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Zimbabwe GDP and Economic Data

Country Report 2017 - Includes Zimbabwe real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.

Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Zimbabwe economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Zimbabwe best banks and safest banks are also available.

Zimbabwe: Mugabe Woos Foreign Investors

Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe is one of Africa’s last old-school dictators. But he’s proving that he may be able to change—for the better. In the decade ending in 2008, Zimbabwe’s economy shrank at an annual rate of 6.1%. Then, in 2009, the country adopted the US dollar. Since then, growth has averaged nearly 8% per year...

 
 
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Central bank

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe

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International Reserves

USD 0.09 billion (2018)

International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019

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Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 26.1 billion (2018, estimate)

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GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Intl$ 42.5 billion (2018, estimate)

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Real GDP growth
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
-3.4% -16.3% 7.4%  19.7% 14.2% 16.7% 2%
2014 2015* 2016* 2017* 2018*    
2.4% 1.8% 0.7% 4.7% 3.4%    

*Estimate

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GDP per capita - current prices

USD 1,711.8 (2018, estimate)

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GDP per capita - PPP

Intl$ 2,787.6 (2018, estimate)

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GDP (PPP) - share of world total
1980 1990 2000 2010 2019*
N/A N/A 0.05% 0.02% 0.03%

*Estimate

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GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 12.1% 
  • industry: 32.5% 
  • services: 44.7%

(2018 estimate)

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Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

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Inflation
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
-2.4% -1.6% 0.9% 10.6% 161.8%

*Estimate

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Unemployment rate
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

*Estimate

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Household saving rates

N/A

 

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Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017* 2018* 2019*
41.8% 54.2% 54.9% 37.1% 17.7%

*Estimate

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Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017* 2018* 2019*
-1.4% -6.2% -8.1% -4.5% -2.7%

*Estimate   

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Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: N/A

Moody's: N/A

Standard & Poor's / Moody's 

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Market value of publicly traded shares
2016 2017 2018
N/A N/A N/A

 

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Largest companies

N/A

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Current account balance

USD -0.9 billion (2017 estimate)

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Current account balance by percentage of GDP

-6.1% (2017 estimate)

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Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

25.9% (2015)

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Shares in world total merchandising export

0.02% (2015)

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Shares in world total commercial services export

0.008% (2012)

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Total exports

USD 3.3 billion (2016 estimate)

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Export commodities

Platinum, cotton, tobacco, gold, ferroalloys, textiles/clothing

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Total imports

USD 5.7 billion (2016 estimate)

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Import commodities

Machinery and transport equipment, other manufactures, chemicals, fuels, food products

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Exports - major partners

China 27.8%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 14%, Botswana 12.5%, South Africa 7.6% (2015)

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Imports - major partners

South Africa 48.1%, China 12.1%, India 5.2%, Zambia 4.6% (2015)

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FDI inflows
2013 2014 2015
USD 400 million USD 545 million USD 421 million
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FDI outflows
2013 2014 2015
USD 27 million USD 72 million USD 22 million
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Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2012 2013 2014 2015
N/A N/A USD 1.2 million N/A
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Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

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Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

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Best countries for doing business

Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking: 161 out of 190 countries (2017)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 183 out of 190 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 165 out of 190 countries

Registering Property: 111 out of 190 countries

Getting Credit: 82 out of 190 countries

Protecting Minority Investors: 102 out of 190 countries

Trading Across Borders: 148 out of 190 countries

Paying Taxes: 164 out of 190 countries

Dealing with Construction Permits: 181 out of 190 countries

Getting Electricity: 165 out of 190 countries

Resolving Insolvency: 145 out of 190 countries

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Global competitiveness ranking

126 out of 138 countries

(2016-2017)

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Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 175 / Score: 38.23 (Repressed) (2016)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

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Time zone

UTC+2

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Total area

390,757 sq km

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Capital

Harare

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Currency

Zimbabwean dollars (ZWD)

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Government type

Semi-presidential republic

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Languages

Shona (official; most widely spoken), Ndebele (official, second most widely spoken), English (official; traditionally used for official business), 13 minority languages (official; includes Chewa, Chibarwe, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Shangani, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa)

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Religions

Protestant 75.9% (includes Apostolic 38%, Pentecostal 21.1%, other 16.8%), Roman Catholic 8.4%, other Christian 8.4%, other 1.2% (includes traditional, Muslim), none 6.1% (2011 est.)

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Total population
1990 2000 2010 2016* 2021*
9.786 million 11.693 million 12.34 million 14.501 million 16.481 million

*Estimate 

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Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2015
13% 22% 34% 32%
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Population median age

20.6 years (2016 estimate)

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Population growth rate

2.2% (2016 estimate)

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Life expectancy

58 years (2016 estimate)

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Literacy

Total population: 86.5%
Male: 88.5%
Female: 84.6% (2015 est.)

(age 15 and over can read and write English)

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% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

16.3% (2011)

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Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

43.2 (2011)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

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Freedom House rating

Political Rights: 5
Civil Liberties: 5 (2017)                         

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)

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Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed 2.22%   Mobile 84.79% (2015)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

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Internet users as % of total population

16.36% (2015)

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Mercer Cost of living index

Harare: 157th (2016) 

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CO2 emissions

0.9 (2013)

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World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks

2013
2012

World's Best Internet Banks

2009

World's Best Subcustodian Banks

2013
2003

World's Best Banks By Region

2014
2013
2012

World's Best Banks

2014
2013
2013

Best of…

2012
2005

Additional Awards

2014
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