Mr Tsvangirai, 65, a former prime minister, had reportedly been suffering from colon cancer.
"He died this evening. The family communicated this to me," MDC vice president Elias Mudzuri told Reuters.
Mr Tsvangirai's career was marked by a long political struggle against former President Robert Mugabe.
He had been beaten and imprisoned numerous times.
Announcing Mr Tsvangirai's death, Mr Mudzuri said on Twitter that the MDC had "lost our icon and fighter for democracy".
