ZWE · ZW · United Nations WPP 2024 · 2026
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe had a population of 17,273,580 people in 2026, ranking 74 of 237 countries and areas. Explore its age pyramid, trends and demographic indicators.
Source: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.
- Total population
- 17,273,580 people 2026 · Projection
- Rank
- #74/ 237 Africa #26 / 58
- Share of world population
- 0.21% 2026
- Density
- 44.7 people/km² 2026
- Median age
- 18.3 years
- Life expectancy
- 63.63 years
Country or area overview
Zimbabwe is in Africa. In 2026, its population was 17,273,580 people, about 0.21% of the world total. It ranks #74 of 237 countries and areas worldwide. The population was 2,790,905 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 37,166,572 people in 2100. The annual population growth rate in 2026 is 1.88%. The median age is 18.3. 39.6% of the population is under 15 and 3.5% is 65 or older. Life expectancy is 63.63 and the total fertility rate is 3.57. Within Africa, it ranks #26 of 58 by population and #39 of 58 by population density. Data note This page uses the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium variant. Data for 1950–2023 are estimates; 2024 onward, including 2026, are projections. Values for 2100 are long-range projections.
Zimbabwe map
Country outline and its location in the world.
World location
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:50m.
Population history and projection
Population from 1950 to 2100. The dashed section shows the UN medium-variant projection from 2024 onward.
Age group · 2026
Population age pyramid
Male and female population by five-year age group. Move the year slider to compare 1950, today and the 2100 projection.
Age-group data
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 1,197,984 | 1,177,687 | 2,375,671 | 13.75% |
| 5–9 | 1,112,989 | 1,096,430 | 2,209,419 | 12.79% |
| 10–14 | 1,137,110 | 1,125,608 | 2,262,718 | 13.10% |
| 15–19 | 1,021,500 | 1,015,499 | 2,036,999 | 11.79% |
| 20–24 | 841,176 | 856,955 | 1,698,131 | 9.83% |
| 25–29 | 624,393 | 684,726 | 1,309,119 | 7.58% |
| 30–34 | 428,916 | 519,108 | 948,024 | 5.49% |
| 35–39 | 413,352 | 506,252 | 919,604 | 5.32% |
| 40–44 | 474,385 | 584,881 | 1,059,266 | 6.13% |
| 45–49 | 336,569 | 457,526 | 794,095 | 4.60% |
| 50–54 | 193,032 | 305,251 | 498,283 | 2.88% |
| 55–59 | 129,073 | 191,796 | 320,869 | 1.86% |
| 60–64 | 101,052 | 134,073 | 235,125 | 1.36% |
| 65–69 | 89,641 | 129,703 | 219,344 | 1.27% |
| 70–74 | 76,332 | 114,710 | 191,042 | 1.11% |
| 75–79 | 44,185 | 69,281 | 113,466 | 0.66% |
| 80–84 | 19,202 | 34,309 | 53,511 | 0.31% |
| 85–89 | 6,838 | 13,985 | 20,823 | 0.12% |
| 90–94 | 1,855 | 4,542 | 6,397 | 0.04% |
| 95–99 | 360 | 1,165 | 1,525 | 0.01% |
| 100+ | 27 | 124 | 151 | 0.00% |
Demographic indicators
UN WPP 2024 indicators for 2026.
| Indicator | 2026 | Projection for 2100 | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 17,273,580 people | 37,166,572 people | people |
| Male population | 8,249,970 people | 18,036,335 people | people |
| Female population | 9,023,610 people | 19,130,237 people | people |
| Population density | 44.7 people/km² | 96.1 people/km² | people/km² |
| Sex ratio | 91.4 | 94.3 | males per 100 females |
| Median age | 18.3 | 35.7 | years |
| Natural change | 379,320 | 148,022 | people |
| Natural change rate | 21.96 ‰ | 3.98 ‰ | ‰ |
| Population change | 324,702 | 70,032 | people |
| Population growth rate | 1.88% | 0.19% | % |
| Population doubling time | 36.9 | — | years |
| Births | 505,305 people | 500,347 people | people |
| Births to women aged 15–19 | 92,697 | 28,408 | people |
| Birth rate | 29.25 ‰ | 13.46 ‰ | ‰ |
| Total fertility rate | 3.57 | 1.98 | children per woman |
| Net reproduction rate | 1.628 | 0.956 | |
| Mean age at childbearing | 28.09 | 29.93 | years |
| Sex ratio at birth | 102.5 | 102.6 | males per 100 females |
| Deaths | 125,985 people | 352,325 people | people |
| Male deaths | 63,660 | 180,179 | people |
| Female deaths | 62,325 | 172,146 | people |
| Death rate | 7.29 ‰ | 9.48 ‰ | ‰ |
| Life expectancy at birth | 63.63 | 77.19 | years |
| Male life expectancy at birth | 61.01 | 74.35 | years |
| Female life expectancy at birth | 65.90 | 79.94 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 15 | 51.89 | 63.24 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 65 | 13.34 | 18.16 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 80 | 6.38 | 8.59 | years |
| Infant deaths | 15,408 | 4,457 | people |
| Infant mortality rate | 30.53 ‰ | 8.91 ‰ | ‰ |
| Survivors to age 1 | 491,891 | 496,477 | people |
| Deaths under age 5 | 21,110 | 5,704 | people |
| Under-5 mortality rate | 42.11 ‰ | 11.39 ‰ | ‰ |
| Net migration | -54,620 | -78,003 | people |
| Net migration rate | -3.16 ‰ | -2.10 ‰ | ‰ |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of Zimbabwe?
- In 2026, Zimbabwe had a population of 17,273,580 people. It ranks #74 of 237 countries and areas worldwide.
- How has the population of Zimbabwe changed?
- The population was 2,790,905 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 37,166,572 people in 2100.
- What is the age structure of Zimbabwe?
- The median age is 18.3. 39.6% of the population is under 15 and 3.5% is 65 or older.
- How does Zimbabwe compare within Africa?
- By total population, Zimbabwe ranks #26 of 58 in Africa and #74 of 237 worldwide.
Estimates cover 1950–2023; 2024 and later are UN medium-variant projections. Rankings use the latest available value for the selected year. The world total is the sum of all countries and areas in the dataset.