Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
2 (2023 est.)
Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total
269,000 (2023 est.)
Communications: Broadcast media
government owns all local radio and TV stations; foreign shortwave broadcasts and satellite TV available; in rural areas, access to TV broadcasts is extremely limited; analog TV only, no digital service (2017)
Communications: Internet country code
.zw
Communications: Internet users: percent of population
41.64% (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
2 (2023 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions
310,000 (2023 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
94 (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions
15.7 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Agricultural products
sugarcane, beef, maize, cabbages, potatoes, tomatoes, milk, onions, bananas, wheat (2023)
Economy: Budget: expenditures
$23 million (2018 est.)
Economy: Budget: revenues
$17 million (2018 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2013
-$2.649 billion (2013 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2014
-$2.334 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2015
-$1.597 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2016
-$697.5 million (2016 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2017
-$271.2 million (2017 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2018
-$1.380 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2019
$920.5 million (2019 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2020
$678.4 million (2020 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2021
$348.215 million (2021 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2022
$304.966 million (2022 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2023
$133.877 million (2023 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2024
$501.2 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Debt - external: Debt - external 2022
$14.121 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Debt - external: Debt - external 2023
$6.671 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates
3266.332 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Currency
Zimbabwean dollars (ZWD) per US dollar -
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2020
51.3290 (2020 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2021
88.5524 (2021 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2022
374.954 (2022 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2023
3509.172 (2023 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2024
3266.332 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exports - commodities
gold, tobacco, nickel, minerals, diamonds (2023)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2011
$4.910 billion (2011 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2014
$4.082 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2015
$3.827 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2016
$4.100 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2017
$12.584 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2018
$8.933 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2019
$7.595 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2020
$6.054 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2021
$6.575 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2022
$7.453 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2023
$7.603 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2024
$7.497 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: exports of goods and services
22.1% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: government consumption
12.5% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption
91.5% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: imports of goods and services
-30.6% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in fixed capital
3.6% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in inventories
0.9% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture
5.4% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: industry
31.8% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: services
55.8% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - per capita (PPP)
$5,928 (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP (official exchange rate)
$44.188 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP (purchasing power parity) - real
$98.610 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017
44.3 (2017 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019
50.3 (2019 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2020
50.3 (2020 est.)
Economy: Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%
34.8% (2017 est.)
Economy: Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
2.5% (2017 est.)
Economy: Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, fertilizers, trucks, soybean oil, stone processing machines (2023)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2010
$6.444 billion (2010 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2015
$7.508 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2016
$6.430 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2017
$15.500 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2018
$9.692 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2019
$7.785 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2020
$6.795 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2021
$8.104 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2022
$9.569 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2023
$10.293 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2024
$9.736 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Industrial production growth rate
2.7% (2024 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2015
-2.43% (2015 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016
-1.54% (2016 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017
0.89% (2017 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018
10.62% (2018 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019
255.30% (2019 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020
557.20% (2020 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021
98.55% (2021 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
104.71% (2022 est.)
Economy: Labor force
6.386 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Population below poverty line
38.30% (2019 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2016
69.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2014
$55.457 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015
$58.257 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016
$62.423 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017
$159.330 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019
$63.614 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020
$64.880 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021
$76.255 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
$53.399 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
$56.249 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
$57.391 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2015
1.78% (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2016
0.76% (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2017
4.73% (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2018
5.01% (2018 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2019
-6.33% (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2020
-7.82% (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2021
8.47% (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2022
6.14% (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2023
5.35% (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024
1.74% (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2014
$3,903 (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2015
$4,046 (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2016
$4,275 (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2017
$10,756 (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2019
$4,166 (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2020
$4,179 (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2021
$4,827 (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2022
$3,300 (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2023
$3,400 (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2013
$1.890 billion (2013 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2014
$1.904 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2015
$2.047 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2020
$1.832 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2021
9.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2022
9.4% of GDP (2022 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2023
9.4% of GDP (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2024
$3.510 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2015
$434.6 million (2015 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2016
$407.2 million (2016 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2017
$292.6 million (2017 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018
$87.0 million (2018 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019
$151.2 million (2019 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020
$33.4 million (2020 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021
$838.8 million (2021 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
$598.622 million (2022 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
$115.53 million (2023 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
$484.973 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Taxes and other revenues
7.2% (of GDP) (2018 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2019
7.37% (2019 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2020
8.62% (2020 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2021
9.54% (2021 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2022
10.09% (2022 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2023
9.35% (2023 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024
9.44% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): female
15.4% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): male
12.9% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total
14% (2024 est.)
Energy: Coal: consumption
6.705 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: exports
984,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: imports
71,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: production
7.968 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: proven reserves
502 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - rural areas
33.7%
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - total population
50.1% (2022 est.)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - urban areas
89%
Energy: Electricity generation sources: biomass and waste
1.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels
32.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: hydroelectricity
65.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: solar
0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: consumption
8.346 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: exports
395 million kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: imports
2.297 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: installed generating capacity
2.491 million kW (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: transmission/distribution losses
1.864 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023
10.855 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: refined petroleum consumption
34,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: total petroleum production
800 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from coal and metallurgical coke
7.629 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from petroleum and other liquids
4.949 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions
12.578 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Climate
tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)
Environment: Environmental issues
deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; air and water pollution; poaching; toxic waste and heavy metal pollution from mining
Environment: International environmental agreements: party to
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
Environment: International environmental agreements: signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
Environment: Land use: agricultural land
41.8% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 10.4% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 31.3% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: forest
35.9% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: other
22.3% (2023 est.)
Environment: Particulate matter emissions
14.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Environment: Total renewable water resources
20 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: agricultural
4.281 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: industrial
81.352 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: municipal
547.078 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
2.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: urban population
39.89% (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually
1.45 million tons (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: percent of municipal solid waste recycled
21.8% (2022 est.)
Geography: Area - comparative
about four times the size of Indiana; slightly larger than Montana
Geography: Area: land
386,847 sq km
Geography: Area: water
3,910 sq km
Geography: Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Geography: Elevation: highest point
Inyangani 2,592 m
Geography: Elevation: lowest point
junction of the Runde and Save Rivers 162 m
Geography: Elevation: mean elevation
961 m
Geography: Geographic coordinates
20 00 S, 30 00 E
Geography: Geography - note
landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural river boundary with Zambia; in full flood (February-April), the massive Victoria Falls on the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling water; Lake Kariba on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border forms the world's largest reservoir by volume (180 cu km; 43 cu mi)
Geography: Irrigated land
1,740 sq km (2012)
Geography: Land boundaries: border countries
Botswana 834 km; Mozambique 1,402 km; South Africa 230 km; Zambia 763 km
Geography: Land boundaries: total
3,229 km
Geography: Land use: agricultural land
41.8% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 10.4% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 31.3% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: forest
35.9% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: other
22.3% (2023 est.)
Geography: Major aquifers
Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi Basin
Geography: Major rivers (by length in km)
Zambezi (shared with Zambia [s]), Angola, Namibia, Botswana, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km; Limpopo (shared with South Africa [s], Botswana, and Mozambique [m]) - 1,800 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Geography: Major watersheds (area sq km): Indian Ocean drainage
Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)
Geography: Major watersheds (area sq km): Internal (endorheic basin) drainage
Okavango Basin (863,866 sq km)
Geography: Map references
Africa
Geography: Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Geography: Natural hazards
recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare
Geography: Population distribution
aside from major urban agglomerations in Harare and Bulawayo, population distribution is fairly even, with slightly greater overall numbers in the eastern half, as shown in this population distribution map
Geography: Terrain
mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east
Government: Administrative divisions
8 provinces and 2 cities* with provincial status; Bulawayo*, Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands
Government: Capital: etymology
named after a village of Harare at the site of the present capital; the village name derived from a Shona chieftain, NE-HARAWA, whose name meant "he who does not sleep"
Government: Capital: geographic coordinates
17 49 S, 31 02 E
Government: Capital: time difference
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by birth
no
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by descent only
the father must be a citizen of Zimbabwe; in the case of a child born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen
Government: Citizenship: dual citizenship recognized
no
Government: Citizenship: residency requirement for naturalization
5 years
Government: Constitution: amendment process
proposed by the Senate or by the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses of Parliament and assent of the president of the republic; amendments to constitutional chapters on fundamental human rights and freedoms and on agricultural lands also require approval by a majority of votes cast in a referendum
Government: Constitution: history
previous 1965 (at Rhodesian independence), 1979 (Lancaster House Agreement), 1980 (at Zimbabwean independence); latest final draft completed January 2013, approved by referendum 16 March 2013, approved by Parliament 9 May 2013, effective 22 May 2013
Government: Country name: conventional short form
Zimbabwe
Government: Country name: etymology
takes its name from the Kingdom of Zimbabwe (13th-15th century) and its capital of Great Zimbabwe, which was built of stone; the name Zimbabwe comes from the Bantu phrase zimba we bahwe , meaning "houses of stones;" the former name, Rhodesia, was derived from the name of British colonial administrator Cecil RHODES
Government: Country name: former
Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe-Rhodesia
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Ambassador Pamela M. TREMONT (since August 2024)
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: email address and website
consularharare@state.gov https://zw.usembassy.gov/
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy
2 Lorraine Drive, Bluffhill, Harare
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: FAX
[263] 24-233-4320
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: mailing address
2180 Harare Place, Washington DC 20521-2180
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: telephone
[263] 867-701-1000
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chancery
1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Sarah BHOROMA (since 12 November 2024)
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: email address and website
general@zimembassydc.org https://zimembassydc.org/
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX
[1] (202) 483-9326
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: telephone
[1] (202) 332-7100
Government: Executive branch: cabinet
Cabinet appointed by president, responsible to National Assembly
Government: Executive branch: chief of state
President Emmerson Dambudzo MNANGAGWA (since 4 September 2023)
Government: Executive branch: election results
2023: Emmerson MNANGAGWA reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Emmerson MNANGAGWA (ZANU-PF) 52.6%, Nelson CHAMISA (MDC-T) 44%, Wilbert MUBAIWA (NPC) 1.2%, other 2.2% 2018: Emmerson MNANGAGWA elected president in first round; percent of vote - Emmerson MNANGAGWA (ZANU-PF) 50.7%, Nelson CHAMISA (MDC-T) 44.4%, Thokozani KHUPE (MDC-N) 0.9%, other 4%
Government: Executive branch: election/appointment process
each presidential candidate nominated with a nomination paper signed by at least 10 registered voters (at least 1 candidate from each province) and directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (no term limits); co-vice presidents drawn from party leadership
Government: Executive branch: expected date of next election
2028
Government: Executive branch: head of government
Vice President Constantino CHIWENGA (since 11 September 2023)
Government: Executive branch: most recent election date
23 August 2023
Government: Flag
description: seven equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, red, black, red, yellow, and green, with a white isosceles triangle edged in black based on the left side; in the middle of the triangle, a yellow bird is on top of a five-pointed red star meaning: the bird represents the long history of the country; white stands for peace, green for agriculture, yellow for mineral wealth, red for the blood shed to achieve independence, and black for the people
Government: International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Government: International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, ATMIS, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Government: Judicial branch: highest court(s)
Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 4 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices and 9 judges)
Government: Judicial branch: judge selection and term of office
Supreme Court judges appointed by the president on recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission, an independent body consisting of the chief justice, Public Service Commission chairman, attorney general, and 2-3 members appointed by the president; judges normally serve until age 65 but can elect to serve until age 70; Constitutional Court judge appointment NA; judges serve nonrenewable 15-year terms
Government: Judicial branch: subordinate courts
High Court; Labor Court; Administrative Court; regional magistrate courts; customary law courts; special courts
Government: Legal system
mixed system of English common law, Roman-Dutch civil law, and customary law
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: chamber name
National Assembly
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: electoral system
mixed system
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: expected date of next election
August 2028
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: most recent election date
45161
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: number of seats
280 (all directly elected)
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: parties elected and seats per party
ZANU-PF (175); Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) (104)
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: percentage of women in chamber
30.1%
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: scope of elections
full renewal
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: term in office
5 years
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: chamber name
Senate
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: electoral system
proportional representation
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: expected date of next election
August 2028
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: most recent election date
45161
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: number of seats
80 (60 directly elected; 20 indirectly elected)
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: parties elected and seats per party
ZANU-PF (33); Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) (27)
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: percentage of women in chamber
44.3%
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: scope of elections
full renewal
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: term in office
5 years
Government: Legislative branch: legislative structure
bicameral
Government: Legislative branch: legislature name
Parliament
Government: National anthem(s): history
adopted 1994; lyrics in the country's three main languages were written by Zimbabwean poet and academic MUTSWAIRO
Government: National anthem(s): lyrics/music
Solomon MUTSWAIRO/Fred Lecture CHANGUNDEGA
Government: National color(s)
green, yellow, red, black, white
Government: National heritage: selected World Heritage Site locales
Mana Pools National Park, Sapi, and Chewore Safari Areas (n); Great Zimbabwe National Monument (c); Khami Ruins National Monument (c); Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls (n); Matobo Hills (c)
Government: National heritage: total World Heritage Sites
5 (3 cultural, 2 natural)
Government: National holiday
Independence Day, 18 April (1980)
Government: National symbol(s)
Zimbabwe bird symbol, African fish eagle, flame lily
Government: Political parties
Citizens Coalition for Change Movement for Democratic Change or MDC-T National People's Congress or NPC Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF Zimbabwe African Peoples Union or ZAPU
Government: Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Introduction: Background
The hunter-gatherer San people first inhabited the area that eventually became Zimbabwe. Farming communities migrated to the area around A.D. 500 during the Bantu expansion, and Shona-speaking societies began to develop in the Limpopo valley and Zimbabwean highlands around the 9th century. These societies traded with Arab merchants on the Indian Ocean coast and organized under the Kingdom of Mapungubwe in the 11th century. A series of powerful trade-oriented Shona states succeeded Mapungubwe, including the Kingdom of Zimbabwe (ca. 1220-1450), Kingdom of Mutapa (ca. 1450-1760), and the Rozwi Empire. The Rozwi Empire expelled Portuguese colonists from the Zimbabwean plateau, but the Ndebele clan of Zulu King MZILIKAZI eventually conquered the area in 1838 during the era of conflict and population displacement known as the Mfecane. In the 1880s, colonists arrived with the British South Africa Company (BSAC) and obtained a written concession for mining rights from Ndebele King LOBENGULA. The king later disavowed the concession and accused the BSAC agents of deceit. The BSAC annexed Mashonaland and then conquered Matabeleland during the First Matabele War of 1893-1894, establishing company rule over the territory. In 1923, the UK annexed BSAC holdings south of the Zambezi River, which became the British colony of Southern Rhodesia. The 1930 Land Apportionment Act restricted Black land ownership and established rules that would favor the White minority for decades. A new constitution in 1961 further cemented White minority rule. In 1965, the government under White Prime Minister Ian SMITH unilaterally declared its independence from the UK. London did not recognize Rhodesia’s independence and demanded more voting rights for the Black majority in the country. International diplomacy and an uprising by Black Zimbabweans led to biracial elections in 1979 and independence (as Zimbabwe) in 1980. Robert MUGABE, who led the uprising and became the nation's first prime minister, was the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) from independence until 2017. In the mid-1980s, the government tortured and killed thousands of civilians in a crackdown on dissent known as the Gukurahundi campaign. Economic mismanagement and chaotic implementation of land redistribution policies periodically crippled the economy. General elections in 2002, 2008, and 2013 were severely flawed and widely condemned but allowed MUGABE to remain president. In 2017, Vice President Emmerson MNANGAGWA became president after a military intervention that forced MUGABE to resign, and MNANGAGWA cemented power by sidelining rival Grace MUGABE (Robert MUGABE’s wife). In 2018, MNANGAGWA won the presidential election, and he has maintained the government's longstanding practice of violently disrupting protests and politicizing institutions. Economic conditions remain dire under MNANGAGWA.
Military and Security: Military - note
the primary responsibilities of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF) are protecting the country’s sovereignty and territory and securing its borders; it also has a role in domestic security and socio-economic development projects and has continued to be active in the country’s politics since the 2017 military-assisted political transition; the ZDF is part of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Standby Force and provided troops for the SADC military deployment to Mozambique from 2021-2024; Zimbabwe has defense ties with China and Russia the ZDF was formed after independence from the former Rhodesian Army and the two guerrilla forces that opposed it during the Rhodesian Civil War (aka "Bush War") of the 1970s, the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) and the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA); the ZDF intervened in the Mozambique Civil War (1983-1992), the Democratic Republic of Congo during the Second Congo War (1998-2003), and the Angolan Civil War (1975-2002) during the late 1990s (2025)
Military and Security: Military and security forces
Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF): Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) Ministry of Home Affairs: Zimbabwe Republic Police (2025)
Military and Security: Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 30,000 active Zimbabwe Defense Forces (2025)
Military and Security: Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the ZDF inventory is comprised mostly of Russian/Soviet-era and Chinese armaments with smaller quantities of older or obsolescent material from countries such as Brazil, France, Italy, South Africa, the UK, and the US (2025)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2015
1.89% (2015 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2016
1.74% (2016 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2017
1.47% (2017 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2018
1.18% (2018 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2019
0.65% (2019 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2020
0.97% (2020 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2021
1.57% (2021 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2022
0.99% (2022 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2023
0.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2024
0.35% (2024 est.)
Military and Security: Military service age and obligation
18-22 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (enlisted personnel); 18-24 for officer cadets; 18-30 for technical/specialist personnel; no conscription (2025)
People and Society: Age structure: 0-14 years
38.3% (male 3,315,075/female 3,254,643)
People and Society: Age structure: 15-64 years
57.8% (male 4,758,120/female 5,152,773)
People and Society: Age structure: 65 years and over
3.9% (2024 est.) (male 270,595/female 399,146)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: beer
1.2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: other alcohols
1.47 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: spirits
0.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: total
3.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: wine
0.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Birth rate
28.18 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Child marriage: men married by age 18
1.9% (2019)
People and Society: Child marriage: women married by age 15
5.4% (2019)
People and Society: Child marriage: women married by age 18
33.7% (2019)
People and Society: Children under the age of 5 years underweight
9.6% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Current health expenditure
2.93% (2023 est.)
People and Society: Currently married women (ages 15-49)
62.2% (2022 est.)
People and Society: Death rate
6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: elderly dependency ratio
6.8 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: potential support ratio
14.7 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio
72.3 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: youth dependency ratio
65.5 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: rural
rural: 47.7% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: total
total: 62.3% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: urban
urban: 92.8% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: rural
rural: 52.3% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: total
total: 37.7% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: urban
urban: 7.2% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP)
0.4% of GDP (2023 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% national budget)
17.9% national budget (2025 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditures
0.38% (2023 est.)
People and Society: Ethnic groups
African 99.6% (predominantly Shona; Ndebele is the second largest ethnic group), other (includes Caucasian, Asiatic, mixed race) 0.4% (2022 est.)
People and Society: Gross reproduction rate
1.68 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
2.8% of GDP (2021)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
5.2% of national budget (2022 est.)
People and Society: HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
9.80% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Hospital bed density
1.9 beds/1,000 population (2014 est.)
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: female
29.6 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: male
37 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: total
32.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: female
65.3 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: male
60.5 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: female
93.4% (2019 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: male
93.1% (2019 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: total population
93.23% (2019 est.)
People and Society: Major urban areas - population
1.578 million HARARE (capital) (2023)
People and Society: Maternal mortality ratio
358 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
People and Society: Median age: female
22 years
People and Society: Median age: male
20.3 years
People and Society: Mother's mean age at first birth
20.3 years (2015 est.)
People and Society: Nationality: adjective
Zimbabwean
People and Society: Net migration rate
-3.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Obesity - adult prevalence rate
15.5% (2016)
People and Society: Physician density
0.14 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
People and Society: Population
16,634,373 (2024 est.)
People and Society: Population distribution
aside from major urban agglomerations in Harare and Bulawayo, population distribution is fairly even, with slightly greater overall numbers in the eastern half, as shown in this population distribution map
People and Society: Population growth rate
1.78% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Population: female
8,969,644
People and Society: Population: male
8,503,108
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: rural
rural: 50.3% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: total
total: 65.6% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: urban
urban: 97.5% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: rural
rural: 49.7% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: total
total: 34.4% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: urban
urban: 2.5% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sex ratio: 0-14 years
1.02 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 15-64 years
0.92 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 65 years and over
0.68 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: total population
0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: female
0.7% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: male
17.6% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: total
8.4% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Total fertility rate
3.67 children born/woman (2024 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
2.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: urban population
39.89% (2024 est.)
Space: Key space-program milestones
2020 - began a program (BIRDS-5) sponsored by Japan to promote the development of a domestic space program by designing, building, testing, launching, and operating the first satellites for participating countries 2021 - established satellite ground communications station and completed national wetlands mapping project 2022 - first nano-sized remote sensing/educational satellite (ZIMSAT-1) built with Japan’s assistance and launched by Japan under the BIRDs-5 program 2024 - second RS satellite (ZIMSAT-2) built with Russian assistance and launched by Russia
Space: Space agency/agencies
Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA; established in 2019 and officially launched in 2021) (2025)
Space: Space program overview
has a nascent program with the goal of using space technologies in economic development, including remote sensing capabilities to assist with monitoring or managing agriculture, food security, climate change, disease outbreaks, environmental hazards and disasters, and natural resources, as well as weather forecasting; has cooperated with Japan and Russia (2025)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs
32,675 (2024 est.)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees
22,432 (2024 est.)
Transnational Issues: Trafficking in persons: tier rating
Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Zimbabwe remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/zimbabwe/
Transportation: Airports
144 (2025)
Transportation: Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
Z
Transportation: Heliports
5 (2025)
Transportation: Railways: narrow gauge
3,427 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified)
Transportation: Railways: total
3,427 km (2014)
Warning: Some information might be outdated or incorrect, please check statistics before using(most of the economical stats are correct, its mostly the Population stats that are incorrect). Some dates are listed but some are missed, if you have any issues please report it to the Github at github.com.