Living Standards
- One of the biggest indicators of Zimbabwe’s status as a developing country is its living standards. The health care in Zimbabwe is very poor and is one of the major reasons that the HIV/AIDS epidemic there is so widespread. It is the third most effected country. Poor sanitation allows for the spread of other diseases such as malaria, meningitis, and other sicknesses. Access to adequate healthcare is a staple of a developed country, one that Zimbabwe severely lacks. A UNICEF study conducted in 2011 found that one in three children in Zimbabwe suffers from malnutrition
Education in Zimbabwe is improving, after dropping during the 2000s, following the economic collapse. It is still very low though as only 32% of females and 64% of males attend school. Secondary school enrollment is much lower, only 11% of females and 32% of males attend. Enrollment for females has gradually increased, while male enrollment has been unstable. Literacy rates for the population over 15 are 85% for females and 93% for males. Although these literacy rates are high for many developing countries, this is actually a decrease in the literacy rates Zimbabwe previously held. This worsening of education in Zimbabwe is a result of the economic collapse, which will be discussed further.
population growth
The growth rate compared from the 1980s to 2010 shows a decrease in population, likely because of high rate of AIDS related death. Recently, in the 2000s, the population growth
rate has been climbing back up, as birth rates increase.