Urban population in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Urban population was 6.86 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population in Zimbabwe, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
In 2025, urban population in Zimbabwe stood at 6.86 million. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.4% on the previous year and up 42.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in Zimbabwe peaked at 6.86 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 474,917, in 1960.
Zimbabwe ranks 84th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 642,314 | 474,917 | 854,909 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.18 million | 908,218 | 1.45 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.18 million | 1.57 million | 2.85 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.43 million | 3.00 million | 3.80 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.06 million | 3.85 million | 4.30 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.85 million | 4.37 million | 5.53 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.31 million | 5.75 million | 6.86 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More climate change data for Zimbabwe
- Population growth 1.9% (2025)
- Population, total 16.95 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 3.4% (2025)
- Urban population 40.5% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 9.6% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 4.91 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 40.0% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 28.3% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 28.3% (2025)
- CPIA public sector management and institutions cluster average 2.9 1=low to 6=high (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population in Zimbabwe?
- Urban population in Zimbabwe was 6.86 million in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 6.86 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 474,917 in 1960.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for urban population?
- Zimbabwe ranks 84th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban 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. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.