Civil liberties rating in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Civil liberties rating was 5 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
5
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
41st
of 199 countries
All-time high
6
in 1985
All-time low
4
in 1979
Years of data
53
1972–2025
Civil liberties rating in Zimbabwe, 1972–2025
Source: Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 5 for civil liberties rating in 2025.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, civil liberties rating in Zimbabwe peaked at 6 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 4, in 1979.
Zimbabwe ranks 41st of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 53 years of available data.
Civil liberties rating in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 5 | — |
| 1973 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 4 | -20.0% |
| 1980 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 5 | +25.0% |
| 1983 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 6 | +20.0% |
| 1986 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 5 | -16.7% |
| 1989 | 4 | -20.0% |
| 1990 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 5 | +25.0% |
| 1994 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 6 | +20.0% |
| 2002 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 5 | -16.7% |
| 2016 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 5 | +0.0% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 5 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 5 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.88 | 4 | 5 | 8 |
| 1980s | 5.11 | 4 | 6 | 9 |
| 1990s | 4.7 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.9 | 5 | 6 | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.5 | 5 | 6 | 10 |
| 2020s | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 41 Algeria 5 compare
- 41 Angola 5 compare
- 41 Brunei 5 compare
- 41 Burkina Faso 5 compare
- 41 Cambodia 5 compare
- 41 Comoros 5 compare
- 41 Djibouti 5 compare
- 41 Gabon 5 compare
- 41 Guinea 5 compare
- 41 Haiti 5 compare
- 41 Jordan 5 compare
- 41 Kazakhstan 5 compare
- 41 Kuwait 5 compare
- 41 Kyrgyzstan 5 compare
- 41 Maldives 5 compare
- 41 Mali 5 compare
- 41 Mauritania 5 compare
- 41 Morocco 5 compare
- 41 Niger 5 compare
- 41 Nigeria 5 compare
- 41 Oman 5 compare
- 41 Pakistan 5 compare
- 41 Palestine 5 compare
- 41 Qatar 5 compare
- 41 Tanzania 5 compare
- 41 Thailand 5 compare
- 41 Uganda 5 compare
More reference data data for Zimbabwe
- 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)
- Global number of reported disasters by size, gaps filled 0 events (2024)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 122.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 5 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Consumer price index 11,077 2010 = 100 (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is civil liberties rating in Zimbabwe?
- Civil liberties rating in Zimbabwe was 5 in 2025, according to Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest civil liberties rating recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 6 in 1985.
- What is the lowest civil liberties rating recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 4 in 1979.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for civil liberties rating?
- Zimbabwe ranks 41st out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
- Is civil liberties rating rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Civil liberties rating. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 53 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Identifies the extent of freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, and personal autonomy. Lower ratings indicate more liberties.