Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate was 1.51 % change on previous year in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
1.51 % change on previous year
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
21st
of 234 countries
All-time high
4.18 % change on previous year
in 1966
All-time low
0.0413 % change on previous year
in 2007
Years of data
75
1951–2025
Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Zimbabwe, 1951–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in % change on previous year.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 1.51 % change on previous year for urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.5% on the previous year and up 25.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Zimbabwe peaked at 4.18 % change on previous year in 1966 and was at its lowest, 0.0413 % change on previous year, in 2007.
That places Zimbabwe 21st out of 234 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % change on previous year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 0.6239 % change on previous year | — |
| 1952 | 0.2693 % change on previous year | -56.8% |
| 1953 | 0.7725 % change on previous year | +186.9% |
| 1954 | 1.17 % change on previous year | +51.9% |
| 1955 | 1.52 % change on previous year | +29.2% |
| 1956 | 1.8 % change on previous year | +18.7% |
| 1957 | 2.03 % change on previous year | +12.5% |
| 1958 | 2.19 % change on previous year | +8.4% |
| 1959 | 2.31 % change on previous year | +5.3% |
| 1960 | 2.38 % change on previous year | +2.8% |
| 1961 | 2.4 % change on previous year | +0.9% |
| 1962 | 2.44 % change on previous year | +1.9% |
| 1963 | 2.98 % change on previous year | +22.1% |
| 1964 | 3.69 % change on previous year | +23.7% |
| 1965 | 4.07 % change on previous year | +10.2% |
| 1966 | 4.18 % change on previous year | +2.9% |
| 1967 | 4.08 % change on previous year | -2.5% |
| 1968 | 3.79 % change on previous year | -7.2% |
| 1969 | 3.35 % change on previous year | -11.6% |
| 1970 | 3.02 % change on previous year | -9.7% |
| 1971 | 2.86 % change on previous year | -5.5% |
| 1972 | 2.72 % change on previous year | -4.9% |
| 1973 | 2.61 % change on previous year | -4.1% |
| 1974 | 2.52 % change on previous year | -3.3% |
| 1975 | 2.46 % change on previous year | -2.5% |
| 1976 | 2.42 % change on previous year | -1.7% |
| 1977 | 2.39 % change on previous year | -0.9% |
| 1978 | 2.39 % change on previous year | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 2.4 % change on previous year | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 2.43 % change on previous year | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 2.47 % change on previous year | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 2.51 % change on previous year | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 2.73 % change on previous year | +8.5% |
| 1984 | 3.05 % change on previous year | +12.0% |
| 1985 | 3.23 % change on previous year | +6.0% |
| 1986 | 3.28 % change on previous year | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 3.2 % change on previous year | -2.4% |
| 1988 | 3.01 % change on previous year | -5.9% |
| 1989 | 2.72 % change on previous year | -9.5% |
| 1990 | 2.35 % change on previous year | -13.6% |
| 1991 | 1.9 % change on previous year | -19.1% |
| 1992 | 1.37 % change on previous year | -28.3% |
| 1993 | 1.01 % change on previous year | -26.2% |
| 1994 | 0.9283 % change on previous year | -7.8% |
| 1995 | 0.8603 % change on previous year | -7.3% |
| 1996 | 0.7856 % change on previous year | -8.7% |
| 1997 | 0.7043 % change on previous year | -10.3% |
| 1998 | 0.616 % change on previous year | -12.5% |
| 1999 | 0.5212 % change on previous year | -15.4% |
| 2000 | 0.4197 % change on previous year | -19.5% |
| 2001 | 0.3108 % change on previous year | -25.9% |
| 2002 | 0.1948 % change on previous year | -37.3% |
| 2003 | 0.1139 % change on previous year | -41.5% |
| 2004 | 0.0844 % change on previous year | -26.0% |
| 2005 | 0.0628 % change on previous year | -25.5% |
| 2006 | 0.0484 % change on previous year | -23.0% |
| 2007 | 0.0413 % change on previous year | -14.6% |
| 2008 | 0.0419 % change on previous year | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 0.0492 % change on previous year | +17.5% |
| 2010 | 0.0645 % change on previous year | +31.0% |
| 2011 | 0.0862 % change on previous year | +33.6% |
| 2012 | 0.1114 % change on previous year | +29.3% |
| 2013 | 0.3315 % change on previous year | +197.5% |
| 2014 | 0.793 % change on previous year | +139.2% |
| 2015 | 1.2 % change on previous year | +51.5% |
| 2016 | 1.55 % change on previous year | +28.6% |
| 2017 | 1.82 % change on previous year | +18.0% |
| 2018 | 2.04 % change on previous year | +11.7% |
| 2019 | 2.19 % change on previous year | +7.4% |
| 2020 | 2.28 % change on previous year | +4.3% |
| 2021 | 2.32 % change on previous year | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 2.21 % change on previous year | -4.9% |
| 2023 | 1.52 % change on previous year | -31.4% |
| 2024 | 1.53 % change on previous year | +1.0% |
| 2025 | 1.51 % change on previous year | -1.5% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 1.51 % change on previous year is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.9084 % change on previous year, 1.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 1.51 % change on previous year is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.15 % change on previous year, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Zimbabwe changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | +197.5% | 0.1114 % change on previous year | 0.3315 % change on previous year |
| 1953 | +186.9% | 0.2693 % change on previous year | 0.7725 % change on previous year |
| 2014 | +139.2% | 0.3315 % change on previous year | 0.793 % change on previous year |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1.41 % change on previous year | 0.2693 % change on previous year | 2.31 % change on previous year | 9 |
| 1960s | 3.33 % change on previous year | 2.38 % change on previous year | 4.18 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.58 % change on previous year | 2.39 % change on previous year | 3.02 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.86 % change on previous year | 2.43 % change on previous year | 3.28 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.1 % change on previous year | 0.5212 % change on previous year | 2.35 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1367 % change on previous year | 0.0413 % change on previous year | 0.4197 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.02 % change on previous year | 0.0645 % change on previous year | 2.19 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.89 % change on previous year | 1.51 % change on previous year | 2.32 % change on previous year | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 18 Bangladesh 1.72 % change on previous year compare
- 19 British Virgin Islands 1.57 % change on previous year compare
- 20 Benin 1.55 % change on previous year compare
- 22 Thailand 1.5 % change on previous year compare
- 23 Kiribati 1.48 % change on previous year compare
- 24 Mauritania 1.46 % change on previous year compare
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 urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Zimbabwe?
- Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Zimbabwe was 1.51 % change on previous year in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 4.18 % change on previous year in 1966.
- What is the lowest urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0413 % change on previous year in 2007.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate?
- Zimbabwe ranks 21st out of 234 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
The year-on-year percentage change in Urban vs rural majority. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.
Computed from
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
The year-on-year percentage change in Urban vs rural majority. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.