Life expectancy by sex in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Life expectancy by sex was 65.01 years in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
65.01 years
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
219th
of 236 countries
All-time high
65.01 years
in 2023
All-time low
45.13 years
in 2001
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Life expectancy by sex in Zimbabwe, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy by sex in Zimbabwe is 65.01 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and up 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy by sex in Zimbabwe peaked at 65.01 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 45.13 years, in 2001.
That places Zimbabwe 219th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Life expectancy by sex in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 51.72 years | — |
| 1951 | 52.12 years | +0.8% |
| 1952 | 52.52 years | +0.8% |
| 1953 | 52.92 years | +0.8% |
| 1954 | 53.33 years | +0.8% |
| 1955 | 53.74 years | +0.8% |
| 1956 | 54.16 years | +0.8% |
| 1957 | 54.58 years | +0.8% |
| 1958 | 55.02 years | +0.8% |
| 1959 | 55.47 years | +0.8% |
| 1960 | 55.96 years | +0.9% |
| 1961 | 56.47 years | +0.9% |
| 1962 | 56.99 years | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 57.52 years | +0.9% |
| 1964 | 58.04 years | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 58.55 years | +0.9% |
| 1966 | 59.03 years | +0.8% |
| 1967 | 59.48 years | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 59.89 years | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 60.19 years | +0.5% |
| 1970 | 60.47 years | +0.5% |
| 1971 | 60.71 years | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 60.89 years | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 61.02 years | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 61.14 years | +0.2% |
| 1975 | 61.22 years | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 61.25 years | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 61.29 years | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 61.17 years | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 61.28 years | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 62.15 years | +1.4% |
| 1981 | 62.52 years | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 62.99 years | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 63.26 years | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 63.91 years | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 64.32 years | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 64.49 years | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 64.31 years | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 63.84 years | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 62.95 years | -1.4% |
| 1990 | 61.57 years | -2.2% |
| 1991 | 60.05 years | -2.5% |
| 1992 | 58.35 years | -2.8% |
| 1993 | 56.47 years | -3.2% |
| 1994 | 54.78 years | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 53.19 years | -2.9% |
| 1996 | 51.13 years | -3.9% |
| 1997 | 50.13 years | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 49.16 years | -1.9% |
| 1999 | 47.81 years | -2.7% |
| 2000 | 47.3 years | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 45.13 years | -4.6% |
| 2002 | 46.79 years | +3.7% |
| 2003 | 45.83 years | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 46.51 years | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 47.01 years | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 47.35 years | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 47.64 years | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 48.75 years | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 50.29 years | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 52.65 years | +4.7% |
| 2011 | 55.22 years | +4.9% |
| 2012 | 56.61 years | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 58.17 years | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 59.51 years | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 60.49 years | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 61.4 years | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 62.02 years | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 62.74 years | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 63.05 years | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 63.75 years | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 62.29 years | -2.3% |
| 2022 | 64.54 years | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 65.01 years | +0.7% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 65.01 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 70.48 years, 92% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 65.01 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 66.75 years, 97% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 53.56 years | 51.72 years | 55.47 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 58.21 years | 55.96 years | 60.19 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 61.04 years | 60.47 years | 61.29 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 63.47 years | 62.15 years | 64.49 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 54.26 years | 47.81 years | 61.57 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 47.26 years | 45.13 years | 50.29 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.19 years | 52.65 years | 63.05 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.9 years | 62.29 years | 65.01 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 216 Burundi 65.7 years compare
- 217 Equatorial Guinea 65.66 years compare
- 218 Madagascar 65.38 years compare
- 220 Cote d'Ivoire 64.13 years compare
- 221 Democratic Republic of Congo 64.04 years compare
- 222 Nauru 64 years compare
More population data for Zimbabwe
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0944 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1887 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.2% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 2.49 million people (2100)
- Population density 96.07 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.2% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5219 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.94 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy by sex in Zimbabwe?
- Life expectancy by sex in Zimbabwe was 65.01 years in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy by sex recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 65.01 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy by sex recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.13 years in 2001.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for life expectancy by sex?
- Zimbabwe ranks 219th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy by sex rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy at birth among females, in a given year.