Demographics of Zimbabwe

The population of Zimbabwe has grown during the 20th century in accordance with the model of a developing country with high birth rates and falling death rates, resulting in relatively high population growth rate (around 3% or above in the 1960s and early 1970s). After a spurt in the period 1980-1983 following independence, a decline in birth rates set in. Since 1991, however, there has been a jump in death rates from a low of 10 per 1000 in 1985 to a high of 25 per 1000 in 2002/2003. It has since subsided to just under 22 per 1000 (estimate for 2007) a little below the birth rate of around 27 per 1000.[1][2]

The high death rate is a result of poor medical facilities. This leads to a small natural increase of around 0.5%. Deaths due to HIV/AIDS have reduced due to improved methods of protection. However, outward migration rates of around 1.5% or more have been experienced for over a decade, therefore actual population changes are uncertain. Because of the high number of unaccounted emigrants, the recent increase of emigration and the death toll from AIDS, the total population might be declining to as low as 8 million according to some estimates.[3]

Registration of vital events in Zimbabwe is not complete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates. [6]

Life expectancy at birth

Life expectancy from 1950 to 2015 (UN World Population Prospects)[10]:

Period	Life expectancy in Years
1950–1955	48.54
1955–1960	50.59
1960–1965	52.48
1965–1970	54.13
1970–1975	55.78
1975–1980	57.84
1980–1985	60.54
1985–1990	60.18
1990–1995	54.66
1995–2000	47.35
2000–2005	44.13
2005–2010	48.35
2010–2015	57.64

According to 2012 Census report, 99.6% of the population is of African origin.[11] Of the rest of the population, the great bulk—perhaps 30,000 persons[12][13][14]—are white Zimbabweans of European ancestry, a minority which had diminished in size prior to independence.[15]

The vast black majority has grown at a projected annual rate of 4.3% since 1980.[16] Although present figures are difficult to ascertain, the white community once reproduced itself at an annual rate (under 1.5%) similar to that of most totals in developed nations.[17] Of the two major ethnolinguistic categories, Shona speakers formed a decisive plurality and occupied the eastern two-thirds of Zimbabwe.[18] Ndebele speakers constitute about 16%, and none of the other indigenous ethnic groups came to as much as 2% in recent decades.[19] African speakers of nonindigenous languages included migrant workers from Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique.[20]

Three-quarters of white Zimbabweans are of British or British diasporan origin; at various times many emigrated from South Africa and elsewhere.[17] After World War II, Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia) received a substantial influx of emigrants from the United Kingdom—a handful previously resided in other colonies such as Pakistan and Kenya. Also represented on a much smaller scale were individuals of Afrikaner, Greek, and Portuguese origin.[15] After Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965, Ian Smith's administration removed technical obstacles to immigration from southern Europe.[17]

A heavily urbanised Coloured population is descended, partially, from early unions between White Rhodesian settlers and local Black African females. Many, however, can also trace their ancestry to the Dutch/Khoisan mulatto clans of the Cape.

With the exception of a select few who were brought to Zimbabwe as railroad workers, most Asians in Zimbabwe arrived from India pursuing employment or entrepreneurship. An educated class, they have traditionally engaged in retail trade or manufacturing.[17]

Zimbabwe has 16 official languages: Chewa, Tonga, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa.[21] English is widely used in administration, law and schools, though less than 2.5%, mainly the white and Coloured (mixed race) minorities, consider it their native language. The rest of the population speak Shona (70%) and Ndebele (20%), Kalanga (2%), etc.[22] Shona has a rich oral tradition, which was incorporated into the first Shona novel, Feso by Solomon Mutswairo, published in 1956.[23] English is spoken primarily in the cities, but less so in rural areas. Television news is broadcast in English, Shona and Ndebele though the local languages time slot falls out of prime viewing time, but radio broadcasts in English, Ndebele, Shona, Kalanga, Nambya, Venda, Suthu and Tonga. English, Ndebele and Shona are given far more airtime.

85 percent of Zimbabweans are Christian, and of that number, 61 percent regularly attend Christian churches.[24] The largest Christian churches are Anglican, Roman Catholic, Seventh Day Adventist and Methodist. However like most former European colonies, Christianity is often mixed with enduring traditional beliefs. Besides Christianity, ancestral worship (Amadlozi) is the most practised non-Christian religion which involves ancestor worship and spiritual intercession. Under 1% of the population is Muslim, although many Zimbabweans are influenced by Islamic food laws.

According to the United Nations World Health Organization, the average life expectancy for men in 2006 was 37 years and for women was 34 years of age, the lowest in the world at the time.[25] An association of doctors in Zimbabwe have made calls for President Mugabe to make moves to assist the ailing health service.[26] Since then it has recovered, and the figures for 2010 to 2015 were 53 and 54 for men and women respectively.[27]

The following demographic statistics of Zimbabwe in 2019 are from the World Population Review.[28]

• One birth every 59 seconds
• One death every 4 minutes
• One net migrant every 27 minutes
• Net gain of one person every 1 minute

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.[29]

Age structure

Population pyramid of Zimbabwe in 2017

0-14 years: 38.62% (male 2,681,192 /female 2,736,876)

15-24 years: 20.42% (male 1,403,715 /female 1,461,168)

25-54 years: 32.22% (male 2,286,915 /female 2,234,158)

55-64 years: 4.24% (male 233,021 /female 361,759)

65 years and over: 4.5% (male 255,704 /female 375,860) (2018 est.)

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 This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document: "2007 edition".