas, and the lack of clarity regarding the government’s Indigenization and Economic Empowerment Act.

Exchange rates [time series]

Zimbabwean dollars (ZWD) per US dollar - | 1 (2017 est.) | 1 (2016 est.) | (2013) | 234.25 (2010) | note: the dollar was adopted as a legal currency in 2009; since then the Zimbabwean dollar has experienced hyperinflation and is essentially worthless

Exports [time series]

$4.353 billion (2017 est.) | $3.366 billion (2016 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

platinum, cotton, tobacco, gold, ferroalloys, textiles/clothing

Exports - partners [time series]

South Africa 50.3%, Mozambique 22.5%, UAE 9.8%, Zambia 4.9% (2017)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$17.64 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]

$34.27 billion (2017 est.) | $33.04 billion (2016 est.) | $32.82 billion (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP - composition, by end use [time series]

household consumption: 77.6% (2017 est.) | government consumption: 24% (2017 est.) | investment in fixed capital: 12.6% (2017 est.) | investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.) | exports of goods and services: 25.6% (2017 est.) | imports of goods and services: -39.9% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]

agriculture: 12% (2017 est.) | industry: 22.2% (2017 est.) | services: 65.8% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]

$2,300 (2017 est.) | $2,300 (2016 est.) | $2,300 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

3.7% (2017 est.) | 0.7% (2016 est.) | 1.4% (2015 est.)

Gross national saving [time series]

23.3% of GDP (2017 est.) | 19.1% of GDP (2016 est.) | 8% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 40.4% (1995) | highest 10%: 40.4% (1995)

Imports [time series]

$5.472 billion (2017 est.) | $5.236 billion (2016 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

machinery and transport equipment, other manufactures, chemicals, fuels, food products

Imports - partners [time series]

South Africa 47.8%, Zambia 20.5% (2017)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

0.3% (2017 est.)

Industries [time series]

mining (coal, gold, platinum, copper, nickel, tin, diamonds, clay, numerous metallic and nonmetallic ores), steel; wood products, cement, chemicals, fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

0.9% (2017 est.) | -1.6% (2016 est.)

Labor force [time series]

7.907 million (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture: 67.5% | industry: 7.3% | services: 25.2% (2017 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]

$4.073 billion (13 April 2015 est.) | $11.82 billion (31 December 2012 est.) | $10.9 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

72.3% (2012 est.)

Public debt [time series]

82.3% of GDP (2017 est.) | 69.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]

$431.8 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $407.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of broad money [time series]

$4.322 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $4.104 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad [time series]

$309.6 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $271.6 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home [time series]

$3.86 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $3.518 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of domestic credit [time series]

$8.389 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $5.358 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of narrow money [time series]

$4.322 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $4.104 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | note: Zimbabwe's central bank no longer publishes data on monetary aggregates, except for bank deposits, which amounted to $2.1 billion in November 2010; the Zimbabwe dollar stopped circulating in early 2009; since then, the US dollar and South African rand have been the most frequently used currencies; there are no reliable estimates of the amount of foreign currency circulating in Zimbabwe

Taxes and other revenues [time series]

21.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

11.3% (2014 est.) | 80% (2005 est.) | note: data include both unemployment and underemployment; true unemployment is unknown and, under current economic conditions, unknowable

Energy

Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]

12.06 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption [time series]

7.118 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports [time series]

1.239 billion kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]

58% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]

37% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]

5% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports [time series]

2.22 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]

2.122 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production [time series]

6.8 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access [time series]

population without electricity: 8.5 million (2013) | electrification - total population: 40% (2013) | electrification - urban areas: 80% (2013) | electrification - rural areas: 21% (2013)

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]

27,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]

26,400 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 390,757 sq km | land: 386,847 sq km | water: 3,910 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

about four times the size of Indiana; slightly larger than Montana

Climate [time series]

tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation [time series]

mean elevation: 961 m | elevation extremes: 162 m lowest point: junction of the Runde and Save Rivers | 2592 highest point: Inyangani

Environment - current issues [time series]

deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; air and water pollution; the black rhinoceros herd - once the largest concentration of the species in the world - has been significantly reduced by poaching; poor mining practices have led to toxic waste and heavy metal pollution

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates [time series]

20 00 S, 30 00 E

Geography - note [time series]

landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zambia; in full flood (February-April) the massive Victoria Falls on the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling water; Lake Kariba on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border forms the world's largest reservoir by volume (180 cu km; 43 cu mi)

Irrigated land [time series]

1,740 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 3,229 km | border countries (4): Botswana 834 km, Mozambique 1402 km, South Africa 230 km, Zambia 763 km

Land use [time series]

agricultural land: 42.5% (2011 est.) | arable land: 10.9% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0.3% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 31.3% (2011 est.) | forest: 39.5% (2011 est.) | other: 18% (2011 est.)

Location [time series]

Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards [time series]

recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare

Natural resources [time series]

coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals

Population distribution [time series]

Aside from major urban agglomerations in Harare and Bulawayo, population distribution is fairly even, with slightly greater overall numbers in the eastern half

Terrain [time series]

mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

8 provinces and 2 cities* with provincial status; Bulawayo*, Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands

Capital [time series]

name: Harare | geographic coordinates: 17 49 S, 31 02 E | time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship [time series]

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Zimbabwe; in the case of a child born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen | dual citizenship recognized: no | residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution [time series]

history: previous 1965 (at Rhodesian independence), 1979 (Lancaster House Agreement), 1980 (at Zimbabwean independence); latest final draft completed January 2013, approved by referendum 16 March 2013, approved by Parliament 9 May 2013, effective 22 May 2013 (2017) | amendments: proposed by the Senate or by the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses of Parliament and assent by the president of the republic; amendments to constitutional chapters on fundamental human rights and freedoms and on agricultural lands also require approval by a majority of votes cast in a referendum; amended many times, last in 2017 (2017)

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Zimbabwe | conventional short form: Zimbabwe | former: Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe-Rhodesia | etymology: takes its name from the Kingdom of Zimbabwe (13th-15th century) and its capital of Great Zimbabwe, the largest stone structure in pre-colonial southern Africa

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Brian A. NICHOLS (since 19 July 2018) | embassy: 172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare | mailing address: P.O. Box 3340, Harare | telephone: [263] (4) 250-593 through 250-594 | FAX: [263] (4) 796-488

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Ammon MUTEMBWA (since 18 November 2014) | chancery: 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 | telephone: [1] (202) 332-7100 | FAX: [1] (202) 483-9326

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Emmerson Dambudzo MNANGAGWA (since 24 November 2017); First Vice President Constantino CHIWENGA (since 28 December 2017); note - Robert Gabriel MUGABE resigned on 21 November 2017, after ruling for 37 years | head of government: President Emmerson Dambudzo MNANGAGWA (since 24 November 2017); First Vice President Constantino CHIWENGA (since 28 December 2017) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president, responsible to National Assembly | elections/appointments: each presidential candidate nominated with a nomination paper signed by at least 10 registered voters (at least 1 candidate from each province) and directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 3 July 2018 (next to be held in 2023); co-vice presidents drawn from party leadership | election results: Emmerson MNANGAGWA reelected president in 1st round of voting; percent of vote - Emmerson MNANGAGWA (ZANU-PF) 50.8%, Nelson CHAMISA (MDC-T) 44.3%, Thokozani KHUP (MDC-N) .9%, other 3%

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

seven equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, red, black, red, yellow, and green with a white isosceles triangle edged in black with its base on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird representing the long history of the country is superimposed on a red five-pointed star in the center of the triangle, which symbolizes peace; green represents agriculture, yellow mineral wealth, red the blood shed to achieve independence, and black stands for the native people

Government type [time series]

semi-presidential republic

Independence [time series]

18 April 1980 (from the UK)

International law organization participation [time series]

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation [time series]

ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch [time series]

highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 4 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices and 9 judges) | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president upon recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission, an independent body consisting of the chief justice, Public Service Commission chairman, attorney general, and 2-3 members appointed by the president; judges normally serve until age 65 but can elect to serve until age 70; Constitutional Court judge appointment NA; judges serve nonrenewable 15-year terms | subordinate courts: High Court; Labor Court; Administrative Court; regional magistrate courts; customary law courts; special courts

Legal system [time series]

mixed legal system of English common law, Roman-Dutch civil law, and customary law

Legislative branch [time series]

description: bicameral Parliament consists of: Senate (80 seats; 60 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies - 6 seats in each of the 10 provinces - by proportional representation vote, 16 indirectly elected by the regional governing councils, 2 reserved for the National Council Chiefs, and 2 reserved for members with disabilities; members serve 5-year terms) National Assembly (270 seats; 210 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 60 seats reserved for women directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms) | elections: Senate - last held for elected member on 30 July 2018 (next to be held in 2023) National Assembly - last held on 31 July 2013 (next to be held in 2018) | election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ZANU-PF 34, MDC Alliance 25, Chiefs 18, people with disabilities 2, MDC-T 1 National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ZANU-PF 170, MDC Alliance 85, MDC-T 1, NPF 1, independent 1

National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]

name: "Kalibusiswe Ilizwe leZimbabwe" [Northern Ndebele language] "Simudzai Mureza WeZimbabwe" [Shona] (Blessed Be the Land of Zimbabwe) | lyrics/music: Solomon MUTSWAIRO/Fred Lecture CHANGUNDEGA | note: adopted 1994

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 18 April (1980)

National symbol(s) [time series]

Zimbabwe bird symbol, African fish eagle, flame lily; national colors: green, yellow, red, black, white

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Freedom Front [Cosmas MPONDA] MDC Alliance [Nelson CHAMISA] Movement for Democratic Change - Ncube or MDC-N [Welshman NCUBE] Movement for Democratic Change - MDC-T [leadership contested between Nelson CHAMISA and Thokozani KHUPE] National People's Party or NPP [Joyce MUJURU] formerly Zimbabwe People First or ZimPF) National Patriotic Front or NPF [Ambrose MUTINHIRI] Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Tendai BITI] Transform Zimbabwe or TZ [Jacob NGARIVHUME] Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF [Emmerson Dambudzo MNANGAGWA] Zimbabwe African Peoples Union or ZAPU [Dumiso DABENGWA] Zimbabwe People First or ZimFirst [Maxwell SHUMBA]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the former British South Africa Company in 1923. A 1961 constitution was formulated that favored whites in power. In 1965 the government unilaterally declared its independence, but the UK did not recognize the act and demanded more complete voting rights for the black African majority in the country (then called Rhodesia). UN sanctions and a guerrilla uprising finally led to free elections in 1979 and independence (as Zimbabwe) in 1980. Robert MUGABE, the nation's first prime minister, has been the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) and has dominated the country's political system since independence. His chaotic land redistribution campaign, which began in 1997 and intensified after 2000, caused an exodus of white farmers, crippled the economy, and ushered in widespread shortages of basic commodities. Ignoring international condemnation, MUGABE rigged the 2002 presidential election to ensure his reelection. In 2005, the capital city of Harare embarked on Operation Restore Order, ostensibly an urban rationalization program, which resulted in the destruction of the homes or businesses of 700,000 mostly poor supporters of the opposition. MUGABE in 2007 instituted price controls on all basic commodities causing panic buying and leaving store shelves empty for months. General elections held in March 2008 contained irregularities but still amounted to a censure of the ZANU-PF-led government with the opposition winning a majority of seats in parliament. Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai opposition leader Morgan TSVANGIRAI won the most votes in the presidential poll, but not enough to win outright. In the lead up to a run-off election in June 2008, considerable violence against opposition party members led to the withdrawal of TSVANGIRAI from the ballot. Extensive evidence of violence and intimidation resulted in international condemnation of the process. Difficult negotiations over a power-sharing "government of national unity," in which MUGABE remained president and TSVANGIRAI became prime minister, were finally settled in February 2009, although the leaders failed to agree upon many key outstanding governmental issues. MUGABE was reelected president in 2013 in balloting that was severely flawed and internationally condemned. As a prerequisite to holding the election, Zimbabwe enacted a new constitution by referendum, although many provisions in the new constitution have yet to be codified in law. In November 2017, Vice President Emmerson MNANGAGWA took over following a military intervention that forced MUGABE to resign. MNANGAGWA was inaugurated president days later, promising to hold presidential elections in 2018.

Military and Security

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF): Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) (2012)

Military expenditures [time series]

2.2% of GDP (2016) | 2.34% of GDP (2015) | 2.32% of GDP (2014) | 2.34% of GDP (2013) | 2.26% of GDP (2012)

Military service age and obligation [time series]

18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women are eligible to serve (2012)

People and Society

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 38.62% (male 2,681,192 /female 2,736,876) | 15-24 years: 20.42% (male 1,403,715 /female 1,461,168) | 25-54 years: 32.22% (male 2,286,915 /female 2,234,158) | 55-64 years: 4.24% (male 233,021 /female 361,759) | 65 years and over: 4.5% (male 255,704 /female 375,860) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Africa :: Zimbabwe Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Zimbabwe. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Birth rate [time series]

34 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]

8.4% (2015)

Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]

66.8% (2015)

Death rate [time series]

9.9 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Demographic profile [time series]

Zimbabwe’s progress in reproductive, maternal, and child health has stagnated in recent years. According to a 2010 Demographic and Health Survey, contraceptive use, the number of births attended by skilled practitioners, and child mortality have either stalled or somewhat deteriorated since the mid-2000s. Zimbabwe’s total fertility rate has remained fairly stable at about 4 children per woman for the last two decades, although an uptick in the urban birth rate in recent years has caused a slight rise in the country’s overall fertility rate. Zimbabwe’s HIV prevalence rate dropped from approximately 29% to 15% since 1997 but remains among the world’s highest and continues to suppress the country’s life expectancy rate. The proliferation of HIV/AIDS information and prevention programs and personal experience with those suffering or dying from the disease have helped to change sexual behavior and reduce the epidemic. Historically, the vast majority of Zimbabwe’s migration has been internal – a rural-urban flow. In terms of international migration, over the last 40 years Zimbabwe has gradually shifted from being a destination country to one of emigration and, to a lesser degree, one of transit (for East African illegal migrants traveling to South Africa). As a British colony, Zimbabwe attracted significant numbers of permanent immigrants from the UK and other European countries, as well as temporary economic migrants from Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia. Although Zimbabweans have migrated to South Africa since the beginning of the 20th century to work as miners, the first major exodus from the country occurred in the years before and after independence in 1980. The outward migration was politically and racially influenced; a large share of the white population of European origin chose to leave rather than live under a new black-majority government. In the 1990s and 2000s, economic mismanagement and hyperinflation sparked a second, more diverse wave of emigration. This massive out migration – primarily to other southern African countries, the UK, and the US – has created a variety of challenges, including brain drain, illegal migration, and human smuggling and trafficking. Several factors have pushed highly skilled workers to go abroad, including unemployment, lower wages, a lack of resources, and few opportunities for career growth.

Dependency ratios [time series]

total dependency ratio: 79.5 (2015 est.) | youth dependency ratio: 74.4 (2015 est.) | elderly dependency ratio: 5.1 (2015 est.) | potential support ratio: 19.7 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source [time series]

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

8.4% of GDP (2014)

Ethnic groups [time series]

African 99.4% (predominantly Shona; Ndebele is the second largest ethnic group), other 0.4%, unspecified 0.2% (2012 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

13.3% (2017 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

22,000 (2017 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

1.3 million (2017 est.)

Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]

6.4% of GDP (2014)

Hospital bed density [time series]

1.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 31.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 35.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | female: 27.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages [time series]

Shona (official; most widely spoken), Ndebele (official, second most widely spoken), English (official; traditionally used for official business), 13 minority languages (official; includes Chewa, Chibarwe, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Shangani, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 61.1 years (2018 est.) | male: 59 years (2018 est.) | female: 63.2 years (2018 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write English (2015 est.) | total population: 86.5% (2015 est.) | male: 88.5% (2015 est.) | female: 84.6% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases [time series]

degree of risk: high (2016) | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016) | vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever (2016) | water contact diseases: schistosomiasis (2016) | animal contact diseases: rabies (2016)

Major urban areas - population [time series]

1.515 million HARARE (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio (Maternal mortality rate) [time series]

443 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age [time series]

total: 20.2 years | male: 19.9 years | female: 20.4 years (2018 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth [time series]

20 years (2015 est.) | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Nationality [time series]

noun: Zimbabwean(s) | adjective: Zimbabwean

Net migration rate [time series]

-8.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]

15.5% (2016)

Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]

0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population [time series]

14,030,368 (July 2018 est.) | note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected

Population distribution [time series]

Aside from major urban agglomerations in Harare and Bulawayo, population distribution is fairly even, with slightly greater overall numbers in the eastern half

Population growth rate [time series]

1.68% (2018 est.)

Religions [time series]

Protestant 74.8% (includes Apostolic 37.5%, Pentecostal 21.8%, other 15.5%), Roman Catholic 7.3%, other Christian 5.3%, traditional 1.5%, Muslim 0.5%, other 0.1%, none 10.5% (2015 est.)

Sanitation facility access [time series]

improved: urban: 49.3% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 30.8% of population (2015 est.) | total: 36.8% of population (2015 est.) | unimproved: urban: 50.7% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 69.2% of population (2015 est.) | total: 63.2% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]

total: 10 years (2013) | male: 10 years (2013) | female: 10 years (2013)

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 15-24 years: 1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 25-54 years: 1.1 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 55-64 years: 0.58 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.97 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]

total: 16.5% (2014 est.) | male: 11.7% (2014 est.) | female: 21.1% (2014 est.)

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 32.2% of total population (2018) | rate of urbanization: 2.19% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

Namibia has supported, and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to, plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary in the riverSouth Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration

Illicit drugs [time series]

transit point for cannabis and South Asian heroin, mandrax, and methamphetamines en route to South Africa

Refugees and internally displaced persons [time series]

refugees (country of origin): 9,997 (Democratic Republic of Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), Mozambique 8,312 (refugees and asylum seekers) (2018) | IDPs: undetermined (political violence, violence in association with the 2008 election, human rights violations, land reform, and economic collapse) (2015) | stateless persons: 300,000 (2016)

Trafficking in persons [time series]

current situation: Zimbabwe is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Zimbabwean women and girls from towns bordering South Africa, Mozambique, and Zambia are subjected to forced labor, including domestic servitude, and prostitution catering to long-distance truck drivers; Zimbabwean men, women, and children experience forced labor in agriculture and domestic servitude in rural areas; family members may recruit children and other relatives from rural areas with promises of work or education in cities and towns where they end up in domestic servitude and sex trafficking; Zimbabwean women and men are lured into exploitative labor situations in South Africa and other neighboring countries | tier rating: Tier 3 - Zimbabwe does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government passed an anti-trafficking law in 2014 defining trafficking in persons as a crime of transportation and failing to capture the key element of the international definition of human trafficking – the purpose of exploitation – which prevents the law from being comprehensive or consistent with the 2000 UN TIP Protocol that Zimbabwe acceded to in 2013; the government did not report on anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts during 2014, and corruption in law enforcement and the judiciary remain a concern; authorities made minimal efforts to identify and protect trafficking victims, relying on NGOs to identify and assist victims; Zimbabwe’s 2014 anti-trafficking law required the opening of 10 centers for trafficking victims, but none were established during the year; five existing shelters for vulnerable children and orphans may have accommodated child victims; in January 2015, an inter-ministerial anti-trafficking committee was established, but it is unclear if the committee ever met or initiated any activities (2015)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

196 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 17 (2013) | over 3,047 m: 3 (2013) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 179 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 104 (2013) | under 914 m: 72 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]

Z (2016)

National air transport system [time series]

number of registered air carriers: 2 (2015) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 4 (2015) | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 370,164 (2015) | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 962,642 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines [time series]

270 km refined products (2013)

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

river port(s): Binga, Kariba (Zambezi)

Railways [time series]

total: 3,427 km (2014) | narrow gauge: 3,427 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2014)

Roadways [time series]

total: 97,267 km (2002) | paved: 18,481 km (2002) | unpaved: 78,786 km (2002)

Waterways [time series]

(some navigation possible on Lake Kariba) (2011)