Rural population in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Rural population was 67.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
67.3%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
31st
of 214 countries
All-time high
82.6%
in 1970
All-time low
65.4%
in 2002
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Zimbabwe, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Zimbabwe is 67.3%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Zimbabwe peaked at 82.6% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 65.4%, in 2002.
Zimbabwe ranks 31st of 214 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 82.6% | — |
| 1971 | 82.1% | -0.6% |
| 1972 | 81.6% | -0.6% |
| 1973 | 81.1% | -0.6% |
| 1974 | 80.6% | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 80.1% | -0.6% |
| 1976 | 79.6% | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 79.2% | -0.6% |
| 1978 | 78.7% | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 78.1% | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 77.6% | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 77.1% | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 76.6% | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 75.9% | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 75.3% | -0.9% |
| 1985 | 74.6% | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 73.9% | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 73.2% | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 72.5% | -1.0% |
| 1989 | 71.8% | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 71.0% | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 70.3% | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 69.5% | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 69.1% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 68.7% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 68.3% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 67.9% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 67.5% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 67.1% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 66.7% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 66.2% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 65.8% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 65.4% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 65.5% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 65.7% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 65.9% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 66.1% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 66.3% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 66.4% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 66.6% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 66.8% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 67.0% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 67.2% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 67.3% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 67.5% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 67.6% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 67.7% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 67.8% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 67.8% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 67.8% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 67.8% | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 67.7% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 67.6% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 67.5% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 67.3% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 80.4% | 78.1% | 82.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 74.8% | 71.8% | 77.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 68.6% | 66.7% | 71.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 66.0% | 65.4% | 66.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 67.4% | 66.8% | 67.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 67.6% | 67.3% | 67.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 28 Saint Kitts and Nevis 68.8% compare
- 29 Barbados 68.5% compare
- 30 Myanmar 67.5% compare
- 32 Timor-Leste 67.2% compare
- 33 Burkina Faso 66.8% compare
- 34 Sudan 63.2% compare
More population data for Zimbabwe
- 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)
- Population growth rate 0.188 (2100)
- Population density 96.07 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 2.49 million (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.188 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 1.94 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate -1.34 % change on previous year (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled 9,240 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Zimbabwe?
- Rural population in Zimbabwe was 67.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 82.6% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 65.4% in 2002.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for rural population?
- Zimbabwe ranks 31st out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release