Demographics of Zimbabwe

Population: 12,576,742 (July, 2003 est.), 11,342,521 (July 2000 est.)
Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected.

Age structure:
0-14 years:39.7% (male 2,517,608; female 2,471,342) (2003 est.), 39.64% (male 2,274,128; female 2,222,277) (2000 est.)
15-64 years: 56.8% (male 3,600,832; female 3,542,497) (2003 est.), 56.82% (male 3,251,860; female 3,192,888) (2000 est.)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 224,631; female 219,832) (2003 est.), 3.54% (male 204,028; female 197,340) (2000 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.9 years
female: 18.9 years (2002)
male: 18.9 year

Population growth rate: 0.83% (2003 est.), 0.26% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 30.34 births/1,000 population (2003 est.), 25 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 22.02 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.), 22.43 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003, 2000 est.)
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003, 2000 est.)
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003, 2000 est.)
65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.), 1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003, 2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 66.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.), 62.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
female: 63.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 69.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

AIDS adult infection rate: 33.7% (2001 est.), 25% (1999 estimate).

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 2.3 million (2001 est.)

Deaths from AIDS: 200,000 (2001 est.), 160,000 anually (1999 estimate).

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 39.01 years (2003 est.), 37.78 years (2000 est.)
male: 40.09 years (2003 est.), 39.18 years (2000 est.)
female: 37.89 years (2003 est.), 36.34 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.66 children born/woman (2003 est.), 3.34 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality: noun: Zimbabwean(s) adjective: Zimbabwean

Ethnic groups: African 98% (Shona 71%, Ndebele 16%, other 11%), white 1%, mixed and Asian 1%

Religions: syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%

Languages: English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write English total population: 90.7% (2003 est.), 85% (2000 est.) male: 94.2% (2003 est.), 90% (2000 est.) female: 87.2% (2003 est.), 80% (1995 est.)