Urban and rural population in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Urban and rural population was 6.86 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
6.86 million
Change on year
up 3.4%
World rank
85th
of 236 countries
All-time high
6.86 million
in 2025
All-time low
299,706
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Urban and rural population in Zimbabwe, 1950–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 6.86 million for urban and rural population in 2025. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.4% on the previous year and up 42.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban and rural population in Zimbabwe peaked at 6.86 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 299,706, in 1950.
Zimbabwe ranks 85th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban and rural population in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 299,706 | — |
| 1951 | 311,299 | +3.9% |
| 1952 | 322,109 | +3.5% |
| 1953 | 334,889 | +4.0% |
| 1954 | 349,501 | +4.4% |
| 1955 | 365,939 | +4.7% |
| 1956 | 384,206 | +5.0% |
| 1957 | 404,290 | +5.2% |
| 1958 | 426,139 | +5.4% |
| 1959 | 449,698 | +5.5% |
| 1960 | 474,917 | +5.6% |
| 1961 | 501,742 | +5.6% |
| 1962 | 530,416 | +5.7% |
| 1963 | 563,728 | +6.3% |
| 1964 | 603,254 | +7.0% |
| 1965 | 647,900 | +7.4% |
| 1966 | 696,621 | +7.5% |
| 1967 | 748,219 | +7.4% |
| 1968 | 801,429 | +7.1% |
| 1969 | 854,909 | +6.7% |
| 1970 | 908,218 | +6.2% |
| 1971 | 962,610 | +6.0% |
| 1972 | 1.02 million | +5.9% |
| 1973 | 1.08 million | +5.9% |
| 1974 | 1.14 million | +5.9% |
| 1975 | 1.21 million | +5.8% |
| 1976 | 1.28 million | +5.6% |
| 1977 | 1.34 million | +5.0% |
| 1978 | 1.39 million | +3.9% |
| 1979 | 1.45 million | +4.0% |
| 1980 | 1.57 million | +8.5% |
| 1981 | 1.72 million | +9.1% |
| 1982 | 1.83 million | +6.6% |
| 1983 | 1.95 million | +6.7% |
| 1984 | 2.08 million | +6.8% |
| 1985 | 2.23 million | +6.9% |
| 1986 | 2.38 million | +6.8% |
| 1987 | 2.54 million | +6.7% |
| 1988 | 2.70 million | +6.3% |
| 1989 | 2.85 million | +5.7% |
| 1990 | 3.00 million | +5.2% |
| 1991 | 3.14 million | +4.6% |
| 1992 | 3.27 million | +4.3% |
| 1993 | 3.35 million | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 3.39 million | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 3.45 million | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 3.53 million | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 3.63 million | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 3.72 million | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 3.80 million | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 3.85 million | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 3.89 million | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 3.94 million | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 3.99 million | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 4.03 million | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 4.08 million | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 4.13 million | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 4.18 million | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 4.24 million | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 4.30 million | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 4.37 million | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 4.45 million | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 4.53 million | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 4.61 million | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 4.71 million | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 4.83 million | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 4.98 million | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 5.14 million | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 5.32 million | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 5.53 million | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 5.75 million | +4.0% |
| 2021 | 5.98 million | +4.1% |
| 2022 | 6.22 million | +4.0% |
| 2023 | 6.42 million | +3.2% |
| 2024 | 6.64 million | +3.4% |
| 2025 | 6.86 million | +3.4% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 6.86 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.62 million, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 6.86 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.82 million, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 364,778 | 299,706 | 449,698 | 10 |
| 1960s | 642,314 | 474,917 | 854,909 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.18 million | 908,218 | 1.45 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.18 million | 1.57 million | 2.85 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.43 million | 3.00 million | 3.80 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.06 million | 3.85 million | 4.30 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.85 million | 4.37 million | 5.53 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.31 million | 5.75 million | 6.86 million | 6 |
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)
- Population growth rate 0.188 (2100)
- Population density 96.07 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 2.49 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban and rural population in Zimbabwe?
- Urban and rural population in Zimbabwe was 6.86 million in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest urban and rural population recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 6.86 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban and rural population recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 299,706 in 1950.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for urban and rural population?
- Zimbabwe ranks 85th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban and rural population rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Urban and rural population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 76 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).