The total population in Zimbabwe was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 1.9 million people (+11.18 percent). After the tenth consecutive increasing year, the total population is estimated to reach 18.88 million people and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the total population was continuously increasing over the past years.As defined by the International Monetary Fund, the total population of a country consists of all persons falling within the scope of the census.Find more key insights for the total population in countries like Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia.

This statistic shows the total population of Zimbabwe from 2013 to 2023 by gender. In 2023, Zimbabwe's female population amounted to approximately 8.79 million, while the male population amounted to approximately 7.88 million inhabitants.

The total population in Zimbabwe was estimated at 15.2 million people in 2022, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides - Zimbabwe Population - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Chart and table of Zimbabwe population from 1950 to 2025. United Nations projections are also included through the year 2100.

Zimbabwe ZW: Population: Male: Aged 0-14 data was reported at 3,416,688.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,352,649.000 Person for 2016. Zimbabwe ZW: Population: Male: Aged 0-14 data is updated yearly, averaging 2,300,243.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,416,688.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 853,756.000 Person in 1960. Zimbabwe ZW: Population: Male: Aged 0-14 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Zimbabwe – Table ZW.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Male population between the ages 0 to 14. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates using the World Bank's total population and age/sex distributions of the United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Sum;

UNICEF's country profile for Zimbabwe, including under-five mortality rates, child health, education and sanitation data.

This statistic shows the median age of the population in Zimbabwe from 1950 to 2100. The median age is the age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups; that is, half the people are younger than this age and half are older. It is a single index that summarizes the age distribution of a population. In 2020, the median age of the Zimbabwean population was 17.4 years.

Zimbabwe ZW: Population: Growth data was reported at 2.323 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.336 % for 2016. Zimbabwe ZW: Population: Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 3.036 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.887 % in 1983 and a record low of 1.061 % in 2003. Zimbabwe ZW: Population: Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Zimbabwe – Table ZW.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage . Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; Derived from total population. Population source: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision, (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

The world's most accurate population datasets. Seven maps/datasets for the distribution of various populations in Zimbabwe: (1) Overall population density (2) Women (3) Men (4) Children (ages 0-5) (5) Youth (ages 15-24) (6) Elderly (ages 60+) (7) Women of reproductive age (ages 15-49).

There is also a tiled version of this dataset that may be easier to use if you are interested in many countries.

Graph and download economic data for Population, Total for Zimbabwe (POPTOTZWA647NWDB) from 1960 to 2023 about Zimbabwe and population.

Abstract

The Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) is one of a series of surveys carried out by the Central Statistical Office (CSO) as part of the Zimbabwe National Household Survey Capability Programme. Conducted immediately following the second round of the Intercensal Demographic survey in 1988, the objective of the ZDHS was to make available to policy-makers and planners current information on fertility and child mortality levels and trends, contraceptive knowledge, approval and use and basic indicators of maternal and child health. To obtain these data, a nationally representative sample of 4201 women 15-49 was interviewed in the survey between September 1988 and January 1989.

The ZDHS is one of a series of surveys undertaken by the Central Statistical Office (CSO) as part of the Zimbabwe National Household Survey Capability Programme (ZNHSCP). The ZDHS was conducted immediately after the second round of the Intercensal Demographic Survey (ICDS) in 1988. The main objective of the ZDHS was to provide information on: - fertility levels, trends and preferences; - family planning awareness, approval and use; - maternal and child health, including infant and child mortality; - and other topics relating to family health.

The survey was designed to obtain information on family planning use similar to that provided by the 1984 Zimbabwe Reproductive Health Survey (ZRHS) and data on fertility and mortality which would complement information collected in the two rounds of the Intercensal Demographic Survey (ICDS). In addition, participation in the worldwide Demographic and Health Survey project offered an opportunity to strengthen survey capability in Zimbabwe, as well as further comparative research by contributing to the international demographic and health database.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

• Household
• Women age 15-49
• Children under five years

Universe

The population covered by the 1988 ZDHS is defined as the universe of all women age 15-49 in Zimbabwe. Eligibility for the individual interview was determined on a de facto basis, i.e., a woman was eligible if she was 15 to 49 years of age and had spent the night prior to the household interview in the household, irrespective of whether she was a usual member of the household or not.

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

To achieve this objective, a nationally representative, self-weighting sample of women 15- 49 was selected and interviewed in the survey. The ZDHS sample was drawn from the Zimbabwe Revised Master Sample (ZRMS). The ZRMS was based on the master sample constructed at the initiation of the Zimbabwe National Household Survey Capability Programme (ZNHSCP) and revised for the first round of the Intercensal Demographic Survey in 1987.

The ZRMS can be considered as a two-stage sample, which is self-weighting at the household level. The sample is stratified by eight provinces and six sectors. The sectors, which are determined by land use include: (1) communal lands, (2) large-scale commercial farming areas, (3) small-scale commercial farming areas, (4) urban and semi-urban areas, (5) resettlement schemes, and (6) national parks, forest and other areas.

A subsample of 167 enumeration areas (EAs) from the 273 EAs in the ZRMS was selected for the ZDHS, including 114 in rural areas and 53 in urban areas. The EAs were selected systematically with probability proportional to the number of households in the 1982 census. Household listings prepared prior to the 1987 ICDS were used in selecting the households to be included in the ZDHS from the selected EAs. All women 15-49 present in the households drawn for the ZDHS sample on the night before the interview were eligible for the survey.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face

Research instrument

Two questionnaires were used for the ZDHS, a household and an individual woman's questionnaire. The questionnaires were adapted from the DHS Model "B" Questionnaire, intended for use in countries with low contraceptive prevalence. A pretest was conducted, and the questionnaires were modified, taking into account the pretest results. The household and individual questionnaires were administered in Shona, Ndebele, or English, with these major languages appearing on the same questionnaire.

Information on the age and sex of all usual members and visitors in the selected households was recorded on the household questionnaire and used to identify women eligible for the individual questionnaire. Eligibility for the individual interview was determined on a de facto basis, i.e., a woman was eligible if she was 15 to 49 years of age and had spent the night prior to the household interview in the household, irrespective of whether she was a usual member of the household or not.

The individual questionnaire was used to collect information on the following topics: - Respondent's background; - Reproduction; - Contraception; - Health and breastfeeding; - Marriage; - Fertility preferences; - Husband's background and women's work; - Height and weight of children 3-60 months.

Cleaning operations

Data entry and editing began in October 1988 and was completed in February 1989, two weeks after fieldwork ended. The initiation of data processing during the fieldwork allowed the errors that were detected to be communicated immediately to the field teams for corrective measures, thus improving the quality of the data. All data processing activities were carried out in Harare, by a team of five data capture operators under a data processing coordinator. The operators were responsible for office editing and coding, as well as for the entry of the questionnaires. The computer hardware consisted of three IBM-compatible micro-computers. The Integrated System for Survey Analysis (ISSA) software package, developed by IRD for the DHS programme, was used for all phases of the data entry, editing and tabulation. Range, skip and most consistency checks were performed during the data capture itself; only the more sophisticated consistency checks were done during secondary editing.

Response rate

Of the 4789 households selected for the ZDHS, 4337 were located in the field; of these, 4107 households were successfully interviewed. Within the households successfully interviewed, 4467 women were identified as eligible, and, among these eligible women, 4201 women were interviewed. The overall response rate, which is the product of the household (95 percent) and individual (94 percent) response rates was 89 percent.

The overall response rate, which is the product of the household and individual response rate, was 89 percent for the whole sample. It was 90 percent or higher, except in Manicaland (89 percent), Mashonaland East (88 percent) and Harare/Chitungwiza (74 percent).

Sampling error estimates

Sampling error is a measure of the variability between all possible samples that could have been selected from the same population using the same design and size. For the entire population and for large subgroups, the ZDHS sample is sufficiently large so that the sampling error for most estimates is small. However, for small subgroups, sampling errors are larger and, thus, affect the reliability of the data. Sampling error is usually measured in terms of the standard error for a particular statistic (mean, percentage, ratio, etc.), i.e., the square root of the variance. The standard error can be used also to calculate confidence intervals within which the true value for the population can reasonably be assumed to fall. For example, for any given statistic calculated from a sample survey, the value of that statistic as measured in 95 percent of all possible samples with the same design will fall within a range of plus or minus two times the standard error for that statistic.

The computations required to provide sampling errors for survey estimates which are based on complex sample designs like those used for the ZDHS survey are more complicated than those based on simple random samples. The software package CLUSTERS was used to assist in computing the sampling errors with the proper statistical methodology. The CLUSTERS program treats any percentage or average as a ratio estimate, r=y/x, where y represents the total sample value for variable y and x represents the total number of cases in the group or subgroup under consideration.

In addition to the standard errors, CLUSTERS computes the design effect (DEFT) for each estimate, which is defined as the ratio between the standard error using the given sample design and the standard error that would result if a simple random sample had been used. A DEFT value of 1,0 indicates that the sample design is as efficient as a simple random sample, while a value greater than 1,0 indicates the increase in the sampling error due to the use of a more complex and less statistically efficient design. CLUSTERS also computes the relative error and confidence limits for estimates.

Sampling errors are presented below for selected variables considered to be of major interest. Results are presented in the Final Report for the whole country, urban and rural areas, three broad age groups and three educationaI levels. For each variable, the type of statistic (mean, proportion) and the base population are given in B.1 of the Final Report. For each variable, Tables B.2-B.5 present the value of the statistic, its standard error, the number of unweighted and weighted cases, the design effect, the relative standard errors, and the 95 percent confidence limits.

The relative standard error for most

This statistic shows the age structure in Zimbabwe from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, about 41.32 percent of Zimbabwe's total population were aged 0 to 14 years.

Zimbabwe ZW: Population: Total data was reported at 16,529,904.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 16,150,362.000 Person for 2016. Zimbabwe ZW: Population: Total data is updated yearly, averaging 9,753,421.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16,529,904.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 3,747,369.000 Person in 1960. Zimbabwe ZW: Population: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Zimbabwe – Table ZW.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Sum; Relevance to gender indicator: disaggregating the population composition by gender will help a country in projecting its demand for social services on a gender basis.

Abstract

In discussing census objectives, it is useful to distinguish between short-term objectives, which basically entail the delivery of data for immediate uses, and long-term aims which point more towards the infrastructure and capacity building of the statistical system. Long Term Objectives: - The provision and maintenance of a time series of relevant population data at national and sub-national levels. A series of periodic censuses, at regular intervals, is important in assessing trends. The past can be appraised, the present assessed and the future estimated based on benchmark data from censuses. - The development of national capacity to undertake censuses and related statistical activities. Zimbabwe's capability to undertake censuses and surveys has improved over the years. For example, three professionals among those directly involved in the 1992 census are working on the 2002 Census. The long-term objective of capacity building entails: - Developing Central Statistical Office (CSO)'s capacity to produce and to co-ordinate the production and dissemination of relevant, accurate and timely statistics to meet the information needs of various agencies; - Improving its capability to advise other Government departments and agencies involved in the production and dissemination of statistics; - General strengthening of the infrastructure at CSO. In this process the census project constitutes one of the major ways through which such capacity is built. It involves acquisition of significant hardware for various purposes and acquisition of skills by CSO staff through on-the-job training provided by international consultants and formal training through fellowships provided by various agencies. The type of training involved covers a wide range of areas e.g. project planning and implementation, data processing, demographic analysis, sampling techniques, etc. - Provision of a frame for other statistical activities such as the household survey programme. Since 1982, the census has become an important data set for establishing sampling frames and weighting factors for Zimbabwe's National Household Surveys Capability programme. The frame and factors are to be revised after every population census e.g. the 2002 census. It is important to stress this linkage between the census and the survey programme. In essence, the census provides the baseline for the survey programme in terms of maps and household data, which are required in creating the master sample and sub-sample for the survey programme. Immediate Objectives: In general this involves the provision of current information on demographic and related socio-economic characteristics of the population at national level and various sub-national levels to facilitate effective planning and evaluation of various programmes of government, private sector etc. This needs to be performed in a manner that ensures effective application by the various agencies representing the main census data users.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

• Households
• Individuals
• Persons aged 10 and above
• Women aged 12 - 49

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The questionnaire for the Population Census 2002 is divided into the following sections: A Household identification B Household composition and individual characteristics - For all persons (except questions 12 and 13 for people 15 years and below) C Education - for persons 3 years and older and for persons 3-24 years D Economic activity - for persons 10 years and above E Births - for women aged 12-49 years F Living conditions G Deaths in the household H Total number of persons in the households

The questionnaire is in English, and is provided as external resources.

Abstract

The 2015 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (2015 ZDHS) is the sixth in a series of Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in Zimbabwe. As with prior surveys, the main objective of the 2015 ZDHS is to provide up-to-date information on fertility and child mortality levels; maternal mortality; fertility preferences and contraceptive use; utilization of maternal and child health services; women’s and children’s nutrition status; knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases; and domestic violence. All women age 15-49 and all men age 15-54 who are usual members of the selected households and those who spent the night before the survey in the selected households were eligible to be interviewed and for anaemia and HIV testing. All children age 6-59 months were eligible for anaemia testing, and children age 0-14 for HIV testing. In all households, height and weight measurements were recorded for children age 0-59 months, women age 15-49, and men age 15-54. The domestic violence module was administered to one selected woman selected in each of surveyed households.

The 2015 ZDHS sample is designed to yield representative information for most indicators for the country as a whole, for urban and rural areas, and for each of Zimbabwe’s ten provinces (Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Matabeleland North, Matebeleland South, Midlands, Masvingo, Harare, and Bulawayo).

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

• Household
• Individual
• Children age 0-5
• Woman age 15-49
• Man age 15-54

Universe

The survey covered all de jure household members resident in the household, all women age 15-49 years, men age 15-54 years and their young children.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The 2015 ZDHS sample was designed to yield representative information for most indicators for the country as a whole, for urban and rural areas, and for each of Zimbabwe’s ten provinces: Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands, Masvingo, Harare, and Bulawayo. The 2012 Zimbabwe Population Census was used as the sampling frame for the 2015 ZDHS.

Administratively, each province in Zimbabwe is divided into districts, and each district is divided into smaller administrative units called wards. During the 2012 Zimbabwe Population Census, each ward was subdivided into convenient areas, which are called census enumeration areas (EAs). The 2015 ZDHS sample was selected with a stratified, two-stage cluster design, with EAs as the sampling units for the first stage. The 2015 ZDHS sample included 400 EAs-166 in urban areas and 234 in rural areas.

The second stage of sampling included the listing exercises for all households in the survey sample. A complete listing of households was conducted for each of the 400 selected EAs in March 2015. Maps were drawn for each of the clusters and all private households were listed. The listing excluded institutional living arrangements such as army barracks, hospitals, police camps, and boarding schools. A representative sample of 11,196 households was selected for the 2015 ZDHS.

For further details on sample selection, see Appendix A of the final report.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Four questionnaires were used for the 2015 ZDHS: - Household Questionnaire, - Woman’s Questionnaire, - Man’s Questionnaire, and - Biomarker Questionnaire.

These questionnaires were adapted from model survey instruments developed for The DHS Program to reflect the population and health issues relevant to Zimbabwe. Issues were identified at a series of meetings with various stakeholders from government ministries and agencies, research and training institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and development partners. In addition to English, the questionnaires were translated into two major languages, Shona and Ndebele. All four questionnaires were programmed into tablet computers to facilitate computer assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) for data collection, with the option to choose English, Shona, or Ndebele for each questionnaire.

Cleaning operations

CSPro was used for data editing, weighting, cleaning, and tabulation. In ZIMSTAT’s central office, data received from the supervisor’s tablets were registered and checked for inconsistencies and outliers. Data editing and cleaning included structure and internal consistency checks to ensure the completeness of work in the field. Any anomalies were communicated to the respective team through the technical team and the team supervisor. The corrected results were then re-sent to the central office.

Response rate

A total of 11,196 households were selected for inclusion in the 2015 ZDHS and of these, 10,657 were found to be occupied. A total of 10,534 households were successfully interviewed, yielding a response rate of 99 percent.

In the interviewed households, 10,351 women were identified as eligible for the individual interview, and 96 percent of them were successfully interviewed. For men, 9,132 were identified as eligible for interview, with 92 percent successfully interviewed.

Sampling error estimates

Estimates from a sample survey are affected by two types of errors: non-sampling errors and sampling errors. Non-sampling errors are the results of mistakes made in implementing data collection and data processing, such as failure to locate and interview the correct household, misunderstanding of the questions on the part of either the interviewer or the respondent, and data entry errors. Although numerous efforts were made during the implementation of the 2015 Zimbabwe DHS (ZDHS) to minimize this type of error, non-sampling errors are impossible to avoid and difficult to evaluate statistically.

Sampling errors, on the other hand, can be evaluated statistically. The sample of respondents selected in the 2015 ZDHS is only one of many samples that could have been selected from the same population, using the same design and expected size. Each of these samples would yield results that differ somewhat from the results of the actual sample selected. Sampling errors are a measure of the variability between all possible samples. Although the degree of variability is not known exactly, it can be estimated from the survey results.

Sampling error is usually measured in terms of the standard error for a particular statistic (mean, percentage, etc.), which is the square root of the variance. The standard error can be used to calculate confidence intervals within which the true value for the population can reasonably be assumed to fall. For example, for any given statistic calculated from a sample survey, the value of that statistic will fall within a range of plus or minus two times the standard error of that statistic in 95 percent of all possible samples of identical size and design.

If the sample of respondents had been selected as a simple random sample, it would have been possible to use straightforward formulas for calculating sampling errors. However, the 2015 ZDHS sample is the result of a multi-stage stratified design, and, consequently, it was necessary to use more complex formulae. Sampling errors are computed in either ISSA or SAS, using programs developed by ICF International. These programs use the Taylor linearization method of variance estimation for survey estimates that are means, proportions, or ratios. The Jackknife repeated replication method is used for variance estimation of more complex statistics such as fertility and mortality rates.

The Taylor linearization method treats any percentage or average as a ratio estimate, r = y x , where y represents the total sample value for variable y, and x represents the total number of cases in the group or subgroup under consideration.

Note: A more detailed description of estimates of sampling errors are presented in APPENDIX B of the survey report.

Data appraisal

Data Quality Tables - Household age distribution - Age distribution of eligible and interviewed women - Age distribution of eligible and interviewed men - Completeness of reporting - Births by calendar years - Reporting of age at death in days - Reporting of age at death in months - Nutritional status of children based on the NCHS/CDC/WHO International Reference Population - Completeness of information on siblings - Sibship size and sex ratio of siblings

Note: See detailed data quality tables in APPENDIX C of the report.

Population, female (% of total population) in Zimbabwe was reported at 52.38 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Zimbabwe - Population, female (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Population in the largest city (% of urban population) in Zimbabwe was reported at 29.7 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Zimbabwe - Population in the largest city - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Employment to Population Ratio for Zimbabwe (SLEMPTOTLSPZSZWE) from 1991 to 2023 about Zimbabwe, employment-population ratio, employment, and population.

Abstract

The 2010-2011 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (2010-11 ZDHS) is one of a series of surveys undertaken by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) as part of the Zimbabwe National Household Survey Capability Programme (ZNHSCP) and the worldwide MEASURE DHS programme.

The 2010-11 ZDHS is a follow-on to the 1988, 1994, 1999, and 2005-06 ZDHS surveys and provides updated estimates of basic demographic and health indicators covered in these earlier surveys. Data on malaria prevention and treatment, domestic violence, anaemia, and HIV/AIDS were also collected in the 2010-11 ZDHS. In contrast to the earlier surveys, the 2010-11 ZDHS was carried out using electronic personal digital assistants (PDAs) rather than paper questionnaires for recording responses during interviews.

The primary objective of the 2010-11 ZDHS is to provide up-to-date information on fertility levels, nuptiality, sexual activity, fertility preferences, awareness and use of family planning methods, breastfeeding practices, nutritional status of mothers and young children, early childhood mortality and maternal mortality, maternal and child health, and knowledge and behaviour regarding HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Geographic coverage

The sample for the 2010-11 ZDHS was designed to provide population and health indicator estimates at the national and provincial levels. The sample design allows for specific indicators, such as contraceptive use, to be calculated for each of Zimbabwe's 10 provinces (Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands, Masvingo, Harare, and Bulawayo).

Analysis unit

Household, individual, adult woman, adult male,

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

The sample for the 2010-11 ZDHS was designed to provide population and health indicator estimates at the national and provincial levels. The sample design allows for specific indicators, such as contraceptive use, to be calculated for each of Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces (Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands, Masvingo, Harare, and Bulawayo). The sampling frame used for the 2010-11 ZDHS was the 2002 Population Census.

Administratively, each province in Zimbabwe is divided into districts and each district into smaller administrative units called wards. During the 2002 Population Census, each of the wards was subdivided into enumeration areas (EAs). The 2010-11 ZDHS sample was selected using a stratified, two-stage cluster design, and EAs were the sampling units for the first stage. Overall, the sample included 406 EAs, 169 in urban areas and 237 in rural areas.

Households were the units for the second stage of sampling. A complete listing of households was carried out in each of the 406 selected EAs in July and August 2010. Maps were drawn for each of the clusters, and all private households were listed. The listing excluded institutional living facilities (e.g., army barracks, hospitals, police camps, and boarding schools). A representative sample of 10,828 households was selected for the 2010-11 ZDHS.

All women age 15-49 and all men age 15-54 who were either permanent residents of the selected households or visitors who stayed in the household the night before the survey were eligible to be interviewed. Anaemia testing was performed in each household among eligible women and men who consented to being tested. With the parent’s or guardian’s consent, children age 6-59 months were also tested for anaemia. Also, among eligible women and men who consented, blood samples were collected for laboratory testing of HIV in each household. In addition, one eligible woman in each household was randomly selected to be asked additional questions about domestic violence.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face

Research instrument

Three questionnaires were used for the 2010-11 ZDHS: the Household Questionnaire, the Woman’s Questionnaire, and the Man’s Questionnaire. These questionnaires were adapted from model survey instruments developed for the MEASURE DHS project to reflect population and health issues relevant to Zimbabwe. Relevant issues were identified at a series of meetings with various stakeholders from government ministries and agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and international donors. Also, more than 30 individuals representing 19 separate stakeholders attended a questionnaire design meeting on 8-9 February 2010. In addition to English, the questionnaires were translated into two major languages, Shona and Ndebele.

The Household Questionnaire was used to list all of the usual members and visitors of selected households. Some basic information was collected on the characteristics of each person listed, including his or her age, sex, education, and relationship to the head of the household. For children under age 18, survival status of the parents was determined. The data on age and sex obtained in the Household Questionnaire were used to identify women and men who were eligible for an individual interview. Additionally, the Household Questionnaire collected information on characteristics of the household’s dwelling unit, such as the source of water, type of toilet facilities, materials used for the floor of the house, ownership of various durable goods, and ownership and use of mosquito nets (to assess the coverage of malaria prevention programmes).

The Woman’s Questionnaire was used to collect information from all women age 15-49. These women were asked questions on the following topics: - Background characteristics (age, education, media exposure, etc.) - Birth history and childhood mortality - Knowledge and use of family planning methods - Fertility preferences - Antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care - Breastfeeding and infant feeding practices - Vaccinations and childhood illnesses - Marriage and sexual activity - Women’s work and husbands’ background characteristics - Malaria prevention and treatment - Awareness and behaviour regarding AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) - Adult mortality, including maternal mortality - Domestic violence

The Man’s Questionnaire was administered to all men age 15-54 in each household in the 2010-11 ZDHS sample. The Man’s Questionnaire collected much of the same information found in the Woman’s Questionnaire but was shorter because it did not contain a detailed reproductive history or questions on maternal and child health.

In this survey, instead of using paper questionnaires, interviewers used personal digital assistants to record responses during interviews.

Cleaning operations

In this survey, instead of using paper questionnaires, interviewers used personal digital assistants to record responses during interviews. The PDAs were equipped with Bluetooth technology to enable remote electronic transfer of files (e.g., transfer of assignment sheets from team supervisors to interviewers and transfer of completed questionnaires from interviewers to supervisors). The PDA data collection system was developed by the MEASURE DHS project using the mobile version of CSPro. CSPro is software developed jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau, the MEASURE DHS project, and Serpro S.A.

All electronic data files for the ZDHS were returned to the ZIMSTAT central office in Harare, where they were stored on a password-protected computer. The data processing operation included secondary editing, which involved resolution of computer-identified inconsistencies and coding of open-ended questions. Two members of the data processing staff processed the data. Data editing was accomplished using CSPro software. Office editing and data processing were initiated in October 2010 and completed in May 2011.

Response rate

A total of 10,828 households were selected for the sample, of which 10,166 were found to be occupied during the survey fieldwork. The shortfall was largely due to members of some households being away for an extended period of time and to structures that were found to be vacant at the time of the interview. Of the 10,166 existing households, 9,756 were successfully interviewed, yielding a household response rate of 96 percent. A total of 9,831 eligible women were identified in the interviewed households, and 9,171 of these women were interviewed, yielding a response rate of 93 percent. Of the 8,723 eligible men identified, 7,480 were successfully interviewed (86 percent response rate). The principal reason for nonresponse among both eligible men and women was the failure to find them at home despite repeated visits to the households. The lower response rate among men than among women was due to the more frequent and longer absences of men from the households. Nevertheless, the response rates for both women and men were higher in the 2010-11 ZDHS than in the 2005-06 ZDHS (in which response rates were 90 percent for women and 82 percent for men).

Sampling error estimates

Sampling errors for the 2010-11 ZDHS are calculated for selected variables considered to be of primary interest.

WorldPop produces different types of gridded population count datasets, depending on the methods used and end application. Please make sure you have read our Mapping Populations overview page before choosing and downloading a dataset.


Bespoke methods used to produce datasets for specific individual countries are available through the WorldPop Open Population Repository (WOPR) link below. These are 100m resolution gridded population estimates using customized methods ("bottom-up" and/or "top-down") developed for the latest data available from each country. They can also be visualised and explored through the woprVision App.
The remaining datasets in the links below are produced using the "top-down" method, with either the unconstrained or constrained top-down disaggregation method used. Please make sure you read the Top-down estimation modelling overview page to decide on which datasets best meet your needs. Datasets are available to download in Geotiff and ASCII XYZ format at a resolution of 3 and 30 arc-seconds (approximately 100m and 1km at the equator, respectively):

- Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 ( 1km resolution ): Consistent 1km resolution population count datasets created using unconstrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020.
- Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 ( 100m resolution ): Consistent 100m resolution population count datasets created using unconstrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020.
- Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 UN adjusted ( 100m resolution ): Consistent 100m resolution population count datasets created using unconstrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020 and adjusted to match United Nations national population estimates (UN 2019)
-Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 UN adjusted ( 1km resolution ): Consistent 1km resolution population count datasets created using unconstrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020 and adjusted to match United Nations national population estimates (UN 2019).
-Unconstrained global mosaics 2000-2020 ( 1km resolution ): Mosaiced 1km resolution versions of the "Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020" datasets.
-Constrained individual countries 2020 ( 100m resolution ): Consistent 100m resolution population count datasets created using constrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for 2020.
-Constrained individual countries 2020 UN adjusted ( 100m resolution ): Consistent 100m resolution population count datasets created using constrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for 2020 and adjusted to match United Nations national population estimates (UN 2019).

Older datasets produced for specific individual countries and continents, using a set of tailored geospatial inputs and differing "top-down" methods and time periods are still available for download here: Individual countries and Whole Continent.

Data for earlier dates is available directly from WorldPop.

WorldPop (www.worldpop.org - School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton; Department of Geography and Geosciences, University of Louisville; Departement de Geographie, Universite de Namur) and Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University (2018). Global High Resolution Population Denominators Project - Funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1134076). https://dx.doi.org/10.5258/SOTON/WP00645