Share of population living in rural areas in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Share of population living in rural areas was 66.4% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Zimbabwe, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 66.4% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Zimbabwe peaked at 76.9% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 61.9%, in 2000.
Zimbabwe ranks 16th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 76.9% | — |
| 1955 | 75.2% | -2.2% |
| 1960 | 73.3% | -2.4% |
| 1965 | 71.3% | -2.7% |
| 1970 | 69.1% | -3.1% |
| 1975 | 66.9% | -3.3% |
| 1980 | 66.3% | -0.9% |
| 1985 | 65.3% | -1.4% |
| 1990 | 63.2% | -3.3% |
| 1995 | 62.3% | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 61.9% | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 63.0% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 63.1% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 64.1% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 66.4% | +3.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 76.0% | 75.2% | 76.9% | 2 |
| 1960s | 72.3% | 71.3% | 73.3% | 2 |
| 1970s | 68.0% | 66.9% | 69.1% | 2 |
| 1980s | 65.8% | 65.3% | 66.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 62.7% | 62.3% | 63.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 62.5% | 61.9% | 63.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 63.6% | 63.1% | 64.1% | 2 |
| 2020s | 66.4% | 66.4% | 66.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
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 share of population living in rural areas in Zimbabwe?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Zimbabwe was 66.4% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 76.9% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 61.9% in 2000.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Zimbabwe ranks 16th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.