Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) was 29.89 per 1,000 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
Birth rate, crude in Zimbabwe, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in per 1,000 people.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 29.89 per 1,000 people for birth rate, crude in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 15.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate, crude in Zimbabwe peaked at 47.49 per 1,000 people in 1960 and was at its lowest, 29.89 per 1,000 people, in 2024.
Zimbabwe ranks 31st of 218 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 47.49 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1961 | 47.29 per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1962 | 47.09 per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1963 | 46.82 per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1964 | 46.56 per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1965 | 46.38 per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1966 | 46.06 per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1967 | 45.82 per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 45.67 per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 45.52 per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 45.54 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 45.61 per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 45.99 per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 46.38 per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 46.4 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 46.62 per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 46.52 per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 46.51 per 1,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1978 | 46.77 per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 46.3 per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 44.84 per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1981 | 46.31 per 1,000 people | +3.3% |
| 1982 | 45.72 per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 44.99 per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1984 | 43.72 per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 1985 | 42.34 per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1986 | 40.94 per 1,000 people | -3.3% |
| 1987 | 39.5 per 1,000 people | -3.5% |
| 1988 | 37.65 per 1,000 people | -4.7% |
| 1989 | 36.39 per 1,000 people | -3.4% |
| 1990 | 35.51 per 1,000 people | -2.4% |
| 1991 | 34.91 per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 1992 | 34.27 per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 32.38 per 1,000 people | -5.5% |
| 1994 | 32.02 per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 31.66 per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 32.41 per 1,000 people | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 33.37 per 1,000 people | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 34.47 per 1,000 people | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 35.62 per 1,000 people | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 36.13 per 1,000 people | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 36.46 per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 36.54 per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 36.61 per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 36.33 per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 35.8 per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 35.2 per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 35.65 per 1,000 people | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 36.36 per 1,000 people | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 37.52 per 1,000 people | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 37.87 per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 38.14 per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 37.8 per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 36.98 per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 35.41 per 1,000 people | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 33.92 per 1,000 people | -4.2% |
| 2016 | 32.7 per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 31.81 per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 31.33 per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 31.12 per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 30.99 per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 30.93 per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 30.88 per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 30.41 per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 29.89 per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 29.89 per 1,000 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 25.33 per 1,000 people, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 29.89 per 1,000 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 30.86 per 1,000 people, 97% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 46.47 per 1,000 people | 45.52 per 1,000 people | 47.49 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 46.27 per 1,000 people | 45.54 per 1,000 people | 46.77 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 42.24 per 1,000 people | 36.39 per 1,000 people | 46.31 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 33.66 per 1,000 people | 31.66 per 1,000 people | 35.62 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 36.26 per 1,000 people | 35.2 per 1,000 people | 37.52 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.71 per 1,000 people | 31.12 per 1,000 people | 38.14 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.62 per 1,000 people | 29.89 per 1,000 people | 30.99 per 1,000 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 28 Congo 30.42 per 1,000 people compare
- 29 Sierra Leone 30.11 per 1,000 people compare
- 30 Equatorial Guinea 29.99 per 1,000 people compare
- 32 Gambia 29.86 per 1,000 people compare
- 33 Guinea-Bissau 29.56 per 1,000 people compare
- 34 South Sudan 29.22 per 1,000 people compare
More health data for Zimbabwe
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.39 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 4,457 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.9632 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0689 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.9673 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0701 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate, crude in Zimbabwe?
- Birth rate, crude in Zimbabwe was 29.89 per 1,000 people in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest birth rate, crude recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 47.49 per 1,000 people in 1960.
- What is the lowest birth rate, crude recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.89 per 1,000 people in 2024.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for birth rate, crude?
- Zimbabwe ranks 31st out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is birth rate, crude rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.