Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in southern Africa where most people live in rural areas. Three quarters of the energy the country uses is heat.
Two thirds of that heat comes from wood and other biomass, mostly for cooking over open fires and simple stoves. Coal and oil supply the heat for mining, tobacco curing and industry. Electricity is a small part of the picture and comes from coal at Hwange and hydropower at Kariba.
The country
| Population | 17.0 million2025 |
|---|---|
| GDP per capita | US$ 3,0202025 |
| Area | 390,800 km²2024 |
| Urban population | 40%2025 |
| Access to electricity | 62%2024 |
| Access to clean cooking | 37%2024 |
| Final energy use | 74 TWh2023 |
Where the energy goes
Final energy use in Zimbabwe, 2023: 74 TWh.
- Heat74%
- Electricity11%
- Transport15%
Heat in five numbers
| Heatshare of all final energy use | 74% |
|---|---|
| Fossil heatshare of heat that comes from coal, oil and gas | 34% |
| Biomass and wastethe largest single source of heat | 66% |
| Electricityshare of final energy use, excluding transport | 11% |
| Fossil electricityshare of electricity generated from coal, oil and gas | 53% |
Heat is all fuel and district heating used in industry, buildings and agriculture. Electricity that becomes heat, for example in electric cookers and water heaters, is counted as electricity because no data is available, so the true heat share is somewhat higher.
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