Zimbabwe Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Zimbabwe is 17,361,868 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 16,634,373 in 2024.

Since 2006, population has increased from 12.6M people to 17.4M (37.4% growth in 20 years).
Zimbabwe accounts for 0.21% of the world's population.
Zimbabwe is projected to reach 37.5M people in 2100.
For the last 20 years, Zimbabwe has had an average growth rate of 1.87% per year.
Zimbabwe is ranked 74/197 by population and was ranked 70th in 2006.

Zimbabwe population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	37,483,053	0.19%
2099	37,412,398	0.23%
2098	37,328,255	0.25%
2097	37,235,542	0.25%
2096	37,142,915	0.3%
2095	37,032,129	0.32%
2094	36,912,747	0.28%
2093	36,810,893	0.33%
2092	36,688,511	0.33%
2091	36,567,262	0.39%
2090	36,425,606	0.4%
2089	36,280,973	0.39%
2088	36,141,446	0.46%
2087	35,977,638	0.47%
2086	35,808,135	0.48%
2085	35,637,092	0.51%
2084	35,456,207	0.53%
2083	35,268,035	0.54%
2082	35,078,904	0.59%
2081	34,873,129	0.62%
2080	34,658,962	0.64%
2079	34,439,720	0.65%
2078	34,217,295	0.69%
2077	33,982,909	0.72%
2076	33,739,228	0.73%
2075	33,495,867	0.76%
2074	33,244,838	0.81%
2073	32,978,488	0.83%
2072	32,706,059	0.8%
2071	32,445,747	0.82%
2070	32,181,119	0.86%
2069	31,906,793	0.87%
2068	31,631,000	0.91%
2067	31,345,338	0.91%
2066	31,062,884	0.96%
2065	30,766,830	0.94%
2064	30,479,939	1.01%
2063	30,176,104	1.03%
2062	29,867,679	1.05%
2061	29,557,068	1.04%
2060	29,252,423	1.06%
2059	28,945,088	1.09%
2058	28,631,679	1.15%
2057	28,307,305	1.13%
2056	27,990,713	1.2%
2055	27,658,887	1.2%
2054	27,331,920	1.28%
2053	26,986,935	1.29%
2052	26,643,553	1.35%
2051	26,287,592	1.36%
2050	25,934,893	1.37%
2049	25,585,239	1.42%
2048	25,228,082	1.42%
2047	24,874,649	1.47%
2046	24,513,443	1.51%
2045	24,147,637	1.53%
2044	23,783,088	1.63%
2043	23,401,965	1.59%
2042	23,035,288	1.71%
2041	22,647,950	1.68%
2040	22,273,520	1.69%
2039	21,902,980	1.73%
2038	21,530,130	1.75%
2037	21,159,664	1.77%
2036	20,791,034	1.85%
2035	20,413,656	1.82%
2034	20,048,019	1.89%
2033	19,676,339	1.89%
2032	19,311,985	1.86%
2031	18,959,300	1.86%
2030	18,613,738	1.88%
2029	18,270,049	1.88%
2028	17,933,466	1.89%
2027	17,600,984	1.9%
2026	17,273,208	1.91%
2025	16,949,303	1.89%
2024	16,634,373	1.8%
2023	16,340,822	1.69%
2022	16,069,056	1.72%
2021	15,797,210	1.74%
2020	15,526,888	1.67%
2019	15,271,368	1.58%
2018	15,034,452	1.5%
2017	14,812,482	1.45%
2016	14,600,294	1.4%
2015	14,399,013	1.35%
2014	14,207,359	1.38%
2013	14,013,808	1.42%
2012	13,817,887	1.64%
2011	13,595,424	1.79%
2010	13,356,548	1.63%
2009	13,142,790	1.42%
2008	12,959,149	1.21%
2007	12,804,058	1.33%
2006	12,636,445	1.23%
2005	12,483,432	0.95%
2004	12,365,896	1.09%
2003	12,232,323	1.2%
2002	12,087,653	0.97%
2001	11,971,901	0.67%
2000	11,892,055	0.92%
1999	11,783,458	1.63%
1998	11,594,297	1.97%
1997	11,369,827	1.9%
1996	11,158,360	1.67%
1995	10,974,599	0.93%
1994	10,873,148	0.12%
1993	10,860,288	1.47%
1992	10,702,700	2.86%
1991	10,404,816	2.64%
1990	10,137,281	2.76%
1989	9,864,798	2.94%
1988	9,583,094	3.21%
1987	9,284,644	3.36%
1986	8,982,578	3.4%
1985	8,686,813	3.52%
1984	8,391,488	3.62%
1983	8,098,404	3.87%
1982	7,796,496	3.97%
1981	7,498,635	6.49%
1980	7,041,303	5.92%
1979	6,647,556	1.59%
1978	6,543,575	1.46%
1977	6,449,512	2.58%
1976	6,287,105	3.09%
1975	6,098,658	3.22%
1974	5,908,328	3.29%
1973	5,720,404	3.21%
1972	5,542,445	3.12%
1971	5,374,712	3.04%
1970	5,215,918	3.12%
1969	5,058,181	3.22%
1968	4,900,440	3.2%
1967	4,748,307	3.2%
1966	4,601,217	3.2%
1965	4,458,462	3.2%
1964	4,320,006	3.2%
1963	4,185,877	3.2%
1962	4,055,959	3.19%
1961	3,930,401	3.18%
1960	3,809,389	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/zimbabwe | CC BY

Zimbabwe has a population of 17.4M as of 2026, compared to 14.6M in 2016, 12.6M in 2006, and 11.2M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 1.89% per year. Zimbabwe is ranked 73rd out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Zimbabwe will have 24,513,443 people (41.2% growth) with a rank change from 74th to 66th.

By the year 2100, Zimbabwe's population is projected to grow by 115.9% from its current level to 37.5M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	-54,555
2024	-	-	-60,528
2023	275,125	372,505	-97,380
2022	268,415	371,243	-102,828
2021	275,285	349,908	-74,623
2020	265,350	354,790	-89,440
2019	245,691	348,798	-103,107
2018	228,125	345,883	-117,758
2017	215,794	344,035	-128,241
2016	208,591	348,772	-140,181
2015	193,983	356,203	-162,220
2014	189,321	366,350	-177,029
2013	197,785	374,757	-176,972
2012	194,074	371,135	-177,061
2011	250,858	359,572	-108,714
2010	226,899	335,570	-108,671
2009	200,627	309,316	-108,689
2008	166,669	280,527	-113,858
2007	143,506	261,805	-118,299
2006	191,706	248,963	-57,257
2005	114,333	248,545	-134,212
2004	120,757	248,307	-127,550
2003	146,390	243,057	-96,667
2002	142,958	244,170	-101,212
2001	88,548	227,909	-139,361
2000	71,162	236,343	-165,181
1999	146,050	232,393	-86,343
1998	232,259	225,614	6,645
1997	216,683	216,288	395
1996	206,247	205,269	978
1995	161,267	206,695	-45,428
1994	41,620	216,343	-174,723
1993	-15,902	228,045	-243,947
1992	331,079	255,291	75,788
1991	264,692	260,943	3,749
1990	270,392	265,444	4,948
1989	274,574	270,838	3,736
1988	288,825	277,498	11,327
1987	308,074	286,766	21,308
1986	296,048	289,894	6,154
1985	295,474	290,756	4,718
1984	295,176	290,052	5,124
1983	291,001	286,545	4,456
1982	312,833	279,934	32,899
1981	282,884	271,361	11,523
1980	631,772	241,179	390,593
1979	155,720	223,657	-67,937
1978	52,252	222,979	-170,727
1977	135,869	225,139	-89,270
1976	188,924	221,419	-32,495
1975	187,959	216,947	-28,988
1974	192,701	208,806	-16,105
1973	183,152	201,885	-18,733
1972	172,766	193,725	-20,959
1971	162,708	185,427	-22,719
1970	154,877	178,979	-24,102
1969	160,598	172,626	-12,028
1968	154,868	166,865	-11,997
1967	149,391	161,205	-11,814
1966	144,803	156,014	-11,211
1965	140,699	151,164	-10,465
1964	136,217	145,848	-9,631
1963	132,048	140,984	-8,936
1962	127,788	136,317	-8,529
1961	123,327	131,531	-8,204
1960	118,699	126,959	-8,260

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/zimbabwe | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 74.9% of the population change in Zimbabwe is from natural causes (a gain of 3,558,487 people) and 25.1% is from migration (a loss of 1,192,807 people).

As of 2024, 429,108 residents or 2.6% of the population were not native-born in Zimbabwe, compared to 398,307 and 3% in 2010.

Zimbabwe population clock

	Zimbabwe	Rank
Current population	17361868	74/197
Percent of world population	0.21%	74/197
One net population change	1.79 minutes	56/197
One birth every	1.06 minutes	55/196
One death every	4.22 minutes	69/196
Daily growth/decline	+804	56/197
Annual growth/decline	+293,551	56/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+1.8%	60/197
One migration net change every	9.66 minutes	175/196
Annual migration change	-54,555	175/196
Foreign-born residents	429,108	87/195
Foreign-born share of population	2.6%	127/195

Largest cities by population

Zimbabwe
City	Population
Harare	2.15M
Masvingo	1.64M
Bulawayo	666K
Chitungwiza	371K
Mutare	225K
Gweru	141K
Kadoma	116K
Kwekwe	93.1K
Chinhoyi	56.8K
Marondera	52.3K

Zimbabwe population statistics

	Zimbabwe	World
Life expectancy	63.6 years	73.8 years
Average age	23.6 years	33.8 years
Median age	19 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	47.7:52.3	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	3.72 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	115.6 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Zimbabwe.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/zimbabwe | CC BY