Zimbabwe
Southern Africa
Africa
A moderately priced Southern African economy with English as a working language and a 5-year citizenship path, but a weak passport (~61 destinations) and weak institutions.
24
Overall score
Low · Penalty applied · 96% data coverage
Language
English, Shona, NdebeleCurrency
ZWGCitizenship
5 yearsPersonal tax
PwC does not publish a headline personal tax rate for Zimbabwe.Cost of living
Consumer price level 64 (world = 100, 2021)Rules change often. Confirm any immigration, tax or legal decision with a qualified professional.
Score breakdown
45
Access
17%40Residence12%
56Citizenship and passport5%
41
Earning power
25%44Salary and work12%
39Buying power13%
34
Business and wealth
20%40Taxes7%
30Business8%
33Investment5%
36
Daily life
25%35Quality of life18%
38Education7%
22
Rights and institutions
13%37Freedom6%
10Rule of law7%
Healthcare collapse (23) cut the overall score from 36 to 28.
Weak rights and institutions (22) cut the overall score from 28 to 24.
Pros
- Human development score 60/100
- Relative affordability score 44/100
- Internet use 42%
Cons
- Institutional environment score 26/100
- Passport mobility score 32/100
- Tax friendliness score 40/100
Best for
English-speaking applicantsResidents prioritizing opportunity over low pricesPeople with a confirmed local employment or study route
Score profile
Access
Residence
40
Citizenship
69
Passport
34
Earning power
Salary & work
44
Buying power
39
Cost of living
62
Economy
34
Business and wealth
Taxes
40
Personal tax
40
Corporate tax
40
Business
30
Investment
33
Wealth building
41
Daily life
Safety
47
Healthcare
23
Environment
76
Infrastructure
38
Education
38
HDI
60
Rights and institutions
Freedom
37
Rule of law
10
Access
Residence
Openness to residents
40Limited
Migrant stock2.6% of population (2024)
Regulatory quality-1.18 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Main pathways
Employment residenceStudy residenceFamily reunificationBusiness or investment residence where eligible
| Student | Admission, proof of funds, accommodation, insurance, and immigration approval are normally required; work rights vary. |
|---|---|
| Work | A local employer, qualifying occupation, or other work authorization is normally required; labour-market tests may apply. |
| Self-employed | Business registration, tax registration, and a residence or work authorization suitable for self-employment are generally required. |
| Permanent | Eligibility depends on years and continuity of lawful residence, route, income, character, and country-specific legislation. |
Citizenship
Citizenship accessibility
69Good
| Years required | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Dual allowed | Yes |
| Language | Language, integration, character, and documentation requirements depend on the nationality law and route. |
| Residence | Headline ordinary naturalization period: 5 years. Continuous residence and absence rules may apply. |
| Notes | This is a statutory headline from a sourced comparison table. Confirm the current nationality law and administrative practice before relying on it. |
Passport
Passport power
34Limited
68 / 198
Mobility
#74
Global rank
Yes
Biometric
- Visa-free27
- On arrival39
- eTA2
- Visa required130
Placeholder estimates for 2024 to 2025. Check entry rules with each destination before travelling.
Earning power
Salary & work
Labour-market strength
44Limited
Output per worker$14,381 PPP (2024)
Unemployment9.3% (2025)
Participation67.7% of 15+ (2025)
| Tech salary (estimate) | GNI per capita benchmark: $6,390 PPP (2025); this is not a technology salary quote. |
|---|---|
| Freelance | Internet use is 42%; remote and freelance access still depends on payments, language, regulation, and immigration status. |
| Job market | Latest comparable unemployment rate: 9.3%. Role-specific demand varies substantially by city and sector. |
Buying power
Purchasing power score
39Limited
GNI / person$6,390 PPP (2025)
Consumption / person$2,456 PPP (2021)
Price level64 (US = 100) (2021)
Income inequality50.3 Gini (2019)
Inflation104.7% / yr (2022)
Cost of living
Affordability
62Moderate
Price level64 (US = 100) (2021)
| Rent | Model benchmark: about $390 monthly housing share; derived from the World Bank consumer price level, not a market listing. |
|---|---|
| Monthly | Model benchmark: about $970 / month at a US$1,500 world-price baseline. |
| Cities | Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare |
Economy
Economic strength
34Limited
Output & income
GDP$51.2B (2025)
GDP / person$3,021 (2025)
GNI / person$6,390 PPP (2025)
GDP growth1.7% / yr (2024)
Stability & labour
Inflation104.7% / yr (2022)
Unemployment9.3% (2025)
Output per worker$14,381 PPP (2024)
Sector composition
Agriculture9.5% of GDP (2025)
Industry37.1% of GDP (2025)
Services48.2% of GDP (2025)
Main industries
Mining (gold, platinum)Agriculture (tobacco)Manufacturing
Top exports
GoldPlatinum group metalsTobaccoNickel
| Type | Lower-middle-income, mining- and agri-led |
|---|---|
| Key sectors | Mining, Tobacco agriculture |
| Summary | A mineral- and tobacco-rich economy long hampered by currency instability and bouts of hyperinflation. |
| Currency | Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG); US dollars widely used |
Business and wealth
Taxes
Tax friendliness
40Limited
| Personal | PwC does not publish a headline personal tax rate for Zimbabwe. |
|---|---|
| Corporate | PwC does not publish a headline corporate tax rate for Zimbabwe. |
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary. |
| Dividends | Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility. |
| Exit tax | No harmonized cross-country answer; verify current deemed-disposal and residence-cessation rules. |
| Foreign companies | Permanent-establishment, management-and-control, transfer-pricing, withholding, and reporting rules may apply. |
Personal tax
Personal tax
40Limited
| Personal | PwC does not publish a headline personal tax rate for Zimbabwe. |
|---|---|
| Freelance | Freelancers typically need appropriate immigration permission plus business and tax registration. |
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary. |
| Dividends | Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility. |
| Exit tax | No harmonized cross-country answer; verify current deemed-disposal and residence-cessation rules. |
Corporate tax
Corporate tax
40Limited
| Corporate | PwC does not publish a headline corporate tax rate for Zimbabwe. |
|---|---|
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary. |
| Dividends | Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility. |
| Foreign companies | Permanent-establishment, management-and-control, transfer-pricing, withholding, and reporting rules may apply. |
Business
Business friendliness
30Limited
Regulation & bureaucracy
Regulatory quality-1.18 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Government effectiveness-0.99 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Operating rules
| Foreign company | Foreign ownership is generally possible, subject to sector restrictions, licensing, local-participation rules, and beneficial-ownership checks. |
|---|---|
| Local company | Local company forms are available; registration, tax, capital, director, address, and licensing requirements vary. |
| Freelance | Freelancers typically need appropriate immigration permission plus business and tax registration. |
Investment
Investing environment
33Limited
Market cap36% of GDP (1999)
Private credit6% of GDP (2023)
| Capital gains | Capital-gains treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position. |
|---|---|
| Dividends | Data not available yet |
| ETFs & funds | Data not available yet |
| Wealth tax | Verify current national and subnational net-wealth, property, inheritance, and transfer taxes. |
| Brokers | Local and international broker access depends on residency, exchange controls, sanctions screening, and platform onboarding. |
| Foreign access | Data not available yet |
| Tax-advantaged | Data not available yet |
Wealth building
Wealth accumulation
41Limited
Salary & work
44Limited
Business
30Limited
Investment
33Limited
Tax friendliness
40Limited
Cost of living
62Moderate
Daily life
Safety
Safety & stability
47Moderate
Institutions & stability
Control of corruption-1.25 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Political stability-1.02 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Check current government travel and security advice before relocating.
Healthcare
Healthcare score
23Low
Outcomes
Life expectancy63.1 years (2024)
Under-5 mortality64.7 per 1,000 births (2024)
Capacity & resourcing
Physicians0.14 per 1,000 (2023)
Hospital beds1.95 per 1,000 (2014)
Health spending$103 PPP / person (2023)
System & costs
| System | Public and private provision coexist; eligibility, service quality, and capacity vary by location. |
|---|---|
| Insurance | Insurance and proof-of-cover requirements depend on immigration status, employer, and residence route. |
| Average cost | Health expenditure: $103 PPP per person (2023). |
Environment
Environment score
76Good
Environmental pressure
PM2.5 exposure15.0 μg/m³ annually (2023)
Water stress46.1% (2022)
Infrastructure
Infrastructure score
38Limited
Digital infrastructure
Internet use41.6% (2024)
Internet resilience34 / 100 (2026)
Fixed speed55 / 100 download index (2026)
Mobile speed51 / 100 download index (2026)
Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators · Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Index
Utilities
Electricity access62.0% (2023)
Grid losses23.0% of output (2023)
Transport
Transport quality2.40 / 5 (2022)
Rail density8.1 km / 1,000 km² (2020)
Air connectivity123 departures / million people (2023)
Education
Education score
38Limited
Attainment
Expected schooling11.1 years (2023)
Mean schooling8.9 years (2023)
Participation & investment
Tertiary enrolment8% gross (2024)
Education spending0.4% of GDP (2023)
| Tuition | Fees vary by institution, programme, level, and nationality; no harmonized official tuition series is used. |
|---|---|
| Public university | Check current public-university fee schedules and scholarship rules directly with each institution. |
| Languages | English, Shona, Ndebele |
| Student work | Student employment rights vary by permit and may require separate authorization or hour limits. |
HDI
Human development score
60Moderate
HDI0.598 (2023)
Knowledge
Expected schooling11.1 years (2023)
Mean schooling8.9 years (2023)
Rights and institutions
Freedom
Freedom score
37Limited
| Freedom in the World | 28 / 100 (Not free) |
|---|---|
| Freedom on the Net | 50 / 100 (Partly free) |
Sources
Rule of law
Rule of law score
10Low
| Rule of Law percentile | 10 / 100 |
|---|
Sources
Resources
Official references
UN Statistics: M49 country and area codesunstats.un.orgUNDP Human Development Report 2025hdr.undp.orgInternet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Indexpulse.internetsociety.orgWorld Bank World Development Indicatorsdata.worldbank.orgPwC: Zimbabwe corporate tax headlinetaxsummaries.pwc.comPwC: Zimbabwe personal tax headlinetaxsummaries.pwc.comNaturalization comparison and linked nationality lawsen.wikipedia.orgHenley Passport Index 2026 summaryen.wikipedia.org
Quick links
Data is illustrative. Not legal or tax advice.