Population in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Population was 16.34 million people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Population in Zimbabwe, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2023, population in Zimbabwe stood at 16.34 million people. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 16.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in Zimbabwe peaked at 16.34 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.79 million people, in 1950.
That places Zimbabwe 74th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.22 million people | 2.79 million people | 3.69 million people | 10 |
| 1960s | 4.41 million people | 3.81 million people | 5.06 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.98 million people | 5.22 million people | 6.65 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.52 million people | 7.04 million people | 9.86 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.99 million people | 10.14 million people | 11.78 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.46 million people | 11.89 million people | 13.14 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.31 million people | 13.36 million people | 15.27 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.93 million people | 15.53 million people | 16.34 million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More population data for Zimbabwe
- 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)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 3.67 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 9,240 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 3.67 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 3.67 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate 2.3% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 3.72 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in Zimbabwe?
- Population in Zimbabwe was 16.34 million people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 16.34 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest population recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.79 million people in 1950.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for population?
- Zimbabwe ranks 74th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown.