Attendance is mandatory for primary level.
Adult literacy: 76%. 11% illiteracy for children under 15 compared to an average of 37% for the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Health

Infant mortality rate - 72/1,000
Under five mortality rate (2000): 117 per 1000
Life expectancy - men 38 (2001 est.), women 40 (2001 est.)
HIV prevalence: almost 25% (2.3 million)
US State Department Bureau of African Affairs.

Economy

Zimbabwe's economy relies heavily on agricultural crops such as tobacco, cotton, and sugarcane, and on related manufacturing industries such as textiles and sugar production. Mining, primarily gold, is also a major activity.

Zimbabwe's government owes more than $4.5bn to the African Development Bank, the European Investment Bank, the World Bank and a number of Western countries.

Zimbabwe Gross National Product (GNP), which is the total dollar value
of all final goods and services produced for consumption in society, during 2001 is -8.4%. In 1997, it was at 7.3%. It is estimated that 64% of the population live on less than $2 a day (Jubilee 2000 website). And the unemployment rate is over 60%.

Major import trading partners: South Africa 41.8%, UK 7.1%, Mozambique 3.9%, US 3.2%, Germany 2.6%

Major export trading partners: South Africa 13.1%, UK 9.3%, Japan 8.4%, Germany 6.5%, China 5.9%

There is a current economic crisis as a result of:

• Declining prices for its exports
• Poor economic policies
• Decrease in tobacco exports following farm invasions
• Loss of investor confidence due to domestic policies
• Flooding and drought have also had an adverse effect
  

World Bank analysis

The economy shrunk by -4.8% in 2000 and -8.4% in 2001. During 2001 average growth rate for African economies was 4.3%. Only 16 African countries recorded growth rates of less than 3%. (World Bank country data sheet)

Since 1999 inflation has risen 100% (US State department)
Inflation now at 175% (Guardian, 7th Jan 2003)

As of May 2000, Zimbabwe has been in arrears with the World Bank and IMF. Until arrears are cleared, the World Bank & IMF can lend Zimbabwe no more money.

The country is suffering a critical shortage of foreign exchange. Consequently there are shortages of fuel. This has also contributed to the food shortage.

Due to the uncertain political situation, direct foreign investment into the country has all but evaporated.


Development /Donor Coordination

Donors have scaled down their operations to activities in social sectors including HIV/AIDS, social protection and human rights/governance type programmes. Increased donor support would be contingent upon progress in orderly land reform and macroeconomic stabilization. A large number of international NGOs are still very active with community level programmes.