Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 43 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
43 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
161st
of 216 countries
All-time high
43 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
10.16 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Zimbabwe, 1961–2024
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 2024, population density in Zimbabwe stood at 43 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Zimbabwe peaked at 43 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 10.16 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
Zimbabwe ranks 161st of 216 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) 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% |
| 2024 | 43 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 43 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 82.92 people per sq. km of land area, 52% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 43 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 69.86 people per sq. km of land area, 62% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
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 | 41.55 people per sq. km of land area | 40.14 people per sq. km of land area | 43 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 158 Lithuania 46.15 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 159 Belarus 44.99 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 160 Mozambique 44.04 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 162 Bahamas 40.09 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 163 Faroe Islands 39.88 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 164 Palau 38.47 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 43 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, 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 43 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- 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 161st out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.1%. 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.
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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.