censuswall ZWE · 2026 · ages 0–100
Topics

Country or area · Eastern Africa · Africa · UN WPP 2024

Zimbabwe population

Zimbabwe population now

17,353,198

A projection read at this second, not a count: the UN's totals for 1 January 2026 and 2027, joined by a straight line. 95% range for 31 December 2026: 16.7–18.2 million.

Mid-2023, UN estimate: 16,340,821

Year
2026
projection · medium
Population, mid-2026
17.2736 million
95% range, 31 Dec: 16.7–18.2 million
Median age
19.3
Aged 65+
3.5%
2023 | 2024

male female projection · one cell = 5,000 people

How to read this: one row for each age, newborns at the bottom; men on the left, women on the right.

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries

ZWE · 1950–2100 · in brief

Zimbabwe in numbers

Zimbabwe had 16,340,821 people in mid-2023, the 74th-largest population of the 236 countries and areas the UN reports, and 0.20% of the world's people. That is 5.9 times its 1950 population of 2.8 million.

In the UN's medium projection it is still growing in 2100, when it reaches 37.2 million. The projection is uncertain: on 1 January 2100 the UN's 95% range runs from 20.9 million to 69.7 million.

Births outnumber deaths in every year from 1950 to 2100, estimates and projection alike.

The median age was 18.4 in 1950 and 18.8 in 2023; the projection has 36.7 in 2100. 3.6% of people were 65 or older in 2023, against 15.2% projected for 2100. The working-age population (15–64) is projected to peak in 2099 at 24.0 million.

By size it is the 74th country in 2023; the projection puts it 65th in 2050 and 59th in 2100. In the medium projection it overtakes Romania in 2030, the Netherlands in 2031 and Cambodia in 2032. It is overtaken by Benin in 2072 and Burundi in 2085.

Population, mid-2023
16,340,821
Rank by population, 2023
74 of 236
Share of the world, 2023
0.20%
Change in a year, mid-2022 to mid-2023
+1.69% · +271,765 people
People per km² of land, 2023
42
Land area, 2023
386,850 km²
Births, 2023
496,917
Deaths, 2023
124,412
Net migration, 2023
−97,380
Children per woman, 2023
3.72
Median age, 2023
18.8 years
Life expectancy at birth, 2023
62.8 years
In a city, 2025
23 of every 100
Population, mid-1950
2,790,906
Projected, mid-2050
25,866,384
Projected, mid-2100
37,166,572

ZWE · 1950–2100 · total population

Population, 1950–2100

estimates | projections020 m40 m60 m80 m1950197520002025205020752100

estimate   projection, up to the bottom of the 95% range   95% range   medium projection. One column is one year's population, read on 1 January; the paper rules divide it into equal cells.

Show the numbers: Zimbabwe, 1950–2100
Zimbabwe: population on 1 January, births, deaths, fertility and life expectancy, 1950–2100
YearKindPopulation, 1 Jan95% rangeBirthsDeathsChildren per womanLife expectancy
1950estimate2,746,396140,34646,6707.0449.4
1951estimate2,835,415143,90047,9727.0649.8
1952estimate2,926,368147,31848,9537.0750.2
1953estimate3,019,438150,90849,7707.0850.6
1954estimate3,114,895154,57050,4887.0951.0
1955estimate3,212,871158,33651,1517.1051.4
1956estimate3,313,560162,60351,8007.1251.8
1957estimate3,417,510166,95052,4277.1452.2
1958estimate3,524,798171,41453,0537.1652.6
1959estimate3,635,564175,96253,5417.1753.0
1960estimate3,750,038180,91553,9557.2053.5
1961estimate3,868,739185,87754,3467.2154.0
1962estimate3,992,064191,00654,6917.2354.5
1963estimate4,119,854195,98655,0017.2354.9
1964estimate4,251,900201,12555,2777.2355.4
1965estimate4,388,111206,76255,5967.2355.9
1966estimate4,528,814211,93355,9207.2056.4
1967estimate4,673,619217,57956,3727.1656.8
1968estimate4,822,995223,79056,9217.1157.1
1969estimate4,977,886230,26257,6367.0457.5
1970estimate5,138,475237,53558,5536.9857.8
1971estimate5,293,361245,14859,7206.9458.0
1972estimate5,456,062254,92461,2026.9458.2
1973estimate5,628,828265,33663,4536.9458.1
1974estimate5,811,980274,11565,3106.8858.2
1975estimate6,004,677284,33867,3916.8358.3
1976estimate6,192,639292,50471,0796.7757.6
1977estimate6,381,571299,96674,8266.7157.0
1978estimate6,517,454306,02083,0366.6654.7
1979estimate6,569,696307,81484,1556.5954.9
1980estimate6,725,417315,73074,5546.5259.1
1981estimate7,357,189347,28575,9226.4559.5
1982estimate7,640,080356,47776,5466.3359.9
1983estimate7,952,912364,32977,7886.2060.0
1984estimate8,243,897366,88276,8336.0460.6
1985estimate8,539,079367,76977,0095.8760.9
1986estimate8,834,547367,71277,8125.6961.0
1987estimate9,130,609366,73479,9675.5060.7
1988estimate9,438,679360,82983,3315.2860.2
1989estimate9,727,508358,95088,1115.0759.5
1990estimate10,002,087359,97194,5304.8858.3
1991estimate10,272,476363,263102,3254.7157.0
1992estimate10,537,155366,774111,4754.5755.6
1993estimate10,868,244351,643123,6064.3954.0
1994estimate10,852,331348,215131,8674.2852.5
1995estimate10,893,966347,511140,8124.1551.1
1996estimate11,055,231361,586156,3134.1149.0
1997estimate11,261,488379,430163,1414.0848.5
1998estimate11,478,167399,660174,0374.0747.5
1999estimate11,710,427419,663187,2714.0646.4
2000estimate11,856,488429,631193,2994.0146.0
2001estimate11,927,622436,531208,6283.9844.5
2002estimate12,016,181441,668197,5033.9245.9
2003estimate12,159,125447,857204,8003.8645.4
2004estimate12,305,520449,199200,9003.7846.0
2005estimate12,426,272446,943198,4043.6946.6
2006estimate12,540,591444,835195,8723.6347.1
2007estimate12,732,299456,483194,6693.6847.6
2008estimate12,875,817471,211190,6853.7848.5
2009estimate13,042,482493,086183,7803.9549.8
2010estimate13,243,097505,804170,2354.0451.9
2011estimate13,469,998518,550158,9914.1353.9
2012estimate13,720,850522,389151,2544.1355.4
2013estimate13,914,924518,165143,4104.1156.8
2014estimate14,112,693503,038136,6864.0158.1
2015estimate14,302,024488,386132,1883.9159.0
2016estimate14,496,002477,484128,7143.8359.8
2017estimate14,704,586471,228127,1973.7760.3
2018estimate14,920,378470,991125,0943.7460.9
2019estimate15,148,526475,267126,4653.7561.1
2020estimate15,394,209481,152126,3603.7561.5
2021estimate15,659,568488,642138,7363.7760.1
2022estimate15,934,852496,240124,9993.7762.4
2023estimate16,203,259496,917124,4123.7262.8
2024estimate16,478,384497,215124,7183.6763.1
2025projection16,790,36116.5–17.1 million500,731125,3033.6263.4
2026projection17,111,22916.6–17.6 million505,305125,9853.5763.6
2027projection17,435,93116.7–18.2 million511,119126,8443.5263.9
2028projection17,765,29516.8–18.7 million518,464127,7943.4764.2
2029projection18,098,72217.0–19.3 million525,707128,6733.4264.4
2030projection18,439,18817.2–19.7 million533,092129,7083.3864.7
2031projection18,781,50917.4–20.2 million540,143130,8463.3365.0
2032projection19,130,88717.7–20.8 million546,702131,9583.2965.2
2033projection19,491,82417.9–21.4 million551,936133,2853.2565.4
2034projection19,860,01918.1–21.9 million557,018134,5403.2165.7
2035projection20,222,22718.3–22.5 million561,188135,7103.1765.9
2036projection20,596,06618.5–23.0 million564,959137,0363.1366.2
2037projection20,961,24018.6–23.6 million567,821138,3723.0966.4
2038projection21,328,23118.9–24.2 million570,228139,7393.0666.6
2039projection21,697,58519.0–24.8 million572,901141,2353.0266.8
2040projection22,064,65019.3–25.4 million574,957142,8162.9967.0
2041projection22,435,56919.5–26.0 million576,240144,4662.9667.3
2042projection22,819,27519.7–26.6 million578,948146,2992.9367.5
2043projection23,182,51319.9–27.1 million579,511148,0612.9067.7
2044projection23,560,06220.0–27.7 million579,645150,0632.8767.9
2045projection23,921,19320.1–28.2 million579,238152,1972.8468.1
2046projection24,283,56820.2–28.8 million578,582154,4162.8168.3
2047projection24,641,38720.4–29.4 million577,684156,9322.7868.5
2048projection24,991,50620.7–30.1 million577,142159,4652.7568.7
2049projection25,345,31420.9–30.8 million577,025162,0862.7268.9
2050projection25,691,68921.1–31.5 million576,697164,8042.6969.1
2051projection26,041,08021.2–32.0 million577,173167,6492.6769.3
2052projection26,393,70321.3–32.6 million576,529170,8262.6469.5
2053projection26,733,86521.5–33.3 million576,348174,1122.6269.6
2054projection27,075,61521.5–34.0 million576,060177,4682.5969.8
2055projection27,399,51621.6–34.7 million576,488180,8002.5770.0
2056projection27,728,23021.6–35.4 million576,466184,2512.5570.2
2057projection28,041,85321.9–35.9 million576,231187,8442.5370.3
2058projection28,363,18621.9–36.7 million576,908191,3952.5070.5
2059projection28,673,65621.9–37.3 million577,233194,9502.4870.7
2060projection28,978,10921.9–38.2 million576,855198,6782.4670.8
2061projection29,279,89722.0–39.2 million576,644202,2592.4471.0
2062projection29,587,59522.1–39.8 million577,016205,9532.4271.2
2063projection29,893,12822.1–40.8 million577,298209,5782.4071.3
2064projection30,194,11422.3–41.3 million577,288213,1122.3871.5
2065projection30,478,31422.2–42.2 million577,128216,6552.3771.7
2066projection30,771,59222.4–42.9 million577,099220,0612.3571.8
2067projection31,051,39722.5–43.9 million576,036223,3722.3372.0
2068projection31,334,38022.5–44.4 million575,012226,7172.3172.2
2069projection31,607,58722.6–45.3 million574,212229,9792.3072.3
2070projection31,879,34122.6–46.1 million572,386233,2362.2872.5
2071projection32,141,48722.6–47.1 million570,545236,5712.2772.6
2072projection32,399,35822.5–48.0 million568,666240,0372.2572.8
2073projection32,669,23222.7–48.5 million567,228243,5132.2472.9
2074projection32,933,08522.6–48.9 million565,699247,0502.2373.1
2075projection33,181,76022.6–49.7 million564,300250,4182.2173.3
2076projection33,422,83922.6–50.4 million561,293253,9422.2073.4
2077projection33,664,23422.7–51.5 million559,114257,5492.1973.6
2078projection33,896,42222.5–52.3 million557,069261,4502.1873.7
2079projection34,116,76222.5–53.0 million554,235265,3062.1673.9
2080projection34,333,94822.4–53.6 million552,016269,4832.1574.0
2081projection34,546,10622.5–54.6 million549,643273,9102.1474.2
2082projection34,749,95222.4–55.4 million547,001278,5642.1374.3
2083projection34,937,30922.3–56.2 million544,504283,1052.1274.5
2084projection35,123,71722.3–56.9 million541,453287,7872.1174.7
2085projection35,302,90522.3–57.8 million538,499292,5212.1074.8
2086projection35,472,34422.2–58.5 million535,823297,2252.0975.0
2087projection35,640,25822.1–59.3 million532,869301,9262.0875.1
2088projection35,802,53022.1–60.1 million530,300306,6592.0675.3
2089projection35,940,74822.0–61.0 million527,675311,5192.0675.4
2090projection36,084,02522.0–61.9 million524,966316,2072.0575.6
2091projection36,224,35321.9–63.3 million523,222320,4062.0475.8
2092projection36,344,46521.8–64.4 million520,449324,5592.0375.9
2093projection36,465,69921.9–65.1 million517,834328,8172.0276.1
2094projection36,566,59821.7–66.0 million515,410332,5812.0276.2
2095projection36,684,86021.7–66.6 million513,577336,3842.0176.4
2096projection36,794,60721.4–67.5 million511,066339,9092.0076.5
2097projection36,886,36621.3–67.7 million508,721343,3302.0076.7
2098projection36,978,20921.2–68.4 million506,437346,3551.9976.9
2099projection37,061,56321.1–69.0 million503,366349,3441.9877.0
2100projection37,131,55620.9–69.7 million500,347352,3251.9877.2
Show the numbers: Zimbabwe, mid-2026, by single year of age
Zimbabwe: population by single year of age, mid-2026
AgeMaleFemale
0246,400242,020
1241,714237,647
2238,888234,867
3237,086233,117
4233,896230,036
5229,255225,562
6224,918221,388
7221,216217,871
8218,830215,704
9218,770215,904
10221,025218,368
11224,976222,500
12229,651227,372
13231,762229,683
14229,696227,684
15223,890221,902
16215,711213,940
17204,930203,560
18193,222192,432
19183,748183,665
20177,734178,496
21174,301176,094
22169,964172,926
23163,544167,759
24155,633161,680
25146,944155,141
26137,361147,536
27125,852138,000
28113,004127,052
29101,231116,997
3091,333108,274
3185,521103,285
3283,378101,818
3384,160102,776
3484,524102,955
3582,309100,611
3680,62299,018
3780,01698,268
3881,01998,363
3989,386109,990
4097,593121,122
4198,424120,267
4296,948117,894
4392,881114,326
4488,539111,273
4581,392104,560
4673,01296,160
4767,17191,007
4860,92685,904
4954,06879,896
5047,55473,657
5141,85666,370
5237,64959,668
5334,54155,030
5431,43250,525
5528,67245,979
5626,71241,740
5725,51337,970
5824,62434,574
5923,55331,533
6022,25929,036
6120,93427,225
6219,85826,184
6319,21325,832
6418,78725,796
6518,44625,844
6618,16925,929
6717,90025,992
6817,68126,022
6917,44425,916
7016,96925,402
7116,28224,474
7215,44723,225
7314,41021,664
7413,22219,947
7511,95818,244
7610,70816,564
778,59213,486
786,85410,976
796,07410,012
805,2688,936
814,5007,860
823,7786,814
833,1175,815
842,5384,883
852,0614,075
861,6563,350
871,3042,684
881,0212,144
897971,732
906111,389
914581,092
92342855
93256676
94188530
95136406
9695304
9764218
9842149
992388
100+27124

ZWE · 1950–2100 · every age, every year

Zimbabwe, every age in every year

Each column is a year and each row an age; the denser the ink in a cell, the more people. Everyone born in the same year climbs one 45° diagonal, so famines, baby booms and migration show up as streaks. Select a cell to follow its generation.

ZWE · ages 15–64

Who does the work in Zimbabwe

On the UN's projection, Zimbabwe will have the most working-age people it ever has in 2099: 23,966,000 people aged 15–64. In 2023 it had 8,996,990.

100 aged 15–64
75 children
7 aged 65+

aged 15–64   children under 15   aged 65 and over

How to read this: take 100 people of working age — the orange row — and the two rows under it are the children (teal) and the people of 65 and over (violet) who lived alongside them in 2023.

At no point between 1950 and 2100 do fewer than 50 dependants live alongside every 100 people aged 15–64 here.

fewer than 50 dependants per 100   the same, projected   50 or more

How to read this: one stripe a year from 1950 to 2100. A stripe takes colour in a year when fewer than 50 dependants live alongside every 100 people of working age, and stays grey otherwise; hatching means the year is projected.

How every country compares

ZWE · arrivals minus departures

Who arrives in Zimbabwe, and who leaves

In 2020–2025 Zimbabwe loses 81,471 people a year: everyone who arrives, minus everyone who leaves. The age at which that happens most is 20–24, at 17,314 a year more leaving than arriving.

one square = 2,000 people a year
020406080+

more arrive than leave   more leave than arrive

How to read this: age runs left to right, babies to 100. A blue square above the line means arrivals outnumber departures at that age, an orange square below it means the opposite. The figures are the UN's projection for 2020–2025; nobody recorded migration by age before 2020.

Across the counted years, 1950 to 2023, its biggest single-year gain was 390,593 (1980); its biggest loss, 243,947 (1993).

In 2024, 429,108 people living in Zimbabwe had been born in another country, 3 of every 100 people there, against 6 in 1990.

How migration works everywhere

ZWE · births by the mother's age · 1950–2100

Who has the babies in Zimbabwe

Of every 100 babies born in Zimbabwe in 2023, 19 had a mother under 20, 65 a mother aged 20 to 34 and 16 a mother aged 35 or older. In 1950 it was 18 under 20 and 18 aged 35 or older.

1950
18 · 64 · 18
2023
19 · 65 · 16
2050 · projected
13 · 69 · 18

The mother's age: under 20 20 to 34 35 or older projected

How to read this: one block a year, 100 squares in each, a square for every hundredth baby. The colour is the mother's age group, and the three numbers underneath are those groups in order, youngest first.

Babies born, 2023
496,917
Average age when women have a baby
28.1 years
29.4 in 1950
Babies a year per 1,000 girls aged 15–19
98
164 in 1950
Babies by the mother's age, 1950–2100
Babies born in Zimbabwe by the mother's age
Mother's age19501975200020232050 projected2100 projected
10–143,1604,2142,7621,6281,066274
15–1922,48650,02892,67890,69176,92928,414
20–2435,49286,180147,702148,710146,92090,702
25–2929,71758,98198,844100,958137,675134,484
30–3424,11841,62650,80974,775111,270136,500
35–3915,10625,54023,80557,14477,98385,099
40–448,06514,22210,91120,67522,59422,857
45–492,0883,3812,0472,2952,2271,992
50–5411416673413325
All babies140,346284,338429,631496,917576,697500,347

The UN's births for each year, split by the mother's age in the UN's own proportions.

ZWE · healthy years · 2021

Years in good health in Zimbabwe

Of the 58.5 years a baby born in Zimbabwe in 2021 could expect, about 51.2 would be lived in full health (95% range 50.5–52.1). That leaves 7.3 years in less than full health, fewer than the world's 9.5, which mostly means lives are shorter here, with fewer years in which to be ill.

Women

52.2 in full health, 8.3 not: 60.5 years

Men

50.2 in full health, 6.0 not: 56.2 years

a year in full health   a year in less than full health

How to read this: each square is a year of life, each row ten years; filled squares are years in full health, rounded to whole years.

Women: 52.2 healthy years of 60.5. Men: 50.2 of 56.2. In 2019, before the pandemic, the healthy years were 52.0.

ZWE · forced from home · end of 2025

Displacement in Zimbabwe

At the end of 2025, Zimbabwe was hosting 18,065 people who had crossed a border into it, about 1 of every 1,000 people living there.

  1. hosted from abroad18,065
  2. Zimbabwe nationals abroad13,005

stayed inside their own country   crossed a border

How to read this: one square stands for 500 people, so the rows can be compared with one another. The last row is people from Zimbabwe living in another country, wherever they are.

In 2025, 828 people asked for asylum in Zimbabwe for the first time; 1,478 people from Zimbabwe asked for asylum in another country. Of every 100 people from Zimbabwe whose claims were decided that year, 25 were given protection. Who asks for asylum, and who is given it

How the world's displacement is counted

ZWE · of every 100 people

How people live in Zimbabwe

Of every 100 people in Zimbabwe in 2025, 23 lived in a city, 12 in a town or suburb and 65 in the countryside.

cities towns and suburbs rural areas

38 of every 100 have no electricity at home (2024). 58.4 of every 100 do not use the internet (2024).

How to read this: everyone here, shrunk to 100 squares, with the colour saying whether that hundredth person lives in a city, a town or the countryside. Every country is measured by the same rule.

How the world's people live

ZWE · adults 25 and over · 2020

How far people in Zimbabwe went in school

Of every 100 adults in Zimbabwe in 2020, 8 never went to school and 56 finished upper secondary or went further.

8 never went to school 10 some primary 15 finished primary 11 finished lower secondary 45 finished upper secondary 11 studied after school

The young went further: 6.8 of every 100 women aged 25–29 never went to school, against 16.9 of every 100 aged 60–64 (men: 7.7 against 12.9).

The middle projection has its working-age people most numerous in 2075; those among them who finished upper secondary are most numerous later, in 2085.

How to read this: every adult here as one of 100 squares. The stronger the colour, the further that person went in school (the Wittgenstein Centre, 2020).

How far the world's people went in school

ZWE · cities · 2025

Cities in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe had 15 cities in 2025, home to 3.9 million people. The largest, Harare, holds 12 of every 100 people in Zimbabwe.

  1. Harare2,117,195
  2. Bulawayo492,771
  3. Ruwa185,224
  4. Mutare149,231
  5. Kwekwe135,991
  6. Masvingo122,019
  7. Chinhoyi97,159
  8. Norton90,287
  9. Kadoma88,029
  10. Marondera87,722

How to read this: the 10 biggest cities here in 2025, drawn on a single scale so the bars can be compared. Each is a built-up area on the UN's rule rather than a city government's patch.

All the world's cities

Apparatus

Sources and method

Every figure on this page comes from the UN's World Population Prospects 2024: the annual country tables (estimates to 2023, projections with 95% intervals from 2024), and the population by single year of age and sex for the pyramid.

The censuses, surveys and registers behind the UN's estimates for Zimbabwe are listed, source by source, on the UN's own data sources page.

Sources: UN WPP 2024 · World Bank · UNHCR · country code lists · UN WUP 2025 · Wittgenstein Centre · WHO GHO · flag-icons · Natural Earth. Every source, its licence and how to cite it →

Checked before it was drawn

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries The pyramid for every year was checked against the published total. What that stamp counts, and what every page here has to pass before it can be built: how this site checks its figures.