Life Expectancy in Zimbabwe (2024): Men 60.5, Women 65.3

Life expectancy in Zimbabwe since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Zimbabwe has risen by 9.6 years, from 53.5 to 63.1. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 1.0 years (from 61.1 in 2019 to 60.1 in 2021) and has since recovered. Women live 4.8 years longer than men (65.3 vs 60.5).

Expected age at death in Zimbabwe by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	60.5	65.2	66.5	71.0	82.6
Women	65.3	70.3	71.3	74.6	84.0

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Zimbabwe’s figures (method).

How people die in Zimbabwe

Chronic diseases: 42.7%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 47.5%
Injuries: 9.8%

In 2019, 43% of deaths in Zimbabwe were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Zimbabwe man has a 30% chance and a woman 32% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 41.2 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Zimbabwe, about 64.7 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Zimbabwe compared with its region

Zimbabwe is in the World Bank’s Sub-Saharan Africa region, where the average life expectancy is 64.8 years. It ranks #32 of 48 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
28	Burundi	63.8	61.8	65.9
29	Kenya	63.8	61.6	66.1
30	Madagascar	63.8	62.1	65.6
31	Mozambique	63.8	60.5	66.7
32	Zimbabwe	63.1	60.5	65.3
33	Togo	62.9	62.7	63.2
34	Liberia	62.3	61.0	63.6
35	Congo (DRC)	62.1	60.0	64.2
36	Côte d'Ivoire	62.1	60.2	64.3

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Zimbabwe?

63.1 years in 2024: 60.5 for men and 65.3 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Zimbabwe?

Yes. Women in Zimbabwe live about 4.8 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Zimbabwe rank for life expectancy?

Zimbabwe ranks #200 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 10.4 years below the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Zimbabwe?

Life expectancy at birth (63.1) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Zimbabwe can expect to live to about 66.5, and a 40-year-old woman to about 71.3.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.