Birth rate in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Birth rate was 30.41 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
30.41 births per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
32nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
50.29 births per 1,000 people
in 1950
All-time low
30.41 births per 1,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Birth rate in Zimbabwe, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
In 2023, birth rate in Zimbabwe stood at 30.41 births per 1,000 people. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 17.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate in Zimbabwe peaked at 50.29 births per 1,000 people in 1950 and was at its lowest, 30.41 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.
Zimbabwe ranks 32nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Birth rate in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | births per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 50.29 births per 1,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 49.95 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1952 | 49.55 births per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1953 | 49.2 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1954 | 48.85 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1955 | 48.52 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1956 | 48.31 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1957 | 48.1 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1958 | 47.88 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1959 | 47.65 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1960 | 47.49 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1961 | 47.29 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1962 | 47.09 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1963 | 46.82 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1964 | 46.56 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1965 | 46.38 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1966 | 46.06 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1967 | 45.82 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 45.67 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 45.52 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 45.54 births per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 45.61 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 45.99 births per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 46.38 births per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 46.4 births per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 46.62 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 46.52 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 46.51 births per 1,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1978 | 46.77 births per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 46.3 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 44.84 births per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1981 | 46.31 births per 1,000 people | +3.3% |
| 1982 | 45.72 births per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 44.99 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1984 | 43.72 births per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 1985 | 42.34 births per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1986 | 40.94 births per 1,000 people | -3.3% |
| 1987 | 39.5 births per 1,000 people | -3.5% |
| 1988 | 37.65 births per 1,000 people | -4.7% |
| 1989 | 36.39 births per 1,000 people | -3.4% |
| 1990 | 35.51 births per 1,000 people | -2.4% |
| 1991 | 34.91 births per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 1992 | 34.27 births per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 32.38 births per 1,000 people | -5.5% |
| 1994 | 32.02 births per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 31.66 births per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 32.41 births per 1,000 people | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 33.37 births per 1,000 people | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 34.47 births per 1,000 people | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 35.62 births per 1,000 people | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 36.13 births per 1,000 people | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 36.46 births per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 36.54 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 36.61 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 36.33 births per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 35.8 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 35.2 births per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 35.65 births per 1,000 people | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 36.36 births per 1,000 people | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 37.52 births per 1,000 people | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 37.87 births per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 38.14 births per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 37.8 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 36.98 births per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 35.41 births per 1,000 people | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 33.92 births per 1,000 people | -4.2% |
| 2016 | 32.7 births per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 31.81 births per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 31.33 births per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 31.12 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 30.99 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 30.93 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 30.88 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 30.41 births per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 30.41 births per 1,000 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 25.89 births per 1,000 people, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 30.41 births per 1,000 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 31.17 births per 1,000 people, 98% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 48.83 births per 1,000 people | 47.65 births per 1,000 people | 50.29 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 46.47 births per 1,000 people | 45.52 births per 1,000 people | 47.49 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 46.27 births per 1,000 people | 45.54 births per 1,000 people | 46.77 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 42.24 births per 1,000 people | 36.39 births per 1,000 people | 46.31 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 33.66 births per 1,000 people | 31.66 births per 1,000 people | 35.62 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 36.26 births per 1,000 people | 35.2 births per 1,000 people | 37.52 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.71 births per 1,000 people | 31.12 births per 1,000 people | 38.14 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.8 births per 1,000 people | 30.41 births per 1,000 people | 30.99 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 29 Congo 30.63 births per 1,000 people compare
- 30 Sierra Leone 30.6 births per 1,000 people compare
- 31 Gambia 30.43 births per 1,000 people compare
- 33 Guinea-Bissau 30.04 births per 1,000 people compare
- 34 Equatorial Guinea 29.6 births per 1,000 people compare
- 35 Senegal 29.42 births per 1,000 people compare
More population data for Zimbabwe
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1887 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.0209 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.1887 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0944 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 26,439 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.94 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5219 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.2% (2100)
- Population density 96.07 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 2.49 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate in Zimbabwe?
- Birth rate in Zimbabwe was 30.41 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 50.29 births per 1,000 people in 1950.
- What is the lowest birth rate recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.41 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for birth rate?
- Zimbabwe ranks 32nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of live births in a year per 1,000 people in the population.