Total factor productivity in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Total factor productivity was 0.9731 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Total factor productivity in Zimbabwe, 1958–2023
Source: Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 0.9731 for total factor productivity in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 15.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total factor productivity in Zimbabwe peaked at 1.16 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.5618, in 2008.
That places Zimbabwe 89th out of 120 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Total factor productivity in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1958 | 0.6551 | — |
| 1959 | 0.6738 | +2.9% |
| 1960 | 0.6899 | +2.4% |
| 1961 | 0.7216 | +4.6% |
| 1962 | 0.7191 | -0.3% |
| 1963 | 0.7219 | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 0.7299 | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 0.7629 | +4.5% |
| 1966 | 0.7439 | -2.5% |
| 1967 | 0.7344 | -1.3% |
| 1968 | 0.631 | -14.1% |
| 1969 | 0.8242 | +30.6% |
| 1970 | 1 | +21.4% |
| 1971 | 1.06 | +5.7% |
| 1972 | 1.11 | +4.8% |
| 1973 | 1.1 | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 1.09 | -0.7% |
| 1975 | 1.07 | -1.9% |
| 1976 | 1.03 | -3.5% |
| 1977 | 0.947 | -8.4% |
| 1978 | 0.9122 | -3.7% |
| 1979 | 0.9333 | +2.3% |
| 1980 | 0.9928 | +6.4% |
| 1981 | 1.05 | +6.1% |
| 1982 | 1.04 | -1.4% |
| 1983 | 1.01 | -3.2% |
| 1984 | 0.9419 | -6.3% |
| 1985 | 0.9694 | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 0.9688 | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 0.9505 | -1.9% |
| 1988 | 0.9906 | +4.2% |
| 1989 | 1.01 | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 1.06 | +4.3% |
| 1991 | 1.08 | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 0.9697 | -9.8% |
| 1993 | 0.9644 | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 0.9951 | +3.2% |
| 1995 | 0.9666 | -2.9% |
| 1996 | 1.04 | +7.7% |
| 1997 | 1.04 | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 1.01 | -2.8% |
| 1999 | 0.9493 | -5.7% |
| 2000 | 0.8412 | -11.4% |
| 2001 | 0.8173 | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 0.7561 | -7.5% |
| 2003 | 0.6808 | -10.0% |
| 2004 | 0.6554 | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 0.6339 | -3.3% |
| 2006 | 0.6126 | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 0.5886 | -3.9% |
| 2008 | 0.5618 | -4.6% |
| 2009 | 0.8671 | +54.3% |
| 2010 | 0.9766 | +12.6% |
| 2011 | 1.06 | +8.2% |
| 2012 | 1.16 | +10.2% |
| 2013 | 1.15 | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 1.14 | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 1.13 | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 1.11 | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 1.13 | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 1.15 | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 1.06 | -8.3% |
| 2020 | 0.9732 | -8.0% |
| 2021 | 1 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 0.997 | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 0.9731 | -2.4% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 0.9731 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.9979, 98% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 0.9731 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.983, 99% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total factor productivity in Zimbabwe changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +54.3% | 0.5618 | 0.8671 |
| 1969 | +30.6% | 0.631 | 0.8242 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0.6645 | 0.6551 | 0.6738 | 2 |
| 1960s | 0.7279 | 0.631 | 0.8242 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.03 | 0.9122 | 1.11 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.9923 | 0.9419 | 1.05 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.01 | 0.9493 | 1.08 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7015 | 0.5618 | 0.8671 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.11 | 0.9766 | 1.16 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9858 | 0.9731 | 1 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More economy & growth data for Zimbabwe
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.02 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 131.30 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0032 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 7.89 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 465.43 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -22.97 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0112 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 27.98 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 319.78 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total factor productivity in Zimbabwe?
- Total factor productivity in Zimbabwe was 0.9731 in 2023, according to Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total factor productivity recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 1.16 in 2012.
- What is the lowest total factor productivity recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5618 in 2008.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for total factor productivity?
- Zimbabwe ranks 89th out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total factor productivity rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Total factor productivity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
This is the level of total factor productivity, relative to each country's value in 2021 (which is set to 1). This data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.