Zimbabwe’s population is about 12.9 million people, a 1.1 percent increase from 2002 when the country had 11.6 million, according to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStats) which Monday released preliminary results from the August 2012 population census.
ZimStats board chairman, Douglas Hoto, told journalists in Harare that at this rate, the country’s population is likely to double in 70 years.
“The results show that Zimbabwe’s population density is 33 persons per square kilometre, given that its area is 392 757 square kilometers,” Hoto said.
The census also revealed that there are 93 men for every 100 women in the country.
The distribution of the population by provinces shows that Harare is the most populous with 16 percent of the total population, followed by Manicaland with 14 percent, Midlands 13 percent, Masvingo and Mashonaland West 11 percent each, Mashonaland Central 9 percent, Matabeleland North 6 percent, and Bulawayo as well as Matabeleland South 5 percent each.
Harare has 2,098199 people and Bulawayo 655, 775. Bulawayo recorded a decrease in its population with a growth rate of minus 3 percent while Mashonaland East and West provinces had the highest growth rates of 1.7 percent.
The data also shows that on average, each household has just over 4 people.
ZimStats manager, Washington Mapeta, told VOA Studio 7 that he can only confirm that the figures are correct, but cannot entertain any questions until Tuesday when he is given a go-ahead by his superiors.
However, independent analyst, Rejoice Ngwenya of the Liberal Market Solutions, said the statistics are likely to spark debate because they can be interpreted politically.
