Zimbabwe has reduced its poverty rate from 62 percent to 38.3 percent between 1995 and 2019, President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced during remarks at an international development summit. Speaking on Tuesday at the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Qatar, Mnangagwa credited improvements in education, agricultural policy, and social welfare programs for helping drive what he described as among the continent's greatest achievements in reducing hardship.
The government has boosted funding for the Basic Education Assistance Module, which supports 1.5 million students each year, and established a Health Assistance Fund to provide medical services for citizens in need. Life expectancy has climbed to 64.7 years while adult literacy reached 93.6 percent and primary school attendance hit 88 percent, according to Mnangagwa. He pointed to investments in climate-resilient farming that have produced strong tobacco harvests and wheat surpluses available for export.
Despite facing international sanctions and limited development financing, Zimbabwe continues pursuing reforms under its Vision 2030 plan, Mnangagwa said. Unemployment has dropped to 20.5 percent from more than 30 percent in the mid-1990s. The nation is seeking a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for 2027-2028.
The government has boosted funding for the Basic Education Assistance Module, which supports 1.5 million students each year, and established a Health Assistance Fund to provide medical services for citizens in need. Life expectancy has climbed to 64.7 years while adult literacy reached 93.6 percent and primary school attendance hit 88 percent, according to Mnangagwa. He pointed to investments in climate-resilient farming that have produced strong tobacco harvests and wheat surpluses available for export.
Despite facing international sanctions and limited development financing, Zimbabwe continues pursuing reforms under its Vision 2030 plan, Mnangagwa said. Unemployment has dropped to 20.5 percent from more than 30 percent in the mid-1990s. The nation is seeking a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for 2027-2028.
