Zimbabwe
Republic of Zimbabwe
Population
17.47M
Area
390,757 km²
GDP
$44.19B
GDP Per Capita
$3,500
Pop. Density
45/km²
Quick Facts
Currency
$Zimbabwean dollar(ZWL)
Calling Code
+263
Timezone
UTC+02:00
Languages
Chibarwe, English, Kalanga +12
Driving Side
left
Demonym
Zimbabwean
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.
Historical Trends
GDP (USD)
↑662.6% since 2006Population
↑31.6% since 2006Life Expectancy at Birth
Latest: 62.8 yearsData source: World Bank Open Data
Geography20
Location
Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia
Geographic coordinates
20 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references
Africa
Area
land: 386,847 sq km
water: 3,910 sq km
Area - comparative
about four times the size of Indiana; slightly larger than Montana
Land boundaries
border countries: Botswana 834 km; Mozambique 1,402 km; South Africa 230 km; Zambia 763 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)
Terrain
mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east
Elevation
lowest point: junction of the Runde and Save Rivers 162 m
mean elevation: 961 m
Natural resources
coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals
Land use
agricultural land
agricultural land: arable land
agricultural land: permanent crops
agricultural land: permanent pasture
forest
other
Irrigated land
1,740 sq km (2012)
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
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Okavango Basin (863,866 sq km)
Major aquifers
Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi Basin
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
Natural hazards
recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare
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)
People & Society34
Population
male: 8,503,108
female: 8,969,644
Nationality
adjective: Zimbabwean
Ethnic groups
African 99.6% (predominantly Shona; Ndebele is the second largest ethnic group), other (includes Caucasian, Asiatic, mixed race) 0.4% (2022 est.)
Languages
Shona (official, most widely spoken) 80.9%, Ndebele (official, second most widely spoken) 11.5%, English (official, traditionally used for official business) 0.3%, 13 minority languages (official; includes Chewa, Chibarwe, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Shangani, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa) 7%, other 0.3% (2022 est.)
Religions
Apostolic Sect 40.3%, Pentecostal 17%, Protestant 13.8%, other Christian 7.8%, Roman Catholic 6.4%, African traditionalist 5%, other 1.5% (includes Muslim, Jewish, Hindu), none 8.3% (2022 est.)
Age structure
15-64 years: 57.8% (male 4,758,120/female 5,152,773)
65 years and over: 3.9% (2024 est.) (male 270,595/female 399,146)
Dependency ratios
youth dependency ratio: 65.5 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 6.8 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 14.7 (2025 est.)
Median age
male: 20.3 years
female: 22 years
Population growth rate
1.82% (2025 est.)
Birth rate
28.18 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate
-3.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
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
Urbanization
rate of urbanization: 2.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
1.578 million HARARE (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
20.3 years (2015 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
358 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male: 37 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 29.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth
male: 65.6 years
female: 68.8 years
Total fertility rate
3.42 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
1.68 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 5.2% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density
0.14 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
15.5% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita
beer: 1.2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 1.47 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
male: 17.6% (2025 est.)
female: 0.7% (2025 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
9.6% (2024 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
62.2% (2022 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 18: 33.7% (2019)
men married by age 18: 1.9% (2019)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% national budget): 17.9% national budget (2025 est.)
Literacy
male: 93.1% (2019 est.)
female: 93.4% (2019 est.)
Government25
Country name
conventional short form: Zimbabwe
former: Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe-Rhodesia
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 type
presidential republic
Capital
geographic coordinates: 17 49 S, 31 02 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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"
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
Legal system
mixed system of English common law, Roman-Dutch civil law, and customary law
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
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
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
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
head of government
cabinet
election/appointment process
most recent election date
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%
expected date of next election
Legislative branch
legislative structure: bicameral
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name
number of seats
electoral system
scope of elections
term in office
most recent election date
parties elected and seats per party
percentage of women in chamber
expected date of next election
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name
number of seats
electoral system
scope of elections
term in office
most recent election date
parties elected and seats per party
percentage of women in chamber
expected date of next election
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
subordinate courts: High Court; Labor Court; Administrative Court; regional magistrate courts; customary law courts; special courts
Political parties
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
Diplomatic representation in the US
chancery: 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 332-7100
FAX: [1] (202) 483-9326
email address and website:
general@zimembassydc.org
https://zimembassydc.org/
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
embassy
mailing address
telephone
FAX
email address and website
consularharare@state.gov
https://zw.usembassy.gov/
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
Independence
18 April 1980 (from the UK)
National holiday
Independence Day, 18 April (1980)
Flag
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
National symbol(s)
Zimbabwe bird symbol, African fish eagle, flame lily
National color(s)
green, yellow, red, black, white
National anthem(s)
lyrics/music: Solomon MUTSWAIRO/Fred Lecture CHANGUNDEGA
history: adopted 1994; lyrics in the country's three main languages were written by Zimbabwean poet and academic MUTSWAIRO
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)
Economy31
Economic overview
low income Sub-Saharan economy; political instability and endemic corruption have prevented reforms and stalled debt restructuring; new Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency latest effort to combat ongoing hyperinflation; reliant on natural resource extraction, agriculture and remittances
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $56.249 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $53.399 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 5.3% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 6.1% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita
Real GDP per capita 2023: $3,400 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $3,300 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$44.188 billion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021: 98.5% (2021 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020: 557.2% (2020 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
industry: 31.8% (2024 est.)
services: 55.8% (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption
government consumption
investment in fixed capital
investment in inventories
exports of goods and services
imports of goods and services
Agricultural products
sugarcane, beef, maize, cabbages, potatoes, tomatoes, milk, onions, bananas, wheat (2023)
Industries
mining (coal, gold, platinum, copper, nickel, tin, diamonds, clay, numerous metallic and nonmetallic ores), steel, wood products, cement, chemicals, fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages
Industrial production growth rate
2.7% (2024 est.)
Labor force
6.386 million (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate
Unemployment rate 2023: 8.8% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 10.1% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
male: 12.9% (2024 est.)
female: 15.4% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line
38.3% (2019 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
Household income or consumption by percentage share
highest 10%: 34.8% (2017 est.)
Remittances
Remittances 2022: 9.4% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2021: 9.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
Budget
expenditures: $23 million (2018 est.)
Public debt
Taxes and other revenues
7.2% (of GDP) (2018 est.)
Current account balance
Current account balance 2022: $304.966 million (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2021: $348.215 million (2021 est.)
Exports
Exports 2022: $7.453 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2021: $6.575 billion (2021 est.)
Exports - partners
UAE 45%, China 18%, South Africa 15%, Mozambique 4%, Hong Kong 2% (2023)
Exports - commodities
gold, tobacco, nickel, minerals, diamonds (2023)
Imports
Imports 2022: $9.569 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2021: $8.104 billion (2021 est.)
Imports - partners
South Africa 37%, China 15%, Bahamas, The 5%, Singapore 5%, UAE 4% (2023)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, fertilizers, trucks, soybean oil, stone processing machines (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $115.53 million (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $598.622 million (2022 est.)
Debt - external
Exchange rates
Currency
Exchange rates 2024
Exchange rates 2023
Exchange rates 2022
Exchange rates 2021
Exchange rates 2020
Energy6
Electricity access
electrification - urban areas: 89%
electrification - rural areas: 33.7%
Electricity
consumption: 8.346 billion kWh (2023 est.)
exports: 395 million kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 2.297 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 1.864 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources
solar: 0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 65.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
biomass and waste: 1.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Coal
consumption: 6.705 million metric tons (2023 est.)
exports: 984,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 71,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 502 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
refined petroleum consumption: 34,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
Communications6
Telephones - fixed lines
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2023 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 94 (2024 est.)
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)
Internet country code
.zw
Internet users
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2023 est.)
Transportation4
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
Z
Airports
144 (2025)
Heliports
5 (2025)
Railways
narrow gauge: 3,427 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified)
Military & Security6
Military and security forces
Ministry of Home Affairs: Zimbabwe Republic Police (2025)
Military expenditures
Military Expenditures 2023: 0.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 0.9% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 1.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2020: 1% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 30,000 active Zimbabwe Defense Forces (2025)
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 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)
Military - note
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)
Transnational Issues2
Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 32,675 (2024 est.)