MARTIN MAWAYA
HARARE-The Zimbabwe government has revised its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to $44.4 billion from the initial estimate of $35.2 billion, a 26 percent jump in the country’s overall economic output.
GDP measures the monetary value of final goods and services—that is, those that are bought by the final user—produced in a country over a given period of time (say a quarter or a year). It counts all of the output generated within the borders of a country.
This substantial increase is attributed to the positive results from the Economic Census conducted during the period of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025.
Agriculture, mining and tourism remain the main pillars of the Zimbabwean economy, with exports of agricultural commodities and minerals led by gold, nickel, and tobacco accounting for nearly 90% of total merchandise exports.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and Fidelity Gold Refinery statistics shows that gold exports jumped to US$748.24 million between January and May 2025, a sharp rise from US$599.04 million recorded during the same period in 2024.
Tobacco total value of sales surged to over US$1.12 billion in July, up from the US$766 million recorded in 2024.
According to Government spokesperson Minister Jenfan Muswere, the improvement in the GDP figures reflect the inclusion of a larger number of business entities that have emerged since 2019, which was the previous base year.
“This has resulted in an improved Gross Net Income (GNI), which increased from $2,259 to $2,859 in 2023, and from the projected $2,228 to $2,893 in 2024,” he said.
The minister stated that per capita income is projected to surpass $3,000 in 2025, indicating Zimbabwe’s progress towards Upper Middle-Income status.
The government also provided updates on the progress of various Mid-Cycle Priority Projects for the Second 100-Day Cycle of 2025.
These projects, overseen by the Ministries of Higher Education and National Housing include the construction of student hostels, industrial training centers, agro-innovation centers, and the servicing of residential stands across the country.
