New ZIMSTAT Report Reveals More Zimbabwean Men Dying Than Women

More Zimbabwean Men Dying Than Women, Vital Statistics Report Shows

Zimbabwean men are dying in greater numbers than women, according to the latest national mortality figures released on 8 June 2026. The findings, contained in the Zimbabwe Vital Statistics Report 2023–2024 published by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, show that males accounted for the majority of registered deaths in both years under review.

The report indicates that men represented 53% of all registered deaths in 2023, while women accounted for 47%. In 2024, male deaths stood at 52.5%, compared to 47.5% among females.

Men Recorded Majority Of Deaths

Presenting the findings, statistician Perfect Makumbe said the trend was consistent across most age groups.

Makumbe said:

“During 2023, Zimbabwe recorded 56,018 registered deaths, while 54,256 deaths were registered in 2024. In both years, the number of registered deaths among males remained higher than that of females.”

The report also found that the mortality gap starts at a very young age.

Makumbe noted:

“Under-five deaths declined from 55.8% in 2023 to 44.2% in 2024, with males consistently accounting for the majority of the deaths in both years.”

Data contained in the report shows that 5,076 boys under the age of five died in 2023, compared to 4,192 girls. In 2024, 4,639 boys died before reaching their fifth birthday, while the figure for girls was 3,677.

Early Childhood Remains A Vulnerable Period

The report highlights that the first week of life remains the most dangerous period for young children.

According to the findings:

“Early neonatal deaths accounted for 47% of all under-five deaths in 2023 and 46.5% in 2024.”

Children aged between one and 11 months accounted for roughly a quarter of all under-five deaths during the period under review. Those aged between one and four years represented 18.5% of under-five deaths in 2023 and 17.4% in 2024.

The figures point to continued vulnerability during the earliest stages of life, with boys consistently recording higher mortality rates than girls.

Injuries And Diseases Driving Male Mortality

The report found that male mortality was particularly high among people aged between 20 and 59 years, with deaths peaking in the 40–44 age category.

Women generally recorded higher mortality rates only at older ages, especially from 60 years and above.

Analysis of medically certified deaths showed that non-communicable diseases remained the leading cause of death for both men and women.

However, injuries accounted for a significantly larger share of male deaths.

The report stated:

“Injuries represented 12.7% of male deaths compared to 4.8% among females.”

Road traffic accidents were identified among the leading causes of injury-related deaths. Other major contributors included hypertension, diabetes and various forms of cancer.

The report also noted a slight increase in urban deaths, rising from 52.6% in 2023 to 54.4% in 2024, while the proportion of rural registered deaths declined from 47.4% to 45.6%.