Harare’s nickname is the “Sunshine City”.
Research website numbeo ranks Harare in the bottom 7% compared to the 250 cities evaluated on its overall quality of life index at June 2020. Harare scored poorly on index factors such as purchasing power (bottom three), pollution (worst 11%) and property price to income ratio (highest 11%).
On a more upbeat note, Harare’s climate places in the top 10% compared to cities in numbeo’s rankings.
Zimbabwe’s capital was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the site where the highest-denomination banknote ever was issued. On July 22, 2008, a $100 billion dollar banknote was issued in Harare. Inflation had accelerated so severe in Zimbabwe that one of these banknotes could buy just 3 eggs or 2 loaves of bread.
Harare is also where Colonel Ernest Loftus scribed a daily diary for over 91 years since May 4, 1896. That Guinness world record was established as the longest-kept personal diary ever after Loftus died at age 103 years and 178 days.
From an international trade perspective, Zimbabwe exported an estimated US$4.3 billion worth of goods around the globe in 2019. Its most valuable exports include nickel (28.6% of Zimbabwe’s global total), gold (24.9%), unmanufactured tobacco (18.3%), ferro-alloys (5.3%), jewelry (3.8%), unmounted diamonds (2.7%), sugar (1.4%), and platinum (also 1.4%) according to the International Trade Centre.
Capital Facts for Harare, Zimbabwe: Quick Reference
Geography
Capital landmarks: National Gallery of Zimbabwe, National Sports Stadium, Cathedral of St Mary and All Saints, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Harare and Al Abbas Mosque
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Harare, Zimbabwe.
- Kirsty Coventry, gold medal Olympic swimmer (born Sep. 16, 1983)
- Ryan Cairns, professional golfer (born Feb. 14, 1984)
- Cara Black, professional tennis player (born Feb. 17, 1979)
- Sugaspott, rap artist (born Jun. 14, 1984)
- Brendan Galloway, soccer player/footballer (born Mar. 17, 1996)
- Brendan Taylor, cricket batsman (born Feb. 6, 1986)
- Thom Evans, rugby player (born Apr. 2, 1985)
- Chris Hoffman, actor (born Feb. 15, 1981)
- Tendai Mtawarira, rugby player (born Aug. 1, 1985)
- Oliver Mtukudzi, reggai singer (born Sep. 22, 1952)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches mostly targeting published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a Harare resident: Hararean
Population: 1,529,920 (Harare) at August 6, 2020
Density: 4,781 people per square mile (1,846 per square kilometer)
Population: 14,885,364 (Zimbabwe) at August 6, 2020
Density: 100 people per square mile (38 per square kilometer)
Median age for all Zimbabwe: 18.7 years old
Financial
GDP: US$40.3 billion in 2019 (Zimbabwe)
GDP per person: $2,702
Note: The above country-level GDP metrics are on a Purchasing Power Parity basis and are in U.S. dollars. Credible city GDP statistics for Harare were unavailable.
Official currency used in Harare: Zimbabwean dollar notes
Research
Research Sources:
Atlas & Boots, The World’s Most Expensive Cities for Expats 2016.
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data).
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Africa: Zimbabwe.
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Field Listing: Major Urban Areas.
CityMetric, Where are largest cities in the world? 2015 edition.
Demographia, World Urban Area, 12th Annual Edition.
Guinness World Records, Highest denomination banknote.
Guinness World Records, Longest kept diary.
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Databases.
International Trade Centre, Trade Map.
Numbeo, Quality of Life Index by City.
Official Government Website, City of Harare.
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags.
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Harare.
Wikipedia, Harare Province.
Wikipedia, Zimbabwe.
WorldOMeter, Zimbabwe Population.
World Population Review, Harare Population.
On April 18, 1980 Zimbabwe separated from the United Kingdom. Zimbabweans celebrate Independence Day as a public holiday each April 18.
Harare’s urban agglomeration encompassing adjacent suburban areas covers 320 square miles (829 square kilometers). At August 6, 2020, there were an estimated 1.5 million people living in the city of Harare plus its adjacent suburban areas.
At the country level, Zimbabwe’s land area covers 149,364 square miles (386,850 square kilometers). The nation’s population count was 14.9 million inhabitants as of August 2020.
Population density is more concentrated within Zimbabwe’s capital city Harare plus surrounding suburbs, averaging 4,781 residents per square mile (1,846 per square kilometer).
Zooming out to Zimbabwe’s overall land boundaries, population density dilutes to an average 100 inhabitants per square mile (38 per square kilometer).
