Rwanda vs Zimbabwe: Total population
Rwanda
14,407 thousands
in 2025
Zimbabwe
16,790 thousands
in 2025
Rwanda rank
75th
Zimbabwe rank
72nd
Total population over time
- Rwanda
- Zimbabwe
How they compare
Zimbabwe currently reports 16,790 thousands against 14,407 thousands in Rwanda, a difference of 2,383 thousands.
That makes Zimbabwe's figure about 1.2 times Rwanda's.
Across all 56 years both countries report, Zimbabwe has been ahead every year.
Rwanda ranks 75th and Zimbabwe ranks 72nd of 230 countries.
Zimbabwe has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Rwanda | Zimbabwe | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4,491 thousands | 5,899 thousands | 1,408 thousands | Zimbabwe |
| 1980s | 6,134 thousands | 8,359 thousands | 2,225 thousands | Zimbabwe |
| 1990s | 7,328 thousands | 10,893 thousands | 3,565 thousands | Zimbabwe |
| 2000s | 8,907 thousands | 12,388 thousands | 3,481 thousands | Zimbabwe |
| 2010s | 11,384 thousands | 14,203 thousands | 2,819 thousands | Zimbabwe |
| 2020s | 13,658 thousands | 16,077 thousands | 2,419 thousands | Zimbabwe |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, Rwanda or Zimbabwe?
- Zimbabwe, at 16,790 thousands against 14,407 thousands in Rwanda as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between Rwanda and Zimbabwe?
- 2,383 thousands, with Zimbabwe ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Rwanda and Zimbabwe?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Rwanda and Zimbabwe rank globally for total population?
- Rwanda ranks 75th and Zimbabwe ranks 72nd of 230 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Total population (thousands). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release