The total population of Tanzania was estimated at approximately 65.23 million people in 2024. Following a continuous upward trend, the total population has risen by around 47.20 million people since 1980. Between 2024 and 2030, the total population will rise by around 12.57 million people, continuing its consistent upward trajectory.This indicator describes the total population in the country at hand. This total population of the country consists of all persons falling within the scope of the census.

The total population in Tanzania was estimated at 66.3 million people in 2024, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Tanzania Population - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Tanzania TZ: Population: Growth data was reported at 3.079 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.092 % for 2016. Tanzania TZ: Population: Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 3.097 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.380 % in 1992 and a record low of 2.548 % in 1998. Tanzania TZ: Population: Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Tanzania – Table TZ.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage . Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; Derived from total population. Population source: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision, (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

This statistic shows the total population of Tanzania from 2013 to 2023 by gender. In 2023, Tanzania's female population amounted to approximately 33.6 million, while the male population amounted to approximately 33.01 million inhabitants.

Population density per pixel at 100 metre resolution. WorldPop provides estimates of numbers of people residing in each 100x100m grid cell for every low and middle income country. Through ingegrating cencus, survey, satellite and GIS datasets in a flexible machine-learning framework, high resolution maps of population counts and densities for 2000-2020 are produced, along with accompanying metadata. DATASET: Alpha version 2010 and 2015 estimates of numbers of people per grid square, with national totals adjusted to match UN population division estimates (http://esa.un.org/wpp/) and remaining unadjusted. REGION: Africa SPATIAL RESOLUTION: 0.000833333 decimal degrees (approx 100m at the equator) PROJECTION: Geographic, WGS84 UNITS: Estimated persons per grid square MAPPING APPROACH: Land cover based, as described in: Linard, C., Gilbert, M., Snow, R.W., Noor, A.M. and Tatem, A.J., 2012, Population distribution, settlement patterns and accessibility across Africa in 2010, PLoS ONE, 7(2): e31743. FORMAT: Geotiff (zipped using 7-zip (open access tool): www.7-zip.org) FILENAMES: Example - AGO10adjv4.tif = Angola (AGO) population count map for 2010 (10) adjusted to match UN national estimates (adj), version 4 (v4). Population maps are updated to new versions when improved census or other input data become available. Tanzania data available from WorldPop here.

Graph and download economic data for Population, Total for United Republic of Tanzania (POPTOTTZA647NWDB) from 1960 to 2024 about Tanzania and population.

Tanzania TZ: Population: as % of Total: Aged 15-64 data was reported at 51.982 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 51.807 % for 2016. Tanzania TZ: Population: as % of Total: Aged 15-64 data is updated yearly, averaging 51.575 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 52.073 % in 2000 and a record low of 50.703 % in 1982. Tanzania TZ: Population: as % of Total: Aged 15-64 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Tanzania – Table TZ.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Total population between the ages 15 to 64 as a percentage of the total population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

Analysis unit

Persons and households

UNITS IDENTIFIED: - Dwellings: no - Vacant Units: No - Households: yes - Individuals: yes - Group quarters: no

UNIT DESCRIPTIONS: - Dwellings: no - Households: Yes - Group quarters: no

Universe

All persons in the country at the census date, except for diplomats and their families

Kind of data

Population and Housing Census [hh/popcen]

Sampling procedure

MICRODATA SOURCE: National Bureau of Statistics

SAMPLE SIZE (person records): 2310424.

SAMPLE DESIGN: Sample drawn by NBS from long form questionnaire. Approximately 15% of rural enumeration areas within each district received the long form questionnaire; urban areas were sampled at a higher density. The NBS calculated expansion factors to account for sampling. IPUMS drew a systematic 1-in-2 sample from the original 20% sample.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

A short questionnaire for all dwellings and a long questionnaire for a sample of the population. There was a separate "collective questionnaire" for group living arrangements.

Historical dataset showing total population for Tanzania by year from 1950 to 2025.

Nearly half of Tanzania's population was aged 15-49 years in 2021. Around 27.6 million people, of which 14.3 million were women and 13.3 million were men, belonged to this age group. Overall, Tanzania's female population was slightly higher than the male one.

IPUMS-International is an effort to inventory, preserve, harmonize, and disseminate census microdata from around the world. The project has collected the world's largest archive of publicly available census samples. The data are coded and documented consistently across countries and over time to facillitate comparative research. IPUMS-International makes these data available to qualified researchers free of charge through a web dissemination system. The IPUMS project is a collaboration of the Minnesota Population Center, National Statistical Offices, and international data archives. Major funding is provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Additional support is provided by the University of Minnesota Office of the Vice President for Research, the Minnesota Population Center, and Sun Microsystems.

Population trends and statistics

Complete population data for Tanzania showing how many people live in Tanzania from 1960 to 2024

Abstract

The primary objective of the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicator Survey (2022 TDHSMIS) is to provide current and reliable information on population and health issues. Specifically, the 2022 TDHS-MIS collected information on marriage and sexual activity, fertility and fertility preferences, family planning, infant and child mortality, maternal health care, disability among the household population, child health, nutrition of children and women, malaria prevalence, knowledge, and communication, women’s empowerment, women’s experience of domestic violence, adult maternal mortality via sisterhood method, awareness and behaviour regarding HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), female genital cutting, and early childhood development. Other information collected on health-related issues included smoking, blood pressure, anaemia, malaria, and iodine testing, height and weight, and micronutrients.

The information collected through the 2022 TDHS-MIS is intended to assist policymakers and programme managers in evaluating and designing programmes and strategies for improving the health of Tanzania’s population. The 2022 TDHS-MIS also provides indicators to monitor and evaluate international, regional, and national programmes, such as the Global Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development Goals (2030 SDGs), Tanzania Development Vision 2025, the Third National Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP III 2021/22–2025/26), East Africa Community Vision 2050 (EAC 2050), and Africa Development Agenda 2063 (ADA 2063).

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

• Household
• Individual
• Children age 0-5
• Woman age 15-49
• Man age 15-49

Universe

The survey covered all de jure household members (usual residents), all women aged 15-49, men aged 15-49, and all children aged 0-4 resident in the household.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sample design for the 2022 TDHS-MIS was carried out in two stages and was intended to provide estimates for the entire country, for urban and rural areas in Tanzania Mainland, and for Zanzibar. For specific indicators such as contraceptive use, the sample design allows for estimation of indicators for each of the 31 regions—26 regions in Tanzania Mainland and 5 regions in Zanzibar.

The sampling frame excluded institutional populations, such as persons in hospitals, hotels, barracks, camps, hostels, and prisons. The 2022 TDHS-MIS followed a stratified two-stage sample design. The first stage involved selection of sampling points (clusters) consisting of enumeration areas (EAs) delineated for the 2012 Tanzania Population and Housing Census (2012 PHC). The EAs were selected with a probability proportional to their size within each sampling stratum. A total of 629 clusters were selected. Among the 629 EAs, 211 were from urban areas and 418 were from rural areas.

In the second stage, 26 households were selected systematically from each cluster, for a total anticipated sample size of 16,354 households for the 2022 TDHS-MIS. A household listing operation was carried out in all the selected EAs before the main survey. During the household listing operation, field staff visited each of the selected EAs to draw location maps and detailed sketch maps and to list all residential households found in each EA with addresses and the names of the heads of the households. The resulting list of households served as a sampling frame for the selection of households in the second stage. During the listing operation, field teams collected global positioning system (GPS) data—latitude, longitude, and altitude readings—to produce one GPS point per EA. To estimate geographic differentials for certain demographic indicators, Tanzania was divided into nine geographic zones. Although these zones are not official administrative areas, this classification system is also used by the Reproductive and Child Health Section of the Ministry of Health. Grouping of regions into zones allows for larger denominators and smaller sampling errors for indicators at the zonal level.

For further details on sample design, see APPENDIX A of the final report.

Mode of data collection

Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]

Research instrument

Five questionnaires were used for the 2022 TDHS-MIS: the Household Questionnaire, the Woman’s Questionnaire, the Man’s Questionnaire, the Biomarker Questionnaire, and the Micronutrient Questionnaire. The questionnaires, based on The DHS Program’s Model Questionnaires, were adapted to reflect the population and health issues relevant to Tanzania. In addition, a self-administered Fieldworker’s Questionnaire collected information about the survey’s fieldworkers.

Cleaning operations

In the 2022 TDHS-MIS survey, CAPI was used during data collection. The devices used for CAPI were Android-based computer tablets programmed using a mobile version of CSPro. Programming of questionnaires into the android application was done by ICF, while configuration of tablets was done by NBS and OCGS in collaboration with ICF. All fieldwork personnel were assigned usernames, and devices were password protected to ensure the integrity of the data collected. Selected households were assigned to CAPI supervisors, whereas households were assigned to interviewers’ tablets via Bluetooth. The data for all interviewed households were sent back to CAPI supervisors, who were responsible for initial data consistency and editing, before being sent to the central servers hosted at NBS Headquarters via Syncloud.

The data processing of the 2022 TDHS-MIS ran concurrently with the data collection exercise. The electronic data files from each completed cluster were transferred via Syncloud to the NBS central office server in Dodoma. The data files were registered and checked for inconsistencies, incompleteness, and outliers. Errors and inconsistencies were communicated to the field teams for review and correction. Secondary central data editing was done by NBS and OCGS survey staff at the central office. A CSPro batch editing tool was used for cleaning data and included coding of open-ended questions and resolving inconsistencies.

The Biomarker paper questionnaires were collected by field supervisors and compared with the electronic data files to check for any inconsistencies that may have occurred during data entry. The concurrent data collection and processing offered an advantage because it maximised the likelihood of having error-free data. Timely generation of field check tables allowed effective monitoring. The secondary data editing exercise was completed in October 2022.

Response rate

A total of 16,312 households were selected for the 2022 TDHS-MIS sample. This number is slightly less than the targeted sample size of 16,354 because one EA could not be reached due to security reasons, while a few EAs had less than the targeted 26 households. Of the 16,312 households selected, 15,907 were found to be occupied. Of the occupied households, 15,705 were successfully interviewed, yielding a response rate of 99%. In the interviewed households, 15,699 women age 15–49 were identified as eligible for individual interviews. Interviews were completed with 15,254 women, yielding a response rate of 97%. In the subsample (50% of households) of households selected for the male questionnaire, 6,367 men age 15–49 were identified as eligible for individual interviews, and 5,763 were successfully interviewed, yielding a response rate of 91%.

Sampling error estimates

The estimates from a sample survey are affected by two types of errors: (1) nonsampling errors and (2) sampling errors. Nonsampling errors are the results of mistakes made in implementing data collection and in data processing, such as failure to locate and interview the correct household, misunderstanding of the questions on the part of either the interviewer or the respondent, and data entry errors. Although numerous efforts were made during the implementation of the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicator Survey (2022 TDHS-MIS) to minimize this type of error, nonsampling errors are impossible to avoid and difficult to evaluate statistically.

Sampling errors, on the other hand, can be evaluated statistically. The sample of respondents selected in the 2022 TDHS-MIS is only one of many samples that could have been selected from the same population, using the same design and identical size. Each of these samples would yield results that differ somewhat from the results of the actual sample selected. Sampling errors are a measure of the variability between all possible samples. Although the degree of variability is not known exactly, it can be estimated from the survey results.

A sampling error is usually measured in terms of the standard error for a particular statistic (mean, percentage, etc.), which is the square root of the variance. The standard error can be used to calculate confidence intervals within which the true value for the population can reasonably be assumed to fall. For example, for any given statistic calculated from a sample survey, the value of that statistic will fall within a range of plus or minus two times the standard error of that statistic in 95% of all possible samples of identical size and design.

If the sample of respondents had been selected as a simple random sample, it would have been possible to use straightforward formulas for calculating sampling errors. However, the 2022 TDHS-MIS sample was the result of a multistage stratified design, and,

Monthly and long-term Tanzania Population data: historical series and analyst forecasts curated by FocusEconomics.

Tanzania TZ: Population: Male data was reported at 28,341,970.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 27,472,687.000 Person for 2016. Tanzania TZ: Population: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 12,012,367.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 28,341,970.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 4,935,023.000 Person in 1960. Tanzania TZ: Population: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Tanzania – Table TZ.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Male population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all male residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates using the World Bank's total population and age/sex distributions of the United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Sum;

Historical dataset showing Tanzania population density by year from 1961 to 2022.

Tanzania TZ: Rural Population data was reported at 38,367,338.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 37,604,041.000 Person for 2016. Tanzania TZ: Rural Population data is updated yearly, averaging 19,817,830.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 38,367,338.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 9,545,998.000 Person in 1960. Tanzania TZ: Rural Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Tanzania – Table TZ.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Sum;

Actual value and historical data chart for Tanzania Population Ages 0 14 Percent Of Total

In 1800, the population of the region now known as Tanzania was just over three million people. Throughout the 19th century, both as a collection of small kingdoms and later as a German colony (1897), Tanzania would see modest growth in its population, growing from three million at the start of the century to approximately four million by 1900. Following the handover of the region (then known as German East Africa) to the United Kingdom in 1919, the region would begin to see first a noticeable, and later an exponential increase in its population, rising to just under 8 million by 1950, and 33.5 million by the century’s end. This growth would slow somewhat beginning in the late 1980s to 1990s, in part the result of a rapid spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic throughout the country. By 2020, Tanzania will have a population just under 60 million.