Survey finds Bulawayo, Harare women drink more alcohol than elsewhere

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe — Women in Harare and Bulawayo are drinking more alcohol than women elsewhere in Zimbabwe, according to newly released data from the 2023–24 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS).

The survey indicates that 8.8% of women aged 15 to 49 in Bulawayo reported drinking alcohol in the month preceding the survey—the highest provincial rate cited in the narrative summary. However, detailed tables and graphs in the same report show women in Harare with the highest rate at 12%, suggesting a discrepancy between the summary and supporting data of the same report.

The survey summary states: “Alcohol consumption for women was highest in Bulawayo (9 percent) and lowest in Matabeleland North (4 percent), while it was highest in Midlands (47%) and lowest in Manicaland (25%) for men.”

The national urban average for women’s alcohol consumption is 9.6%, compared to 3.8% in rural areas.

Among women in Bulawayo who drank, 85% consumed alcohol between one and five days in the last month, while 7.2% reported drinking daily or almost every day.

Meanwhile, alcohol use among women was higher in urban areas, with 9.6% reporting consumption in the last month compared to 3.8% in rural areas. For men, alcohol consumption was highest in Midlands at 47%.

The report is based on a sample of nearly 10,000 women nationwide and informs Zimbabwe’s public health policies. Elsewhere, the ZDHS report revealed varied patterns of alcohol consumption among men aged 15 to 49 across the country, with nearly 35% reporting drinking alcohol in the month prior to the survey.

According to the survey’s detailed data, 34.5% of men nationwide consumed alcohol in the last month, with the highest rates recorded in Midlands (46.8%) and Bulawayo (44.3%), and the lowest in Manicaland (24.5%) and Matabeleland South (27.6%).

Among men who drank, the majority (44.8%) consumed alcohol between one and five days in the month preceding the survey. Another 20.7% drank between six and ten days, 17.3% between 11 and 24 days, while 17.1% reported drinking every day or almost every day.

Age also influenced drinking habits. Men aged 30 to 34 had the highest alcohol consumption rate at 47.4%, followed closely by those aged 35 to 39 at 47.5%. Young men aged 15 to 19 had the lowest reported consumption at 10%.

Urban men were more likely to drink frequently, with 23.2% reporting daily or near-daily consumption, compared to 11.7% of rural men.

Regionally, Harare’s male drinkers reported the highest daily or almost daily drinking at 31.3%, while Matabeleland North followed with 26.9% in the same category.

Education and wealth also played roles. Men with more than secondary education reported a 39.1% consumption rate, and those in the highest wealth quintile had a similar rate at 37.4%.

The data is based on responses from more than 4,000 men aged 15 to 54 and will guide policymakers aiming to address alcohol-related health risks nationwide.