Zimbabwe

Introduction

Background

The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the former British South Africa Company in 1923. A 1961 constitution was formulated that favored whites in power. In 1965 the government unilaterally declared its independence, but the UK did not recognize the act and demanded more complete voting rights for the black African majority in the country (then called Rhodesia). UN sanctions and a guerrilla uprising finally led to free elections in 1979 and independence (as Zimbabwe) in 1980. Robert MUGABE, the nation's first prime minister, was the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) from independence until his resignation in November 2017. His chaotic land redistribution campaign, which began in 1997 and intensified after 2000, caused an exodus of white farmers, crippled the economy, and ushered in widespread shortages of basic commodities. Ignoring international condemnation, MUGABE rigged the 2002 presidential election to ensure his reelection.In 2005, the capital city of Harare embarked on Operation Restore Order, ostensibly an urban rationalization program, which resulted in the destruction of the homes or businesses of 700,000 mostly poor supporters of the opposition. MUGABE in 2007 instituted price controls on all basic commodities causing panic buying and leaving store shelves empty for months. General elections held in March 2008 contained irregularities but still amounted to a censure of the ZANU-PF-led government with the opposition winning a majority of seats in parliament. Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai opposition leader Morgan TSVANGIRAI won the most votes in the presidential poll, but not enough to win outright. In the lead up to a run-off election in June 2008, considerable violence against opposition party members led to the withdrawal of TSVANGIRAI from the ballot. Extensive evidence of violence and intimidation resulted in international condemnation of the process. Difficult negotiations over a power-sharing "government of national unity," in which MUGABE remained president and TSVANGIRAI became prime minister, were finally settled in February 2009, although the leaders failed to agree upon many key outstanding governmental issues. MUGABE was reelected president in 2013 in balloting that was severely flawed and internationally condemned. As a prerequisite to holding the election, Zimbabwe enacted a new constitution by referendum, although many provisions in the new constitution have yet to be codified in law. In November 2017, Vice President Emmerson MNANGAGWA took over following a military intervention that forced MUGABE to resign. MNANGAGWA was inaugurated president days later, promising to hold presidential elections in 2018. In July 2018, MNANGAGWA won the presidential election after a close contest with Movement for Democratic Change Alliance candidate Nelson CHAMISA.

Geography

Location

Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia

Geographic coordinates

20 00 S, 30 00 E

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 390,757 sq km
land: 386,847 sq km
water: 3,910 sq km
country comparison to the world: 62

Area - comparative

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

Land boundaries

total: 3,229 km
border countries (4): Botswana 834 km, Mozambique 1402 km, South Africa 230 km, Zambia 763 km

Coastline

0 km(landlocked)

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Climate

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

Terrain

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

Elevation

mean elevation: 961 m
lowest point: junction of the Runde and Save Rivers 162 m
highest point: Inyangani 2,592 m

Natural resources

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

Land use

agricultural land: 42.5% (2011 est.)
arable land: 10.9% (2011 est.)/permanent crops: 0.3% (2011 est.)/permanent pasture: 31.3% (2011 est.)
forest: 39.5% (2011 est.)
other: 18% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land

1,740 sq km (2012)

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

Natural hazards

recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; air and water pollution; the black rhinoceros herd - once the largest concentration of the species in the world - has been significantly reduced by poaching; poor mining practices have led to toxic waste and heavy metal pollution

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine 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)

People and Society

Population

14,030,368 (July 2018 est.)
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
country comparison to the world: 73

Nationality

noun: Zimbabwean(s)
adjective: Zimbabwean

Ethnic groups

African 99.4% (predominantly Shona; Ndebele is the second largest ethnic group), other 0.4%, unspecified 0.2% (2012 est.)

Languages

Shona (official; most widely spoken), Ndebele (official, second most widely spoken), English (official; traditionally used for official business), 13 minority languages (official; includes Chewa, Chibarwe, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Shangani, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa)

Religions

Protestant 74.8% (includes Apostolic 37.5%, Pentecostal 21.8%, other 15.5%), Roman Catholic 7.3%, other Christian 5.3%, traditional 1.5%, Muslim 0.5%, other 0.1%, none 10.5% (2015 est.)

Demographic profile

Zimbabwe’s progress in reproductive, maternal, and child health has stagnated in recent years. According to a 2010 Demographic and Health Survey, contraceptive use, the number of births attended by skilled practitioners, and child mortality have either stalled or somewhat deteriorated since the mid-2000s. Zimbabwe’s total fertility rate has remained fairly stable at about 4 children per woman for the last two decades, although an uptick in the urban birth rate in recent years has caused a slight rise in the country’s overall fertility rate. Zimbabwe’s HIV prevalence rate dropped from approximately 29% to 15% since 1997 but remains among the world’s highest and continues to suppress the country’s life expectancy rate. The proliferation of HIV/AIDS information and prevention programs and personal experience with those suffering or dying from the disease have helped to change sexual behavior and reduce the epidemic.Historically, the vast majority of Zimbabwe’s migration has been internal – a rural-urban flow. In terms of international migration, over the last 40 years Zimbabwe has gradually shifted from being a destination country to one of emigration and, to a lesser degree, one of transit (for East African illegal migrants traveling to South Africa). As a British colony, Zimbabwe attracted significant numbers of permanent immigrants from the UK and other European countries, as well as temporary economic migrants from Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia. Although Zimbabweans have migrated to South Africa since the beginning of the 20th century to work as miners, the first major exodus from the country occurred in the years before and after independence in 1980. The outward migration was politically and racially influenced; a large share of the white population of European origin chose to leave rather than live under a new black-majority government.In the 1990s and 2000s, economic mismanagement and hyperinflation sparked a second, more diverse wave of emigration. This massive out migration – primarily to other southern African countries, the UK, and the US – has created a variety of challenges, including brain drain, illegal migration, and human smuggling and trafficking. Several factors have pushed highly skilled workers to go abroad, including unemployment, lower wages, a lack of resources, and few opportunities for career growth.

Age structure

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.)
population pyramid:

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 79.5 (2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 74.4 (2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 5.1 (2015 est.)
potential support ratio: 19.7 (2015 est.)

Median age

total: 20.2 years (2018 est.)
male: 19.9 years
female: 20.4 years
country comparison to the world: 190

Population growth rate

1.68% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60

Birth rate

34 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25

Death rate

9.9 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41

Net migration rate

-7.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208

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

Urbanization

urban population: 32.2% of total population(2019)
rate of urbanization: 2.19% annual rate of change(2015-20 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.521 million HARARE (capital) (2019)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.64 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

20 years (2015 est.)
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality rate

458 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24

Infant mortality rate

total: 31.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
male: 35.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 27.7 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 57

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 61.1 years (2018 est.)
male: 59 years
female: 63.2 years
country comparison to the world: 205

Total fertility rate

3.97 children born/woman (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33

Contraceptive prevalence rate

66.8% (2015)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 97% of population
rural: 67.3% of population
total: 76.9% of population
unimproved: urban: 3% of population
rural: 32.7% of population
total: 23.1% of population (2015 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

9.4% (2016)

Physicians density

0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Hospital bed density

1.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 49.3% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 30.8% of population (2015 est.)
total: 36.8% of population (2015 est.)
unimproved: urban: 50.7% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 69.2% of population (2015 est.)
total: 63.2% of population (2015 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

12.7% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

1.3 million (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8

HIV/AIDS - deaths

22,000 (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high (2016)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)
vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever (2016)
water contact diseases: schistosomiasis (2016)
animal contact diseases: rabies (2016)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

15.5% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 126

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

8.5% (2015)
country comparison to the world: 69

Education expenditures

6.1% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 31

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write English
total population: 86.5%
male: 88.5%
female: 84.6% (2015)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 10 years
male: 10 years
female: 10 years (2013)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 16.5%
male: 11.6%
female: 21.2% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83

Government

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Zimbabwe
conventional short form: Zimbabwe
former: Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe-Rhodesia
etymology: takes its name from the Kingdom of Zimbabwe (13th-15th century) and its capital of Great Zimbabwe, the largest stone structure in pre-colonial southern Africa

Government type

presidential republic

Capital

name: Harare
geographic coordinates: 17 49 S, 31 02 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

Independence

18 April 1980 (from the UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 18 April (1980)

Constitution

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
amendments: 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; amended many times, last in 2017 (2019)

Legal system

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

International law organization participation

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

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: President Emmerson Dambudzo MNANGAGWA (since 24 November 2017); First Vice President Constantino CHIWENGA (since 28 December 2017); note - Robert Gabriel MUGABE resigned on 21 November 2017, after ruling for 37 years
head of government: President Emmerson Dambudzo MNANGAGWA (since 24 November 2017); Vice President Constantino CHIWENGA (since 28 December 2017); Vice President Kembo MOHADI (since 28 December 2017) 
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president, responsible to National Assembly
elections/appointments: 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); election last held on 3 July 2018 (next to be held in 2023); co-vice presidents drawn from party leadership
election results: Emmerson MNANGAGWA reelected president in 1st round of voting; percent of vote - Emmerson MNANGAGWA (ZANU-PF) 50.8%, Nelson CHAMISA (MDC-T) 44.3%, Thokozani KHUPE (MDC-N) .9%, other 3%

Legislative branch

description: bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate (80 seats; 60 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies - 6 seats in each of the 10 provinces - by proportional representation vote, 16 indirectly elected by the regional governing councils, 2 reserved for the National Council Chiefs, and 2 reserved for members with disabilities; members serve 5-year terms)
National Assembly (270 seats; 210 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 60 seats reserved for women directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held for elected member on 30 July 2018 (next to be held in 2023)
National Assembly - last held on 31 July 2013 (next to be held in 2018)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ZANU-PF 34, MDC Alliance 25, Chiefs 18, people with disabilities 2, MDC-T 1; composition - men 45, women 35, percent of women 43.8%
National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ZANU-PF 179, MDC Alliance 88, MDC-T 1, NPF 1, independent 1; composition - men 185, women 25, percent of women 31.5%; note - total Parliament percent of women 34.3%

Judicial branch

highest courts: 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 upon 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

Political parties and leaders

MDC Alliance [Nelson CHAMISA]
Movement for Democratic Change - MDC-T [Thokozani KHUPE]
National People's Party or NPP [Joyce MUJURU] (formerly Zimbabwe People First or ZimPF)
National Patriotic Front or NPF [Ambrose MUTINHIRI]
Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF [Emmerson Dambudzo MNANGAGWA]
Zimbabwe African Peoples Union or ZAPU [Isaac MABUKA]

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, 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, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

Ambassador Ammon MUTEMBWA (since 18 November 2014)
chancery: 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 332-7100
FAX: [1] (202) 483-9326

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Brian A. NICHOLS (since 19 July 2018)
telephone: [263] (0) 867-701-1000
embassy: 2 Lorraine Drive, Bluffhill, Harare
mailing address: P.O. Box 3340, Harare
FAX: [263] (4) 796-488

Flag description

seven equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, red, black, red, yellow, and green with a white isosceles triangle edged in black with its base on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird representing the long history of the country is superimposed on a red five-pointed star in the center of the triangle, which symbolizes peace; green represents agriculture, yellow mineral wealth, red the blood shed to achieve independence, and black stands for the native people

National symbol(s)

Zimbabwe bird symbol, African fish eagle, flame lily; national colors: green, yellow, red, black, white

National anthem

name: "Kalibusiswe Ilizwe leZimbabwe" [Northern Ndebele language] "Simudzai Mureza WeZimbabwe" [Shona] (Blessed Be the Land of Zimbabwe)
lyrics/music: Solomon MUTSWAIRO/Fred Lecture CHANGUNDEGA
note: adopted 1994

Economy

Economy - overview

Zimbabwe's economy depends heavily on its mining and agriculture sectors. Following a contraction from 1998 to 2008, the economy recorded real growth of more than 10% per year in the period 2010-13, before falling below 3% in the period 2014-17, due to poor harvests, low diamond revenues, and decreased investment. Lower mineral prices, infrastructure and regulatory deficiencies, a poor investment climate, a large public and external debt burden, and extremely high government wage expenses impede the country’s economic performance.Until early 2009, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) routinely printed money to fund the budget deficit, causing hyperinflation. Adoption of a multi-currency basket in early 2009 - which allowed currencies such as the Botswana pula, the South Africa rand, and the US dollar to be used locally - reduced inflation below 10% per year. In January 2015, as part of the government’s effort to boost trade and attract foreign investment, the RBZ announced that the Chinese renmimbi, Indian rupee, Australian dollar, and Japanese yen would be accepted as legal tender in Zimbabwe, though transactions were predominantly carried out in US dollars and South African rand until 2016, when the rand’s devaluation and instability led to near-exclusive use of the US dollar. The government in November 2016 began releasing bond notes, a parallel currency legal only in Zimbabwe which the government claims will have a one-to-one exchange ratio with the US dollar, to ease cash shortages. Bond notes began trading at a discount of up to 10% in the black market by the end of 2016.Zimbabwe’s government entered a second Staff Monitored Program with the IMF in 2014 and undertook other measures to reengage with international financial institutions. Zimbabwe repaid roughly $108 million in arrears to the IMF in October 2016, but financial observers note that Zimbabwe is unlikely to gain new financing because the government has not disclosed how it plans to repay more than $1.7 billion in arrears to the World Bank and African Development Bank. International financial institutions want Zimbabwe to implement significant fiscal and structural reforms before granting new loans. Foreign and domestic investment continues to be hindered by the lack of land tenure and titling, the inability to repatriate dividends to investors overseas, and the lack of clarity regarding the government’s Indigenization and Economic Empowerment Act.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$34.27 billion (2017 est.)
$33.04 billion (2016 est.)
$32.82 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 127

GDP (official exchange rate)

$17.64 billion (2017 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.7% (2017 est.)
0.7% (2016 est.)
1.4% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$2,300 (2017 est.)
$2,300 (2016 est.)
$2,300 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 203

Gross national saving

23.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
19.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
8% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 77.6% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 24% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 12.6% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 25.6% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -39.9% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 12% (2017 est.)
industry: 22.2% (2017 est.)
services: 65.8% (2017 est.)

Agriculture - products

tobacco, corn, cotton, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; sheep, goats, pigs

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

Industrial production growth rate

0.3% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167

Labor force

7.907 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 67.5%
industry: 7.3%
services: 25.2% (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

11.3% (2014 est.)
80% (2005 est.)
note: data include both unemployment and underemployment; true unemployment is unknown and, under current economic conditions, unknowable
country comparison to the world: 154

Population below poverty line

72.3% (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 40.4% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

43.2 (2011 est.)
50.1 (2006)
country comparison to the world: 48

Budget

revenues: 3.8 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 5.5 billion (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

21.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-9.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208

Public debt

82.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
69.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34

Fiscal year

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.9% (2017 est.)
-1.6% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49

Central bank discount rate

7.17% (31 December 2010)
975% (31 December 2007)
country comparison to the world: 46

Commercial bank prime lending rate

18% (31 December 2017 est.)
7.1% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22

Stock of narrow money

$4.322 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$4.104 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
note: Zimbabwe's central bank no longer publishes data on monetary aggregates, except for bank deposits, which amounted to $2.1 billion in November 2010; the Zimbabwe dollar stopped circulating in early 2009; since then, the US dollar and South African rand have been the most frequently used currencies; there are no reliable estimates of the amount of foreign currency circulating in Zimbabwe
country comparison to the world: 109

Stock of broad money

$4.322 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$4.104 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114

Stock of domestic credit

$8.389 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$5.358 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115

Market value of publicly traded shares

$4.073 billion (13 April 2015 est.)
$11.82 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
$10.9 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88

Current account balance

-$716 million (2017 est.)
-$553 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130

Exports

$4.353 billion (2017 est.)
$3.366 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114

Exports - partners

South Africa 50.3%, Mozambique 22.5%, UAE 9.8%, Zambia 4.9% (2017)

Exports - commodities

platinum, cotton, tobacco, gold, ferroalloys, textiles/clothing

Imports

$5.472 billion (2017 est.)
$5.236 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, other manufactures, chemicals, fuels, food products

Imports - partners

South Africa 47.8%, Zambia 20.5% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$431.8 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$407.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157

Debt - external

$9.357 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$10.14 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$3.86 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$3.518 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$309.6 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$271.6 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102

Exchange rates

Zimbabwean dollars (ZWD) per US dollar -
1 (2017 est.)
1 (2016 est.)
(2013)
234.25 (2010)
note: the dollar was adopted as a legal currency in 2009; since then the Zimbabwean dollar has experienced hyperinflation and is essentially worthless

Energy

Electricity access

population without electricity: 11 million (2017)
electrification - total population: 34% (2017)
electrification - urban areas: 81% (2017)
electrification - rural areas: 11% (2017)

Electricity - production

6.8 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113

Electricity - consumption

7.118 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108

Electricity - exports

1.239 billion kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54

Electricity - imports

2.22 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54

Electricity - installed generating capacity

2.122 million kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111

Electricity - from fossil fuels

58% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 215

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

37% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58

Electricity - from other renewable sources

5% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 220

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 218

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 218

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 215

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 217

Refined petroleum products - consumption

27,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 217

Refined petroleum products - imports

26,400 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 217

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 216

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 216

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 216

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 210

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

12.06 million Mt (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 264,150
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 14,092,104
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 102 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68

Telephone system

general assessment: continued economic instability given fractious elections in 2013 and infrastructure limitations, such as reliable power, hinder progress; competition has driven rapid expansion of telecommunications, particularly cellular voice and mobile broadband, in recent years; 3 mobile network operators continue to invest in m-commerce and m-banking facilities; 3G and VoIP services are widely available with 4G/LTE service being deployed (2018)
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, fiber-optic cable, VSAT terminals, and a substantial mobile-cellular network; Internet connection is most readily available in Harare and major towns; two government owned and two private cellular providers; fixed-line 2 per 100 and mobile-cellular 102 per 100 (2018)
international: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 5 international digital gateway exchanges; fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable

Broadcast media

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

Internet country code

.zw

Internet users

total: 3,363,256
percent of population: 23.1% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 187,310
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109

Military and Security

Military expenditures

2.17% of GDP (2018)
1.93% of GDP (2017)
2.22% of GDP (2016)
2.34% of GDP (2015)
2.33% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 43

Military and security forces

Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF): Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) (2019)

Military service age and obligation

18-22 years of age for voluntary military service (18-24 for officer cadets; 18-30 for technical/specialist personnel); no conscription; women are eligible to serve (2019)

Transportation

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 2 (2015)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 4 (2015)
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 370,164 (2015)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 962,642mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Z (2016)

Airports

196 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 29

Airports - with paved runways

total: 17 (2013)
over 3,047 m: 3 (2013)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2013)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2013)
914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 179 (2013)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2013)
914 to 1,523 m: 104 (2013)
under 914 m: 72 (2013)

Pipelines

270 km refined products (2013)

Railways

total: 3,427 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 3,427 km1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2014)
country comparison to the world: 58

Roadways

total: 97,267 km (2019)
paved: 18,481 km (2019)
unpaved: 78,786 km (2019)
country comparison to the world: 49

Waterways

(some navigation possible on Lake Kariba) (2011)

Ports and terminals

river port(s): Binga, Kariba (Zambezi)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

Namibia has supported, and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to, plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river; South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 10,964 (Democratic Republic of Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 8,060 (Mozambique) (2019)
IDPs: 59,125 (tropical cyclone, 2019) (2019)
stateless persons: 300,000 (2016)

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Zimbabwe is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Zimbabwean women and girls from towns bordering South Africa, Mozambique, and Zambia are subjected to forced labor, including domestic servitude, and prostitution catering to long-distance truck drivers; Zimbabwean men, women, and children experience forced labor in agriculture and domestic servitude in rural areas; family members may recruit children and other relatives from rural areas with promises of work or education in cities and towns where they end up in domestic servitude and sex trafficking; Zimbabwean women and men are lured into exploitative labor situations in South Africa and other neighboring countries
tier rating: Tier 3 - Zimbabwe does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government passed an anti-trafficking law in 2014 defining trafficking in persons as a crime of transportation and failing to capture the key element of the international definition of human trafficking – the purpose of exploitation – which prevents the law from being comprehensive or consistent with the 2000 UN TIP Protocol that Zimbabwe acceded to in 2013; the government did not report on anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts during 2014, and corruption in law enforcement and the judiciary remain a concern; authorities made minimal efforts to identify and protect trafficking victims, relying on NGOs to identify and assist victims; Zimbabwe’s 2014 anti-trafficking law required the opening of 10 centers for trafficking victims, but none were established during the year; five existing shelters for vulnerable children and orphans may have accommodated child victims; in January 2015, an inter-ministerial anti-trafficking committee was established, but it is unclear if the committee ever met or initiated any activities (2015)

Illicit drugs

transit point for cannabis and South Asian heroin, mandrax, and methamphetamines en route to South Africa

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