Fertility rate: births per woman (Human Fertility) in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Fertility rate: births per woman (Human Fertility) was 3.72 live births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
3.72 live births per woman
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
37th
of 236 countries
All-time high
7.23 live births per woman
in 1962
All-time low
3.63 live births per woman
in 2006
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Fertility rate: births per woman in Zimbabwe, 1950–2023
Source: Human Fertility Database (2026); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 3.72 live births per woman for fertility rate: births per woman in 2023.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and down 9.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate: births per woman in Zimbabwe peaked at 7.23 live births per woman in 1962 and was at its lowest, 3.63 live births per woman, in 2006.
That places Zimbabwe 37th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Fertility rate: births per woman (Human Fertility) in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | live births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 7.04 live births per woman | — |
| 1951 | 7.06 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1952 | 7.07 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1953 | 7.08 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1954 | 7.09 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1955 | 7.1 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1956 | 7.12 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1957 | 7.14 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1958 | 7.16 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1959 | 7.17 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1960 | 7.2 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1961 | 7.21 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1962 | 7.23 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 7.23 live births per woman | -0.0% |
| 1964 | 7.23 live births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 7.23 live births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 7.2 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1967 | 7.16 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 7.11 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1969 | 7.04 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1970 | 6.98 live births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1971 | 6.94 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1972 | 6.94 live births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 6.94 live births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 6.88 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1975 | 6.83 live births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1976 | 6.77 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1977 | 6.71 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1978 | 6.66 live births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1979 | 6.59 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 6.52 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1981 | 6.45 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1982 | 6.33 live births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1983 | 6.2 live births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 6.04 live births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1985 | 5.87 live births per woman | -2.9% |
| 1986 | 5.69 live births per woman | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 5.5 live births per woman | -3.3% |
| 1988 | 5.28 live births per woman | -4.0% |
| 1989 | 5.07 live births per woman | -3.9% |
| 1990 | 4.88 live births per woman | -3.9% |
| 1991 | 4.71 live births per woman | -3.3% |
| 1992 | 4.57 live births per woman | -3.1% |
| 1993 | 4.39 live births per woman | -3.9% |
| 1994 | 4.28 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1995 | 4.15 live births per woman | -3.1% |
| 1996 | 4.11 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 4.08 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 4.07 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 4.06 live births per woman | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 4.01 live births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 3.98 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 3.92 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 3.86 live births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 3.78 live births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 3.69 live births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 3.63 live births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 3.68 live births per woman | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 3.78 live births per woman | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 3.95 live births per woman | +4.4% |
| 2010 | 4.04 live births per woman | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 4.13 live births per woman | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 4.13 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 4.11 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 4.01 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 3.91 live births per woman | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 3.83 live births per woman | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 3.77 live births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 3.74 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 3.75 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 3.75 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 3.77 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 3.77 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 3.72 live births per woman | -1.1% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 3.72 live births per woman is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.15 live births per woman, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 3.72 live births per woman is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4 live births per woman, 93% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 7.1 live births per woman | 7.04 live births per woman | 7.17 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 7.18 live births per woman | 7.04 live births per woman | 7.23 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.82 live births per woman | 6.59 live births per woman | 6.98 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.89 live births per woman | 5.07 live births per woman | 6.52 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.33 live births per woman | 4.06 live births per woman | 4.88 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.83 live births per woman | 3.63 live births per woman | 4.01 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.94 live births per woman | 3.74 live births per woman | 4.13 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.75 live births per woman | 3.72 live births per woman | 3.77 live births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More reference data data for Zimbabwe
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.1903 °C (2026)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.2726 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.8086 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.5886 °C (2026)
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Urban area long term, annual growth rate 1.8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban area long term, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban area long term, per capita 0.0002 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate: births per woman in Zimbabwe?
- Fertility rate: births per woman in Zimbabwe was 3.72 live births per woman in 2023, according to Human Fertility Database (2026); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 7.23 live births per woman in 1962.
- What is the lowest fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.63 live births per woman in 2006.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for fertility rate: births per woman?
- Zimbabwe ranks 37th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate: births per woman rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2026); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate: births per woman. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Average number of live births a hypothetical cohort of women would have at the end of their reproductive period if they were subject during their whole lives to the fertility rates of a given period and if they were not subject to mortality.