Zimstat: Majority of new prisoners were employed
Zimbabweans now make up the majority of newly admitted prisoners, according to the latest figures released by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat), pointing to complex socio-economic drivers of crime beyond unemployment.
Zimstat’s Prison and Correctional Services Report, which analyses inmates admitted during the third quarter of 2025, shows that 9 603 new prisoners, 56.1% of admissions, were employed before incarceration. This compares with 7 526 inmates, or 43.9%, who were unemployed.
The proportion of employed inmates marks an increase from 53% recorded in the second quarter of 2025.
The report examines the socio-economic characteristics of newly admitted inmates, including age, nationality, education level and employment status, offering insight into trends within Zimbabwe’s correctional system.
Zimstat data also reveals notable gender differences. Among newly admitted male prisoners, 42.8% were unemployed, down from 46.2% in the previous quarter. In contrast, unemployment among newly admitted female prisoners rose slightly, from 56.6% in the second quarter to 57.5% in the third quarter of 2025.
During the same period, Zimbabwe’s overall prison population increased sharply, rising from 24 089 at the end of the second quarter to 25 916 by the end of the third quarter of 2025.
The male prison population grew from 23 284 to 24 957, while the number of female inmates increased from 805 to 959.
The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) currently operates 49 main prisons and 31 satellite prisons across the country. Midlands Province has the highest number of main prisons, with eight facilities, followed by Mashonaland East with seven. Manicaland and Harare have six main prisons each, while Mashonaland Central, Matabeleland South and Masvingo have the fewest, with three each.
