2020 Edition

Background

The hunter-gatherer San people first inhabited the area that eventually became Zimbabwe. Farming communities migrated to the area around A.D. 500 during the Bantu expansion, and Shona-speaking societies began to develop in the Limpopo valley and Zimbabwean highlands around the 9th century. These societies traded with Arab merchants on the Indian Ocean coast and organized under the Kingdom of Mapungubwe in the 11th century. A series of powerful trade-oriented Shona states succeeded Mapungubwe, including the Kingdom of Zimbabwe (ca. 1220-1450), Kingdom of Mutapa (ca. 1450-1760), and the Rozwi Empire. The Rozwi Empire expelled Portuguese colonists from the Zimbabwean plateau, but the Ndebele clan of Zulu King MZILIKAZI eventually conquered the area in 1838 during the era of conflict and population displacement known as the Mfecane. In the 1880s, colonists arrived with the British South Africa Company (BSAC) and obtained a written concession for mining rights from Ndebele King LOBENGULA. The king later disavowed the concession and accused the BSAC agents of deceit. The BSAC annexed Mashonaland and then conquered Matabeleland during the First Matabele War of 1893-1894, establishing company rule over the territory. In 1923, the UK annexed BSAC holdings south of the Zambezi River, which became the British colony of Southern Rhodesia. The 1930 Land Apportionment Act restricted Black land ownership and established rules that would favor the White minority for decades. A new constitution in 1961 further cemented White minority rule. In 1965, the government under White Prime Minister Ian SMITH unilaterally declared its independence from the UK. London did not recognize Rhodesia’s independence and demanded more voting rights for the Black majority in the country. International diplomacy and an uprising by Black Zimbabweans led to biracial elections in 1979 and independence (as Zimbabwe) in 1980. Robert MUGABE, who led the uprising and became the nation's first prime minister, was the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) from independence until 2017. In the mid-1980s, the government tortured and killed thousands of civilians in a crackdown on dissent known as the Gukurahundi campaign. Economic mismanagement and chaotic implementation of land redistribution policies periodically crippled the economy. General elections in 2002, 2008, and 2013 were severely flawed and widely condemned but allowed MUGABE to remain president. In 2017, Vice President Emmerson MNANGAGWA became president after a military intervention that forced MUGABE to resign, and MNANGAGWA cemented power by sidelining rival Grace MUGABE (Robert MUGABE’s wife). In 2018, MNANGAGWA won the presidential election, and he has maintained the government's longstanding practice of violently disrupting protests and politicizing institutions. Economic conditions remain dire under MNANGAGWA.

Area

land

386,847 sq km

total

390,757 sq km

water

3,910 sq km

Area - comparative

about four times the size of Indiana; slightly larger than Montana

Climate

tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point

Inyangani 2,592 m

lowest point

junction of the Runde and Save Rivers 162 m

mean elevation

961 m

Geographic coordinates

20 00 S, 30 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural river boundary with Zambia; in full flood (February-April), the massive Victoria Falls on the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling water; Lake Kariba on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border forms the world's largest reservoir by volume (180 cu km; 43 cu mi)

Irrigated land

1,740 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Botswana 834 km; Mozambique 1,402 km; South Africa 230 km; Zambia 763 km

total

3,229 km

Land use

agricultural land

41.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 10.4% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 31.3% (2023 est.)

forest

35.9% (2023 est.)

other

22.3% (2023 est.)

Location

Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia

Major aquifers

Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi Basin

Major rivers (by length in km)

Zambezi (shared with Zambia [s]), Angola, Namibia, Botswana, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km; Limpopo (shared with South Africa [s], Botswana, and Mozambique [m]) - 1,800 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Indian Ocean drainage

Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)

Internal (endorheic basin) drainage

Okavango Basin (863,866 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare

Natural resources

coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals

Population distribution

aside from major urban agglomerations in Harare and Bulawayo, population distribution is fairly even, with slightly greater overall numbers in the eastern half, as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east

Age structure

0-14 years

38.3% (male 3,315,075/female 3,254,643)

15-64 years

57.8% (male 4,758,120/female 5,152,773)

65 years and over

3.9% (2024 est.) (male 270,595/female 399,146)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

1.2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

1.47 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

3.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

28.18 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

1.9% (2019)

women married by age 15

5.4% (2019)

women married by age 18

33.7% (2019)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

9.6% (2024 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

62.2% (2022 est.)

Death rate

6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6.8 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

14.7 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

72.3 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

65.5 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 47.7% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 62.3% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 92.8% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 52.3% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 37.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 7.2% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

0.4% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

17.9% national budget (2025 est.)

Ethnic groups

African 99.6% (predominantly Shona; Ndebele is the second largest ethnic group), other (includes Caucasian, Asiatic, mixed race) 0.4% (2022 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.68 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

2.8% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

5.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

29.6 deaths/1,000 live births

male

37 deaths/1,000 live births

total

32.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Shona (official, most widely spoken) 80.9%, Ndebele (official, second most widely spoken) 11.5%, English (official, traditionally used for official business) 0.3%, 13 minority languages (official; includes Chewa, Chibarwe, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Shangani, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa) 7%, other 0.3% (2022 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

68.8 years

male

65.6 years

total population

67.2 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

93.4% (2019 est.)

male

93.1% (2019 est.)

total population

93.2% (2019 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.578 million HARARE (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

358 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

22 years

male

20.3 years

total

21.3 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.3 years (2015 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Zimbabwean

noun

Zimbabwean(s)

Net migration rate

-3.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

15.5% (2016)

Physician density

0.14 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

female

8,969,644

male

8,503,108

total

17,472,752 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

1.82% (2025 est.)

Religions

Apostolic Sect 40.3%, Pentecostal 17%, Protestant 13.8%, other Christian 7.8%, Roman Catholic 6.4%, African traditionalist 5%, other 1.5% (includes Muslim, Jewish, Hindu), none 8.3% (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 50.3% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 65.6% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 97.5% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 49.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 34.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.5% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.68 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

0.7% (2025 est.)

male

17.6% (2025 est.)

total

8.4% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.42 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

32.5% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

8 provinces and 2 cities* with provincial status; Bulawayo*, Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands

Capital

etymology

named after a village of Harare at the site of the present capital; the village name derived from a Shona chieftain, NE-HARAWA, whose name meant "he who does not sleep"

geographic coordinates

17 49 S, 31 02 E

name

Harare

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

the father must be a citizen of Zimbabwe; in the case of a child born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by the Senate or by the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses of Parliament and assent of the president of the republic; amendments to constitutional chapters on fundamental human rights and freedoms and on agricultural lands also require approval by a majority of votes cast in a referendum

history

previous 1965 (at Rhodesian independence), 1979 (Lancaster House Agreement), 1980 (at Zimbabwean independence); latest final draft completed January 2013, approved by referendum 16 March 2013, approved by Parliament 9 May 2013, effective 22 May 2013

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Zimbabwe

conventional short form

Zimbabwe

etymology

takes its name from the Kingdom of Zimbabwe (13th-15th century) and its capital of Great Zimbabwe, which was built of stone; the name Zimbabwe comes from the Bantu phrase zimba we bahwe, meaning "houses of stones;" the former name, Rhodesia, was derived from the name of British colonial administrator Cecil RHODES

former

Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe-Rhodesia

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Pamela M. TREMONT (since August 2024)

email address and website

consularharare@state.gov https://zw.usembassy.gov/

embassy

2 Lorraine Drive, Bluffhill, Harare

FAX

[263] 24-233-4320

mailing address

2180 Harare Place, Washington DC 20521-2180

telephone

[263] 867-701-1000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Sarah BHOROMA (since 12 November 2024)

email address and website

general@zimembassydc.org https://zimembassydc.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 483-9326

telephone

[1] (202) 332-7100

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by president, responsible to National Assembly

chief of state

President Emmerson Dambudzo MNANGAGWA (since 4 September 2023)

election results

2023: Emmerson MNANGAGWA reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Emmerson MNANGAGWA (ZANU-PF) 52.6%, Nelson CHAMISA (MDC-T) 44%, Wilbert MUBAIWA (NPC) 1.2%, other 2.2% 2018: Emmerson MNANGAGWA elected president in first round; percent of vote - Emmerson MNANGAGWA (ZANU-PF) 50.7%, Nelson CHAMISA (MDC-T) 44.4%, Thokozani KHUPE (MDC-N) 0.9%, other 4%

election/appointment process

each presidential candidate nominated with a nomination paper signed by at least 10 registered voters (at least 1 candidate from each province) and directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (no term limits); co-vice presidents drawn from party leadership

expected date of next election

2028

head of government

Vice President Constantino CHIWENGA (since 11 September 2023)

most recent election date

23 August 2023

Flag

description: seven equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, red, black, red, yellow, and green, with a white isosceles triangle edged in black based on the left side; in the middle of the triangle, a yellow bird is on top of a five-pointed red star meaning: the bird represents the long history of the country; white stands for peace, green for agriculture, yellow for mineral wealth, red for the blood shed to achieve independence, and black for the people

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

18 April 1980 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, ATMIS, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 4 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices and 9 judges)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges appointed by the president on recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission, an independent body consisting of the chief justice, Public Service Commission chairman, attorney general, and 2-3 members appointed by the president; judges normally serve until age 65 but can elect to serve until age 70; Constitutional Court judge appointment NA; judges serve nonrenewable 15-year terms

subordinate courts

High Court; Labor Court; Administrative Court; regional magistrate courts; customary law courts; special courts

Legal system

mixed system of English common law, Roman-Dutch civil law, and customary law

Legislative branch

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

Parliament

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

National Assembly

electoral system

mixed system

expected date of next election

August 2028

most recent election date

45161

number of seats

280 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

ZANU-PF (175); Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) (104)

percentage of women in chamber

30.1%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Senate

electoral system

proportional representation

expected date of next election

August 2028

most recent election date

45161

number of seats

80 (60 directly elected; 20 indirectly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

ZANU-PF (33); Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) (27)

percentage of women in chamber

44.3%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1994; lyrics in the country's three main languages were written by Zimbabwean poet and academic MUTSWAIRO

lyrics/music

Solomon MUTSWAIRO/Fred Lecture CHANGUNDEGA

title

"Kalibusiswe Ilizwe leZimbabwe" [Ndebele] "Simudzai Mureza WeZimbabwe" [Shona] (Blessed Be the Land of Zimbabwe)

National color(s)

green, yellow, red, black, white

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Mana Pools National Park, Sapi, and Chewore Safari Areas (n); Great Zimbabwe National Monument (c); Khami Ruins National Monument (c); Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls (n); Matobo Hills (c)

total World Heritage Sites

5 (3 cultural, 2 natural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 18 April (1980)

National symbol(s)

Zimbabwe bird symbol, African fish eagle, flame lily

Political parties

Citizens Coalition for Change  Movement for Democratic Change or MDC-T  National People's Congress or NPC  Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF  Zimbabwe African Peoples Union or ZAPU

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sugarcane, beef, maize, cabbages, potatoes, tomatoes, milk, onions, bananas, wheat (2023)

Budget

expenditures

$23 million (2018 est.)

revenues

$17 million (2018 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

$348.215 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

$304.966 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$133.877 million (2023 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$6.671 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview

low income Sub-Saharan economy; political instability and endemic corruption have prevented reforms and stalled debt restructuring; new Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency latest effort to combat ongoing hyperinflation; reliant on natural resource extraction, agriculture and remittances

Exchange rates

Currency

Zimbabwean dollars (ZWD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

51.329 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

88.552 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

374.954 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

3,509.172 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

3,266.332 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$6.575 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$7.453 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$7.603 billion (2023 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold, tobacco, nickel, minerals, diamonds (2023)

Exports - partners

UAE 45%, China 18%, South Africa 15%, Mozambique 4%, Hong Kong 2% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

22.1% (2024 est.)

government consumption

12.5% (2024 est.)

household consumption

91.5% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-30.6% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

3.6% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

0.9% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

5.4% (2024 est.)

industry

31.8% (2024 est.)

services

55.8% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$44.188 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2020

50.3 (2020 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

34.8% (2017 est.)

lowest 10%

2.5% (2017 est.)

Imports

Imports 2021

$8.104 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$9.569 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$10.293 billion (2023 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, fertilizers, trucks, soybean oil, stone processing machines (2023)

Imports - partners

South Africa 37%, China 15%, Bahamas, The 5%, Singapore 5%, UAE 4% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

2.7% (2024 est.)

Industries

mining (coal, gold, platinum, copper, nickel, tin, diamonds, clay, numerous metallic and nonmetallic ores), steel, wood products, cement, chemicals, fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

557.2% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

98.5% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

104.7% (2022 est.)

Labor force

6.386 million (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

38.3% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

69.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$53.399 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$56.249 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$57.391 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

6.1% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

5.3% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

2% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$3,300 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$3,400 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$3,500 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2021

9.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

9.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

9.4% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$598.622 million (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$115.53 million (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$484.973 million (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

7.2% (of GDP) (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

10.1% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

8.8% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

8.6% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

15.4% (2024 est.)

male

12.9% (2024 est.)

total

14% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

6.705 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

984,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

71,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

production

7.968 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves

502 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

8.346 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

395 million kWh (2023 est.)

imports

2.297 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

2.491 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.864 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

33.7%

electrification - total population

50.1% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

89%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

32.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

65.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

10.855 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

34,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

800 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2023 est.)

total

269,000 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

government owns all local radio and TV stations; foreign shortwave broadcasts and satellite TV available; in rural areas, access to TV broadcasts is extremely limited; analog TV only, no digital service (2017)

Internet country code

.zw

Internet users

percent of population

38% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

310,000 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

94 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

15.7 million (2024 est.)

Airports

144 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Z

Heliports

5 (2025)

Railways

narrow gauge

3,427 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified)

total

3,427 km (2014)

Military - note

the primary responsibilities of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF) are protecting the country’s sovereignty and territory and securing its borders; it also has a role in domestic security and socio-economic development projects and has continued to be active in the country’s politics since the 2017 military-assisted political transition; the ZDF is part of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Standby Force and provided troops for the SADC military deployment to Mozambique from 2021-2024; Zimbabwe has defense ties with China and Russia the ZDF was formed after independence from the former Rhodesian Army and the two guerrilla forces that opposed it during the Rhodesian Civil War (aka "Bush War") of the 1970s, the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) and the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA); the ZDF intervened in the Mozambique Civil War (1983-1992), the Democratic Republic of Congo during the Second Congo War (1998-2003), and the Angolan Civil War (1975-2002) during the late 1990s (2025)

Military and security forces

Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF): Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) Ministry of Home Affairs: Zimbabwe Republic Police (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 30,000 active Zimbabwe Defense Forces (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the ZDF inventory is comprised mostly of Russian/Soviet-era and Chinese armaments with smaller quantities of older or obsolescent material from countries such as Brazil, France, Italy, South Africa, the UK, and the US (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.9% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

0.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

0.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-22 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (enlisted personnel); 18-24 for officer cadets; 18-30 for technical/specialist personnel; no conscription (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

32,675 (2024 est.)

refugees

22,432 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Zimbabwe remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/zimbabwe/

Key space-program milestones

2020 - began a program (BIRDS-5) sponsored by Japan to promote the development of a domestic space program by designing, building, testing, launching, and operating the first satellites for participating countries  2021 - established satellite ground communications station and completed national wetlands mapping project 2022 - first nano-sized remote sensing/educational satellite (ZIMSAT-1) built with Japan’s assistance and launched by Japan under the BIRDs-5 program 2024 - second RS satellite (ZIMSAT-2) built with Russian assistance and launched by Russia

Space agency/agencies

Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA; established in 2019 and officially launched in 2021) (2025)

Space program overview

has a nascent program with the goal of using space technologies in economic development, including remote sensing capabilities to assist with monitoring or managing agriculture, food security, climate change, disease outbreaks, environmental hazards and disasters, and natural resources, as well as weather forecasting; has cooperated with Japan and Russia (2025)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

7.629 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

4.949 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

12.578 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; air and water pollution; poaching; toxic waste and heavy metal pollution from mining

International environmental agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Particulate matter emissions

14.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

20 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

4.281 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

81.352 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

547.078 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

1.45 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

21.8% (2022 est.)