Population density in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Population density was 42.24 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
42.24 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 1.7%
World rank
160th
of 215 countries
All-time high
42.24 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
10.16 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Zimbabwe, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
In 2023, population density in Zimbabwe stood at 42.24 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 16.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Zimbabwe peaked at 42.24 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 10.16 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
Zimbabwe ranks 160th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 10.16 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 10.48 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1963 | 10.82 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1964 | 11.17 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1965 | 11.53 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1966 | 11.89 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1967 | 12.27 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1968 | 12.67 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1969 | 13.08 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1970 | 13.48 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1971 | 13.89 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1972 | 14.33 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1973 | 14.79 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1974 | 15.27 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1975 | 15.76 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1976 | 16.25 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1977 | 16.67 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1978 | 16.91 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 17.18 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 18.2 people per sq. km of land area | +5.9% |
| 1981 | 19.38 people per sq. km of land area | +6.5% |
| 1982 | 20.15 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 1983 | 20.93 people per sq. km of land area | +3.9% |
| 1984 | 21.69 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 22.46 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1986 | 23.22 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 1987 | 24 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 1988 | 24.77 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1989 | 25.5 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1990 | 26.2 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 26.9 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 27.67 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 28.07 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 28.11 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 28.37 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 28.84 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 29.39 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 29.97 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 30.46 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 30.74 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 30.95 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 31.25 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 31.62 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 31.97 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 32.27 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 32.66 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 33.1 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 33.5 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 33.97 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 34.53 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 35.14 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 35.72 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 36.23 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 36.73 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 37.22 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 37.74 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 38.29 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 38.86 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 39.48 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 40.14 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 40.84 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 41.54 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 42.24 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 11.56 people per sq. km of land area | 10.16 people per sq. km of land area | 13.08 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 15.46 people per sq. km of land area | 13.48 people per sq. km of land area | 17.18 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 22.03 people per sq. km of land area | 18.2 people per sq. km of land area | 25.5 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 28.4 people per sq. km of land area | 26.2 people per sq. km of land area | 30.46 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.2 people per sq. km of land area | 30.74 people per sq. km of land area | 33.97 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.99 people per sq. km of land area | 34.53 people per sq. km of land area | 39.48 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 41.19 people per sq. km of land area | 40.14 people per sq. km of land area | 42.24 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 157 Lithuania 45.87 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 158 Belarus 45.22 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 159 Mozambique 42.77 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 161 Bahamas 39.9 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 162 Faroe Islands 39.71 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 163 Palau 38.54 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Zimbabwe
- Population in the largest city 23.8% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 15.03 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.0963 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 1.63 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 1.86 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 4.08 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.63 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 2.6 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 65.65 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Zimbabwe?
- Population density in Zimbabwe was 42.24 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 42.24 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.16 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for population density?
- Zimbabwe ranks 160th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.