Total natural resource rents in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe: Total natural resource rents was 6.4% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
6.4%
Change on year
up 34.8%
World rank
67th
of 211 countries
All-time high
18.3%
in 2008
All-time low
2.3%
in 1972
Years of data
52
1970–2021

Total natural resource rents in Zimbabwe, 1970–2021

05101520197019952021

Source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

The most recent figure for total natural resource rents in Zimbabwe is 6.4%, measured in 2021.

The figure is up 34.8% on the previous year and down 18.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total natural resource rents in Zimbabwe peaked at 18.3% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 2.3%, in 1972.

That places Zimbabwe 67th out of 211 countries with data for 2021, putting it 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

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 3.7% 2.3% 5.0% 10
1980s 4.3% 3.5% 6.0% 10
1990s 7.6% 3.7% 10.8% 10
2000s 8.9% 3.9% 18.3% 10
2010s 5.5% 3.4% 7.9% 10
2020s 5.6% 4.7% 6.4% 2

Countries ranked near Zimbabwe

  1. 64 Ecuador 6.7% compare
  2. 65 Tanzania 6.7% compare
  3. 66 Niger 6.4% compare
  4. 68 Syria 6.4% compare
  5. 69 Ethiopia 5.9% compare
  6. 70 Madagascar 5.5% compare

See the full ranking of 211 places →

More reference data data for Zimbabwe

All data for Zimbabwe →

Frequently asked questions

What is total natural resource rents in Zimbabwe?
Total natural resource rents in Zimbabwe was 6.4% in 2021, according to The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest total natural resource rents recorded in Zimbabwe?
The highest recorded value was 18.3% in 2008.
What is the lowest total natural resource rents recorded in Zimbabwe?
The lowest recorded value was 2.3% in 1972.
How does Zimbabwe rank for total natural resource rents?
Zimbabwe ranks 67th out of 211 countries with data for 2021.
Is total natural resource rents rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
Over the last ten years it is down 18.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
The figures come from The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total natural resource rents. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Total natural resource rents
Unit
% of GDP
Source
The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
211 places, 9,209 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed

Natural resources rents are estimated as the difference between the price of a commodity and the average cost of producing it. Total natural resources rents are the sum of oil rents, natural gas rents, coal rents, mineral rents, and forest rents.