Life expectancy at birth, total in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Life expectancy at birth, total was 63.06 years in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
63.06 years
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
201st
of 218 countries
All-time high
63.06 years
in 2024
All-time low
44.52 years
in 2001
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Life expectancy at birth, total in Zimbabwe, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth, total in Zimbabwe is 63.06 years, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Zimbabwe peaked at 63.06 years in 2024 and was at its lowest, 44.52 years, in 2001.
That places Zimbabwe 201st out of 218 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Life expectancy at birth, total in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 53.49 years | — |
| 1961 | 53.97 years | +0.9% |
| 1962 | 54.45 years | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 54.94 years | +0.9% |
| 1964 | 55.43 years | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 55.91 years | +0.9% |
| 1966 | 56.36 years | +0.8% |
| 1967 | 56.77 years | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 57.15 years | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 57.48 years | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 57.76 years | +0.5% |
| 1971 | 58 years | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 58.17 years | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 58.09 years | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 58.19 years | +0.2% |
| 1975 | 58.25 years | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 57.63 years | -1.1% |
| 1977 | 57 years | -1.1% |
| 1978 | 54.73 years | -4.0% |
| 1979 | 54.92 years | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 59.06 years | +7.5% |
| 1981 | 59.45 years | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 59.86 years | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 59.99 years | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 60.62 years | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 60.9 years | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 60.98 years | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 60.72 years | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 60.24 years | -0.8% |
| 1989 | 59.45 years | -1.3% |
| 1990 | 58.32 years | -1.9% |
| 1991 | 57.04 years | -2.2% |
| 1992 | 55.6 years | -2.5% |
| 1993 | 53.98 years | -2.9% |
| 1994 | 52.54 years | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 51.14 years | -2.7% |
| 1996 | 48.98 years | -4.2% |
| 1997 | 48.54 years | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 47.55 years | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 46.38 years | -2.5% |
| 2000 | 46.03 years | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 44.52 years | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 45.94 years | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 45.37 years | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 46.04 years | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 46.57 years | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 47.06 years | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 47.58 years | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 48.46 years | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 49.75 years | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 51.92 years | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 53.91 years | +3.8% |
| 2012 | 55.39 years | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 56.84 years | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 58.11 years | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 58.99 years | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 59.76 years | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 60.26 years | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 60.91 years | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 61.06 years | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 61.53 years | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 60.13 years | -2.3% |
| 2022 | 62.36 years | +3.7% |
| 2023 | 62.77 years | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 63.06 years | +0.5% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 63.06 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 67.9 years, 93% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 63.06 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.26 years, 98% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 55.59 years | 53.49 years | 57.48 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 57.27 years | 54.73 years | 58.25 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 60.13 years | 59.06 years | 60.98 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.01 years | 46.38 years | 58.32 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 46.73 years | 44.52 years | 49.75 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.71 years | 51.92 years | 61.06 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.97 years | 60.13 years | 63.06 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
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)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 874.6 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,457 deaths (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in Zimbabwe?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in Zimbabwe was 63.06 years in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 63.06 years in 2024.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.52 years in 2001.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Zimbabwe ranks 201st out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.