Urban population in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Urban population was 40.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Urban population in Zimbabwe, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, urban population in Zimbabwe stood at 40.5%. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 20.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in Zimbabwe peaked at 40.5% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 12.5%, in 1960.
Zimbabwe ranks 172nd of 217 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Urban population in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 12.5% | — |
| 1961 | 12.8% | +2.4% |
| 1962 | 13.1% | +2.4% |
| 1963 | 13.5% | +3.0% |
| 1964 | 14.0% | +3.7% |
| 1965 | 14.5% | +4.1% |
| 1966 | 15.1% | +4.2% |
| 1967 | 15.8% | +4.1% |
| 1968 | 16.4% | +3.8% |
| 1969 | 16.9% | +3.3% |
| 1970 | 17.4% | +3.0% |
| 1971 | 17.9% | +2.9% |
| 1972 | 18.4% | +2.7% |
| 1973 | 18.9% | +2.6% |
| 1974 | 19.4% | +2.5% |
| 1975 | 19.8% | +2.5% |
| 1976 | 20.3% | +2.4% |
| 1977 | 20.8% | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 21.3% | +2.4% |
| 1979 | 21.8% | +2.4% |
| 1980 | 22.3% | +2.4% |
| 1981 | 22.9% | +2.5% |
| 1982 | 23.5% | +2.5% |
| 1983 | 24.1% | +2.7% |
| 1984 | 24.8% | +3.1% |
| 1985 | 25.6% | +3.2% |
| 1986 | 26.5% | +3.3% |
| 1987 | 27.3% | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 28.1% | +3.0% |
| 1989 | 28.9% | +2.7% |
| 1990 | 29.6% | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 30.2% | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 30.6% | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 30.9% | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 31.2% | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 31.4% | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 31.7% | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 31.9% | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 32.1% | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 32.3% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 32.4% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 32.5% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 32.6% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 32.6% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 32.6% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 32.6% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 32.7% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 32.7% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 32.7% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 32.7% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 32.7% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 32.8% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 32.8% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 32.9% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 33.2% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 33.6% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 34.1% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 34.7% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 35.4% | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 36.2% | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 37.0% | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 37.9% | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 38.7% | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 39.3% | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 39.9% | +1.5% |
| 2025 | 40.5% | +1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 14.4% | 12.5% | 16.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 19.6% | 17.4% | 21.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 25.4% | 22.3% | 28.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 31.2% | 29.6% | 32.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.6% | 32.4% | 32.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.8% | 32.7% | 36.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.9% | 37.0% | 40.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More climate change data for Zimbabwe
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 17,716 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 5,805 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 11,912 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 21.9 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 425.42 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,483 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,345 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 137.94 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 5.08 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 4.93 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population in Zimbabwe?
- Urban population in Zimbabwe was 40.5% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 40.5% in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.5% in 1960.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for urban population?
- Zimbabwe ranks 172nd out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.