Staff Reporter
THE United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) latest report says an aggregate 202 000 abortions were conducted in 2024 alone calling for the need to reignite the debate on legalizing abortion in Zimbabwe.
Abortion in Zimbabwe can only be conducted under Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1977 only allows the lawful termination of pregnancy when the pregnancy endangers the life of the mother, if the unborn child is at risk of physical or mental defects that could pose a serious risk to both mother and child, or if rape or incest is a reasonable possibility.
But behind the scenes, abortions are taking place at highly unsafe places where illegal abortion practitioners administer deadly concoctions and use wires or sharp objects to terminate pregnancies, putting women at risk for excessive bleeding, infection, and even death.
A landmark report launched Friday by UNFPA alongside the government of Zimbabwe and other partners revealed that a whopping 202 000 abortions were conducted.
The UNFPA’s 2025 State of World Population (SWOP) report titled: “The Real Fertility Crisis: The pursuit of reproductive agency in a changing world” also revealed that millions of people are unable to have the number of children they want, not because they are rejecting parenthood but economic and social barriers are stopping them.
On average, a woman in Zimbabwe will have about 4 children in her lifetime (TRF 3.9). When disaggregated by place of birth women in rural areas (about 5 children per woman – TFT 4,6 tend to have more children than those in urban areas (about 3 children per woman – TFR 3.1). Women in urban areas begin childbearing 2 years later, on average, than rural women (21.1 versus 19.4 years).
In his keynote address and in line with the 2025 SWOP report's call for greater reproductive autonomy the Minister of Health and Child Care Dr. Douglas Mombeshora said: “The Government of Zimbabwe upholds reproductive rights, empowering individuals to choose the number, timing, and spacing of children they want to have, free from coercion. Fertility rates are a key driver of Zimbabwe's continued population growth and contribute significantly to its youthful demographic structure. We will continue to support policies to ensure we prevent low birth rates.”
In Zimbabwe, fertility rates decrease as household wealth increases. Women in the lowest wealth quintile have significantly more children (5.5) compared to those in the highest quintile (2.6). Women in the lowest wealth quintile have their first birth, on average, 3 years earlier (19.0 years) than women in the highest quintile (21.9 years).
Even if women, especially those in the workplace, desire to have more children childcare responsibilities often makes it difficult for them to pursue career advancement, maintain full-time employment or engage in professional development opportunities. This in part explains why women in the highest wealth quintile have less children.
