Beef production in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Beef production was 755,211 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
755,211 tonnes
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
18th
of 198 countries
All-time high
755,211 tonnes
in 2024
All-time low
52,605 tonnes
in 1964
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Beef production in Zimbabwe, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for beef production in Zimbabwe is 755,211 tonnes, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 36.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, beef production in Zimbabwe peaked at 755,211 tonnes in 2024 and was at its lowest, 52,605 tonnes, in 1964.
Zimbabwe ranks 18th of 198 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Beef production in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 53,440 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 54,375 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1963 | 55,945 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1964 | 52,605 tonnes | -6.0% |
| 1965 | 53,440 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1966 | 67,050 tonnes | +25.5% |
| 1967 | 54,292 tonnes | -19.0% |
| 1968 | 57,198 tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1969 | 60,571 tonnes | +5.9% |
| 1970 | 72,077 tonnes | +19.0% |
| 1971 | 89,879 tonnes | +24.7% |
| 1972 | 111,088 tonnes | +23.6% |
| 1973 | 119,722 tonnes | +7.8% |
| 1974 | 88,911 tonnes | -25.7% |
| 1975 | 84,819 tonnes | -4.6% |
| 1976 | 100,336 tonnes | +18.3% |
| 1977 | 110,282 tonnes | +9.9% |
| 1978 | 106,350 tonnes | -3.6% |
| 1979 | 94,200 tonnes | -11.4% |
| 1980 | 76,410 tonnes | -18.9% |
| 1981 | 65,968 tonnes | -13.7% |
| 1982 | 76,590 tonnes | +16.1% |
| 1983 | 77,040 tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 87,703 tonnes | +13.8% |
| 1985 | 84,401 tonnes | -3.8% |
| 1986 | 73,382 tonnes | -13.1% |
| 1987 | 84,933 tonnes | +15.7% |
| 1988 | 80,242 tonnes | -5.5% |
| 1989 | 73,398 tonnes | -8.5% |
| 1990 | 81,740 tonnes | +11.4% |
| 1991 | 535,000 tonnes | +554.5% |
| 1992 | 603,751 tonnes | +12.9% |
| 1993 | 420,754 tonnes | -30.3% |
| 1994 | 434,695 tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1995 | 456,861 tonnes | +5.1% |
| 1996 | 554,244 tonnes | +21.3% |
| 1997 | 552,925 tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 582,848 tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1999 | 626,653 tonnes | +7.5% |
| 2000 | 641,570 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 622,469 tonnes | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 567,423 tonnes | -8.8% |
| 2003 | 544,536 tonnes | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 530,850 tonnes | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 550,000 tonnes | +3.6% |
| 2006 | 519,102 tonnes | -5.6% |
| 2007 | 535,351 tonnes | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 541,292 tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 587,597 tonnes | +8.6% |
| 2010 | 649,619 tonnes | +10.6% |
| 2011 | 685,900 tonnes | +5.6% |
| 2012 | 697,230 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 697,256 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 552,461 tonnes | -20.8% |
| 2015 | 622,143 tonnes | +12.6% |
| 2016 | 629,225 tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 609,788 tonnes | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 616,480 tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 629,189 tonnes | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 628,746 tonnes | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 700,000 tonnes | +11.3% |
| 2022 | 721,881 tonnes | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 744,063 tonnes | +3.1% |
| 2024 | 755,211 tonnes | +1.5% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 755,211 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 67,309 tonnes, 11.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 755,211 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 39,552 tonnes, 19.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Beef production 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +554.5% | 81,740 tonnes | 535,000 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 56,546 tonnes | 52,605 tonnes | 67,050 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 97,766 tonnes | 72,077 tonnes | 119,722 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 78,007 tonnes | 65,968 tonnes | 87,703 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 484,947 tonnes | 81,740 tonnes | 626,653 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 564,019 tonnes | 519,102 tonnes | 641,570 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 638,929 tonnes | 552,461 tonnes | 697,256 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 709,980 tonnes | 628,746 tonnes | 755,211 tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 15 South Africa 1.10 million tonnes compare
- 16 Germany 1.02 million tonnes compare
- 17 United Kingdom 934,300 tonnes compare
- 19 Colombia 743,678 tonnes compare
- 20 New Zealand 741,844 tonnes compare
- 21 Spain 718,450 tonnes compare
More agriculture & rural data for Zimbabwe
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 34.41 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0947 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 286.19 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.8815 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.595 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 9.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 9.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is beef production in Zimbabwe?
- Beef production in Zimbabwe was 755,211 tonnes in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest beef production recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 755,211 tonnes in 2024.
- What is the lowest beef production recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 52,605 tonnes in 1964.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for beef production?
- Zimbabwe ranks 18th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is beef production rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Beef production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).