Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in southeastern Africa, bordered by South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Mozambique. The nation boasts a diverse landscape that includes the high-altitude central plateau known as the Highveld, which dominates...
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With a safety index of 39/100, Zimbabwe offers below average safety conditions for expats and their families.
Zimbabwe operates a tiered visa system classifying nationalities into Category A (visa-free), Category B (visa on arrival or eVisa), and Category C (advance visa required). Citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and most EU countries fall under Category B, allowing entry with a visa on arrival at airports and major borders for tourism or business. The single-entry visa costs US$30 (30 days), double-entry US$45 (45 days), and multiple-entry US$55 (up to 12 months with supporting letter). Passports...
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26% below EU avg
40% below EU avg
35% below EU avg
58% below EU avg
Baselines based on EU averages. Source: Numbeo indices.
Capital
Harare
Timezone
UTC+02:00
Area
390,757 km²
Population
14,862,927
Zimbabwe shows a purchasing power index of 29/100, indicating below average economic conditions for expats.
GDP
$20.68B
HDI
0.6
Quality of Life
44/100
+1 vs NYC
Purchasing Power
12/100
-30 vs NYC
Understanding the economic landscape is essential for evaluating living costs and opportunities in Zimbabwe. This comprehensive overview covers key financial indicators including cost of living, housing markets, income levels, and fiscal policies that shape daily life and long-term financial planning.
Cost of Living Index
Very affordable (CPI: 35.8). Groceries (34.6), restaurants (34.3), and rent (9.3) are low compared to NYC=100 baseline.
Housing Market
Property prices average 9.0 years of household income. Rent index of 9.3 indicates affordability with urban-rural variations.
Average Income Levels
Low purchasing power index of 28.8. GDP per capita remains among world's lowest despite remittances.
Tax System
Income tax up to 40% on higher brackets, corporate tax 24.72%, VAT 14.5% standard rate. Improving revenue collection to 14.7% of GDP in 2025, but fiscal pressures persist.
Business Environment
Challenging due to macroeconomic instability, drought impacts, and fiscal crowding out private sector. Growth projected at 6% in 2025 but slowing to 4.6% in 2026.
Social Security
Limited social safety nets exposed by 2024 drought affecting rural households. High informality, low job creation, and vulnerability to climate shocks hinder coverage.
Zimbabwe features a subtropical climate influenced by its high elevation and topography, divided into distinct zones per Köppen-Geiger classification. The country spans about 391,000 km² with diverse regions from cooler Highveld plateaus to warmer Lowveld areas.
5 distinct climate regions — see full guide for details
Read full guideLife Expectancy
61.2
Population
14,862,927
Religions
Ethnic Composition
Research in Progress
We're currently analyzing expat perspectives for Zimbabwe. Check back soon for insights from real experiences!
We're gradually rolling out this feature and continuously improving the insights. The data is based on real expat discussions and will become more comprehensive over time.
Zimbabwe is a full presidential republic led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa of ZANU-PF since 2017, with a bicameral parliament dominated by the ruling party following the 2023 elections. The country faces ongoing economic challenges, political tensions within the ruling elite, and concerns over power consolidation and democratic backsliding.
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Capital
HarareLanguages
Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Chewa, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language
UN Member
Yes
Major Cities
Population
14,862,927
Currency
ZWL
Timezone
UTC+02:00
Calling Code
+263
Week starts on
Monday
Gini Coefficient
50.3 (2019)
Traffic side
left side
Data Source: Safety, crime, and quality metrics are sourced from Numbeo, a crowd-sourced global database of reported data.
All scores are relative comparisons on a 0-100 scale, where 50 = global average. Higher scores mean better than average, lower scores mean worse than average.