Zimbabwe Demographics

Population of Zimbabwe (2025)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe Population
16,950,795
see live
Yearly Change
+1.9%
Global Share
0.21%
Global Rank
74

Median Age

The median age in Zimbabwe is 18.1 years (2025).

Fertility in Zimbabwe

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility: the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
3.6
(Live Births per Woman, 2025)

Life Expectancy in Zimbabwe

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
63.3
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
65.6
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
60.8
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Zimbabwe


Infant Mortality
31.4
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
43.2
(per 1,000 live births)


Zimbabwe Urban Population

Currently, 37.9% of the population of Zimbabwe is urban (6,429,761 people in 2025)


Population Density

The 2025 population density in Zimbabwe is 44 people per Km2 (113 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 386,850 Km2 (149,364 sq. miles).

Largest Cities in Zimbabwe

# City Population
1 Harare 1,542,813
2 Bulawayo 1,200,337
3 Chitungwiza 371,244
4 Mutare 224,802
5 Gweru 158,200
6 Epworth 123,250
7 Kwekwe 119,863
8 Kadoma 116,300
9 Ruwa 94,083
10 Chinhoyi 90,800
11 Masvingo 90,286
12 Norton 87,038
13 Marondera 66,203
14 Chegutu 65,800
15 Zvishavane 59,717
16 Beitbridge 58,100
17 Bindura 50,400
18 Redcliff 41,526
19 Chiredzi 40,100
20 Victoria Falls 35,199
21 Chipinge 34,959
22 Karoi 34,200
23 Rusape 29,292
24 Kariba 27,600
25 Gwanda 26,700
26 Shurugwi 22,900
27 Hwange 21,300
28 Gokwe 18,942

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.