changed significantly in the few years since that survey, a view supported by the fact that the
2012 Census shows that Zimbabwe has a low inter-censal growth rate of 1.1%.11
The number of adults (and thus potentially eligible voters) in the 15 – 19 age band has
been determined by calculating two-fifths of the total. It is believed that the number thus arrived
at is sufficiently accurate for present purposes.
Voters Roll Demographics and the Census
Table 1 shows the number of adults in each age band according to the census, compared
with the number of people in those age bands registered as voters. The final column shows the
percentage of the adult population registered as voters.
Table 1: Comparison of registered voters (June 2013) with 2012 Census
Age Bands
18 – 19
Adult Population
Voter Population
Numerical Difference
% Registered
524,142
46,506
477,636
8.87%
20 – 24
1,154,669
225,787
928,882
19.55%
25 – 29
1,063,852
549,946
513,906
51.69%
30 – 34
830,324
881,149
-50,825
106.12%
35 – 39
674,638
899,362
-224,724
133.31%
40 – 44
467,057
759,189
-292,132
162.55%
45 – 49
363,267
480,961
-117,694
132.40%
50 – 54
389,214
463,578
-74,364
119.11%
55 – 59
337,319
390,734
-53,415
115.84%
60 – 64
259,476
296,487
-37,011
114.26%
65 – 69
181,633
217,402
-35,769
119.69%
70 – 74
129,738
193,434
-63,696
149.10%
75 – 79
116,764
128,577
-11,813
110.12%
155,686
341,003
-185,317
219.03%
6,647,779
5,874,115
773,664
88.36%
80 +
TOTALS
Very few adults aged under 30 are registered. This is most marked in the 18 -19 age band,
where only 8.87% are registered. In numerical terms, this means that a total of 1 920 424 people
under the age of 30 ought to be registered as voters but are not.12 This is almost 29% of the total
adult population of 6 647 779. Since there are unregistered people in the other age bands, the
total percentage of the entire adult population who ought to be registered as voters but are not,
is considerably higher than 29%.
The “under-registration” in these other age bands is concealed by “over-registration” in
all of the age bands from 30 years and above. If the under-registration in these bands were to be
taken into account, as it ought to be, the percentages of over-registration shown in Table 1
would increase.
Conversely, the under-registration in the below 30 age bands, distorts the picture of over
registration on the voters roll as a whole. If one removes the 1 920 424 unregistered potential
voters from the calculation, the registration rate rises to an impossible 129% of people aged 30
and over. If an 85% registration rate is assumed, then over registration rate rises to 52% for
these age bands, representing some 1 732 527 names which are on the roll but ought not to be.
11Preliminary
12
Report p1.
This assumes that the vast majority of the adult population comprises citizens and thus entitled to
register as voters.
5