Population in the largest city in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Population in the largest city was 23.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Population in the largest city in Zimbabwe, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in the largest city in Zimbabwe is 23.8%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 23.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Zimbabwe peaked at 52.2% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 23.8%, in 2025.
That places Zimbabwe 103rd out of 153 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Population in the largest city in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 52.2% | — |
| 1961 | 52.0% | -0.5% |
| 1962 | 51.7% | -0.5% |
| 1963 | 51.1% | -1.1% |
| 1964 | 50.2% | -1.7% |
| 1965 | 49.2% | -2.1% |
| 1966 | 48.1% | -2.2% |
| 1967 | 47.1% | -2.1% |
| 1968 | 46.2% | -1.8% |
| 1969 | 45.7% | -1.2% |
| 1970 | 45.9% | +0.5% |
| 1971 | 46.2% | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 46.5% | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 46.5% | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 45.2% | -2.8% |
| 1975 | 44.0% | -2.6% |
| 1976 | 42.9% | -2.5% |
| 1977 | 42.1% | -2.0% |
| 1978 | 41.7% | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 41.3% | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 39.2% | -5.1% |
| 1981 | 37.0% | -5.6% |
| 1982 | 35.7% | -3.4% |
| 1983 | 35.4% | -0.9% |
| 1984 | 35.2% | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 34.9% | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 34.7% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 34.5% | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 34.5% | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 34.6% | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 34.9% | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 35.4% | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 36.1% | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 36.0% | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 36.4% | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 36.4% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 36.2% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 35.9% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 35.7% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 35.6% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 35.8% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 36.1% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 36.4% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 36.1% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 35.8% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 35.6% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 35.2% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 34.9% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 34.6% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 34.2% | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 33.7% | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 33.2% | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 32.8% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 32.3% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 31.7% | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 31.0% | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 30.2% | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 29.4% | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 28.5% | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 27.5% | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 26.6% | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 25.8% | -3.2% |
| 2022 | 25.0% | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 24.6% | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 24.2% | -1.7% |
| 2025 | 23.8% | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 49.3% | 45.7% | 52.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 44.2% | 41.3% | 46.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 35.6% | 34.5% | 39.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 35.9% | 34.9% | 36.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 35.5% | 34.2% | 36.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.0% | 27.5% | 33.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.0% | 23.8% | 26.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 100 Republic of Korea 23.9% compare
- 101 Lao People's Democratic Republic 23.8% compare
- 102 Norway 23.8% compare
- 104 El Salvador 23.6% compare
- 105 Philippines 23.4% compare
- 106 Yemen 22.8% compare
More urban development data for Zimbabwe
- Population density 42.24 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- 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 in the largest city in Zimbabwe?
- Population in the largest city in Zimbabwe was 23.8% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 52.2% in 1960.
- What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.8% in 2025.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for population in the largest city?
- Zimbabwe ranks 103rd out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in the largest city (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.