Backgrounder: Zimbabwe's progress since 2008 polls
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E-mail Xinhua, July 31, 2013
Zimbabwe has made significant progress in the social and economic spheres since the last 2008 elections though such improvement, particularly in the economy, is now threatened with stagnation due to uncertainty over the upcoming elections.
GDP
Zimbabwe's economy which had suffered a decade of economic meltdown and estimated to have shrunk by a cumulative 50 percent between 2000 and 2008, recorded its first positive growth rate of 5.7 percent in 2009 following the formation of an inclusive government by President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations.
The economy was to continue its recovery in the next two years, registering 8,1 percent in 2010 and 10,6 percent in 2011 before it slowed down to 5 percent in 2012 due to a poor agricultural season and continued bickering in the inclusive government.
Economic growth rate for 2013 is forecast at 4.4 percent in light of poor performance of the diamond sector and national elections end of this month which tend to make both local and foreign investors sit on the fence.
INFLATION
The country experienced hyperinflation during the decade-long meltdown, with the last official record putting inflation at 231 million percent in July 2008, although economic experts said the real rate was much higher.
But following the consummation of the unity government and adoption of multiple currencies in February 2009, inflation decelerated to a negative rate of -7.70 percent in December 2009.
The rate was to climb faster in the first half of 2010, reaching 0.7 percent in January, 1 percent in February, 3.5 percent in March, 4.8 percent in April and 6.1 percent in May 2010.
It marginally slowed down again in 2011, averaging 4 percent throughout the year and into 2012 wherein it ended within the targeted range of 5 percent.
In 2013, the inflation rate has remained low, averaging below three percent since January. The government is targeting the rate to remain within 5 percent by close of the year.
LIFE EXPECTANCY
Average life expectancy which had dropped from 63 years in 1990 to 37 years in 2006, had by 2012 significantly risen to 50 years for men and 47 years for women following improvements in general health care and nutrition, according to World Health Organization.
HIV/AIDS
HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe among adults aged 15-49 years was estimated to be 23.7 percent in 2001, 18.4 percent in 2005, 15.6 percent in 2007 and further declined to 13.1 percent in 2011.
AIDS related deaths are also down from 3,000 per week in 2007 to 1,000 per week, according to the National AIDS Council. It attributes the decline to improved access to antiretroviral therapy.
CHILD MORTALITY RATE
Zimbabwe's mortality rate for children under five was 105 deaths out of every 1,000 in 2006 but according to the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey Report of 2010-2011, under five mortality rate improved to 84 deaths per 1,000 live births.
IMF ARREARS
The IMF suspended Zimbabwe's voting rights in 2003 after Harare started to default on its arrears. The voting rights were eventually restored in 2010 after Harare settled close to 200 million dollars arrears with the IMF's General Resource Account in 2006.
In October 2012, the IMF eased restrictions on technical assistance to Zimbabwe and last month, it also approved the southern African country's debt clearance plan, a major step towards normalization of relations between the two. Zimbabwe's combined external debt including to institutions such as the World Bank and the Paris Club is estimated at 10.7 billion U.S. dollars. Endi
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