Zimbabweans say there is a growing gap between official claims of economic progress and the realities they face in their daily lives, according to a new report released by the SIVIO Institute.
The 2025 Citizen Pulse report says about 9.9 million people in the country are living below the international poverty line, despite strong growth in sectors such as mining and agriculture.
Based on a survey of more than 2 000 people across Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces, the report suggests many citizens feel government priorities do not match their most urgent needs.
Researchers say the government has invested heavily in major infrastructure projects, including the $75m rural equipment facility and the Trabablas Interchange in the capital.
But the report says such projects have done little to ease everyday pressures faced by ordinary people.
“This mismatch often deepens frustration and erodes trust,” the report says.
“Citizens do not only judge government by the volume of activity, but by how closely that activity aligns with their own priorities.”
For many Zimbabweans, those priorities centre on employment, healthcare and access to clean water.
The report says vending has become the main source of income for many households, highlighting the growing role of the informal sector, which now accounts for about 64% of the country’s economic activity.
The survey also found a sharp rise in public concern about corruption.
About 44% of respondents identified corruption as the biggest obstacle to government performance, a significant increase from just 6% in the previous year.
According to the report, corruption is widely viewed as a systemic problem affecting multiple sectors.
“Corruption is not seen as an isolated issue but as a systemic problem undermining all other priorities,” it says, linking it to persistent challenges in job creation and service delivery.
Despite these concerns, many citizens still believe the government has the resources needed to improve conditions.
Around 82% of those surveyed said the state possesses adequate resources to address the country’s problems, suggesting frustration stems more from how resources are managed rather than their availability.
The report also highlights limited citizen involvement in policymaking.
It found that 75% of Zimbabweans surveyed said they had never participated in any policy formulation process.
At the national level, about 65% of respondents said they believed there was no space for citizens to discuss the performance of the central government.
The report notes that this sense of exclusion risks widening the gap between public institutions and the communities they serve.
As Zimbabwe moves towards 2026, the study suggests that many citizens measure progress not through economic indicators but through practical improvements in daily life.
Respondents said they would judge success through visible changes such as functioning industries, reliable healthcare services and the availability of stable jobs.
“Symbolic or institutional reforms matter less unless they translate into practical change,” the report concludes.
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