Harare – Zimbabwe’s population grew by more than 2 million or 16% over the last decade to 15 million, according to the preliminary findings of the country’s 2022 population census released last month.
The report by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) showed that the size of the population stood at 15 178 979 as at April 2022 when the census was conducted.
It stood at 13 061 239 at the time of the last census in 2012.
“The population of Zimbabwe as at 20 April 2022 was 15 178 979, of which 7 289 558 (48%) were male and 7 889 421 (52%) were female, giving a sex ratio of 92 males for every 100 females,” the Zimstat report said.
It said this gives an annual population growth rate of 1.5% since 2012.
Harare province had the largest number of people, accounting for more than 16% of the population, followed by Manicaland (13.4%), Mashonaland West (12.5%), Midlands (12%), Mashonaland East (11.4%), Masvingo (11%), Mashonaland Central (9.1%), Matabeleland North (5.5%), Matabeleland South (5%) and Bulawayo (4.4%).
There are 3 818 992 households in the country, an average of four persons per household, the report said.
“Given a land area of 390 757km², the resultant population density stood at 39 persons per square kilometre," the report said.