Population of Zimbabwe

As of June 2025, the population of Zimbabwe is 17.3 million. The number of inhabitants has increased by 355 thousand in the last year, representing a growth of 2.09%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 17 years in 2015 to 18.9 years in 2025. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 62.2 years and population density is 44.9 inhabitants per square kilometer.

Population Growth

The population growth rate of Zimbabwe peaked in 1980, reaching around 8.95% annually, but has since declined to approximately 2.04% in 2025. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 630.26 thousand in 1980 to nearly 354.65 thousand in 2025.

Life Expectancy

In Zimbabwe, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 44.8 years in 2005 to 62.2 years in 2025, representing an increase of more than 17 years over the past 2 decades.

Most populous cities in Zimbabwe

The cities of Zimbabwe are mostly small, but 8 stand out with more than 100 thousand inhabitants. The most populous city is Harare, with approximately 1.5 million inhabitants. It is followed by Bulawayo with 1.2 million and Chitungwiza, Harare with 371.2 thousand.

These are the 20 most populous cities in Zimbabwe: