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Tanzania

2025 Edition · 434 data fields

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Introduction

Background

Tanzania contains some of Africa’s most iconic national parks and famous paleoanthropological sites, and its diverse cultural heritage reflects the multiple ethnolinguistic groups that live in the country. Its long history of integration into trade networks spanning the Indian Ocean and the African interior led to the development of Swahili as a common language in much of east Africa and the introduction of Islam into the region. A number of independent coastal and island trading posts in what is now Tanzania came under Portuguese control after 1498 when they began to take control of much of the coast and Indian Ocean trade. By 1700, the Sultanate of Oman had become the dominant power in the region after ousting the Portuguese, who were also facing a series of local uprisings. During the next hundred years, Zanzibar -- an archipelago off the coast that is now part of Tanzania -- became a hub of Indian Ocean trade, with Arab and Indian traders establishing and consolidating trade routes with communities in mainland Tanzania that contributed to the expansion of the slave trade. Zanzibar briefly became the capital of the Sultanate of Oman before it split into separate Omani and Zanzibar Sultanates in 1856. Beginning in the mid-1800s, European explorers, traders, and Christian missionaries became more active in the region. The Germans eventually established control over mainland Tanzania -- which they called Tanganyika -- and the British established control over Zanzibar. Tanganyika came under British administration after the German defeat in World War I. Tanganyika gained independence from Great Britain in 1961, and Zanzibar followed in 1963 as a constitutional monarchy. In Tanganyika, Julius NYERERE, a charismatic and idealistic socialist, established a one-party political system that centralized power and encouraged national self-reliance and rural development. In 1964, a popular uprising overthrew the Sultan in Zanzibar and either killed or expelled many of the Arabs and Indians who had dominated the isles for more than 200 years. Later that year, Tanganyika and Zanzibar combined to form the United Republic of Tanzania, but Zanzibar retained considerable autonomy. Their two ruling parties combined to form the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party in 1977, which has since won every presidential election. Tanzania held its first multi-party elections in 1995, but CCM candidates have continued to dominate politics. The ruling party has claimed victory in four contentious elections since 1995, despite international observers' claims of voting irregularities. In 2001, 35 people died in Zanzibar when soldiers fired on protestors. John MAGUFULI won the 2015 and 2020 presidential elections, and the CCM won over two-thirds of the seats in Parliament in both elections. MAGUFULI died in 2021 while in office and was succeeded by his vice president, Samia Suluhu HASSAN.

Geography

Area

Land: 885,800 sq km
Note: note: includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar
Total: 947,300 sq km
Water: 61,500 sq km

Area - comparative

more than six times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than twice the size of California

Climate

varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands

Coastline

1,424 km

Continent

Africa

Elevation

Highest point: Kilimanjaro (highest point in Africa) 5,895 m
Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 1,018 m

Geographic coordinates

6 00 S, 35 00 E

Geography - note

Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa and one of only three mountain ranges on the continent that has glaciers (the others are Mount Kenya in Kenya and the Ruwenzori Mountains on the Uganda-Democratic Republic of the Congo border); Tanzania is bordered by three of the largest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the world's second-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika (the world's second-deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) in the southwest

Irrigated land

1,840 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

Border countries: Burundi 589 km; Democratic Republic of the Congo 479 km; Kenya 775 km; Malawi 512 km; Mozambique 840 km; Rwanda 222 km; Uganda 391 km; Zambia 353 km
number of neighbors: 8
Total: 4,161 km

Land use

Agricultural land: 44.6% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 15.2% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 2.3% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 27.1% (2023 est.)
arable land: 15.24%
Forest: 50.1% (2023 est.)
Other: 5.3% (2023 est.)
permanent crops: 2.28%

Landlocked

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique

Major lakes (area sq km)

Fresh water lake(s): Lake Victoria (shared with Uganda and Kenya) - 62,940 sq km; Lake Tanganyika (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, and Zambia) - 32,000 sq km; Lake Malawi (shared with Mozambique and Malawi) - 22,490
Salt water lake(s): Lake Rukwa - 5,760 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Nile (shared with Rwanda [s], Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt [m]) - 6,650 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)
Indian Ocean drainage: Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)

Map links

Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/NWYMqZYXte4zGZ2Q8
OpenStreetMap: https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/195270

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought volcanism: limited volcanic activity; Ol Doinyo Lengai (2,962 m) has emitted lava in recent years; other historically active volcanoes include Kieyo and Meru

Natural resources

hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones (including tanzanite, found only in Tanzania), gold, natural gas, nickel

Population distribution

the largest and most populous East African country; population distribution is extremely uneven, but greater population clusters occur in the northern half of country and along the east coast, as shown in this population distribution map

Subregion

Eastern Africa

Terrain

plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south

Time zone

UTC+03:00
number of time zones: 1

People and Society

Age structure

0-14 years: 41.2% (male 14,039,292/female 13,740,439)
15-64 years: 55.4% (male 18,677,388/female 18,708,390)
65 years and over: 3.4% (2024 est.) (male 975,224/female 1,321,388)

Alcohol consumption per capita

Beer: 0.74 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 6.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 0.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 7.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

33.45 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

Men married by age 18: 3.5% (2022)
Women married by age 15: 5.2% (2022)
Women married by age 18: 29.1% (2022)

Children under 5 years underweight

30%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

11.4% (2022 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

59.2% (2022 est.)

Death rate

4.96 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
adult female: 202 per 1,000
adult male: 282 per 1,000

Dependency ratios

Elderly dependency ratio: 5.8 (2025 est.)
Potential support ratio: 17.3 (2025 est.)
Total dependency ratio: 81.8 (2025 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 76 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved total: 31.33%
Improved: rural: rural: 49% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 60.8% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 81.1% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 51% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 39.2% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 18.9% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 3.2% of GDP (2024 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 13.4% national budget (2024 est.)

Education expenditures

3 % of GDP

Ethnic groups

mainland - African 99% (of which 95% are Bantu consisting of more than 130 tribes), other 1% (consisting of Asian, European, and Arab); Zanzibar - Arab, African, mixed Arab and African

Gross reproduction rate

2.19 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

3 % of GDP
Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 3.4% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 5.1% of national budget (2022 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.1%

Hospital bed density

0.6 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

Female: 26.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 32.3 deaths/1,000 live births
neonatal: 21 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 28.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Languages: Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguja (name for Swahili in Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education), Arabic, many local languages
Major-language sample(s): The World Factbook, Chanzo cha Lazima Kuhusu Habari ya Msingi. (Kiswahili) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
number of languages: 2

Life expectancy at birth

Female: 72.6 years
Male: 69 years
Total population: 70.8 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

Female: 73.1% (2022 est.)
Male: 84.2% (2022 est.)
Total population: 78.2% (2022 est.)

Major urban areas - population

262,000 Dodoma (legislative capital) (2018), 7.776 million DAR ES SALAAM (administrative capital), 1.311 million Mwanza, 800,000 Zanzibar (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

276 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

Female: 19.4 years
Male: 18.8 years
Total: 18.8 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.9 years (2022 est.)
note: note: data represents median age at first birth among women 15-49

Nationality

Adjective: Tanzanian
Noun: Tanzanian(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.4% (2016)

Physician density

0.13 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

Female: 34,548,015
Male: 34,597,449
Total: 69,145,464 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

2.85% (2025 est.)

Religions

Christian 63.1%, Muslim 34.1%, folk religion 1.1%, Buddhist <1%, Hindu <1%, Jewish <1%, other <1%, unspecified 1.6% (2020 est.)
note: note: Zanzibar is almost entirely Muslim

Sanitation facility access

improved total: 28.46%
Improved: rural: rural: 27.2% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 50.1% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 89.6% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 72.8% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 49.9% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 10.4% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Female: 9 years (2021 est.)
Male: 9 years (2021 est.)
Total: 9 years (2021 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

Female: 2% (2025 est.)
Male: 11.3% (2025 est.)
Total: 6.5% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.45 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Rate of urbanization: 4.89% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Urban population: 37.4% of total population (2023)

Vaccination rate

measles: 84%

Government

Administrative divisions

31 regions; Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Geita, Iringa, Kagera, Kaskazini Pemba (Pemba North), Kaskazini Unguja (Zanzibar North), Katavi, Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Kusini Pemba (Pemba South), Kusini Unguja (Zanzibar Central/South), Lindi, Manyara, Mara, Mbeya, Mjini Magharibi (Zanzibar Urban/West), Morogoro, Mtwara, Mwanza, Njombe, Pwani (Coast), Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga, Simiyu, Singida, Songwe, Tabora, Tanga

Capital

Etymology: the name comes from the name of a nearby mountain; the origin of the mountain's name is unclear
Geographic coordinates: 6 48 S, 39 17 E
Name: Dodoma
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Tanzania; if a child is born abroad, the father must be a citizen of Tanzania
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Coat of arms

svg: https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/tz.svg

Constitution

Amendment process: proposed by the National Assembly; passage of amendments to constitutional articles including those on sovereignty of the United Republic, the authorities and powers of the government, the president, the Assembly, and the High Court requires two-thirds majority vote of the mainland Assembly membership and of the Zanzibar House of Representatives membership; House of Representatives approval of other amendments is not required
History: several previous; latest adopted 25 April 1977

Country name

alternative spellings: TZ, Tanzania, United Republic of, United Republic of Tanzania, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania
Conventional long form: United Republic of Tanzania
Conventional short form: Tanzania
Etymology: the country's name is a combination of the first letters of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, the two states that merged to form Tanzania in 1964
FIFA code: TAN
Former: German East Africa, Trust Territory of Tanganyika, Republic of Tanganyika, People's Republic of Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar
Local long form: Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania
local long form (eng): United Republic of Tanzania
Local short form: Tanzania

Diplomatic representation from the US

Chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Andrew LENTZ (since January 2025)
Email address and website: DRSACS@state.gov https://tz.usembassy.gov/
Embassy: 686 Old Bagamoyo Road, Msasani, P.O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam
FAX: [255] (22) 229-4721
Mailing address: 2140 Dar es Salaam Place, Washington, DC  20521-2140
Telephone: [255] (22) 229-4000

Diplomatic representation in the US

Chancery: 1232 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
Chief of mission: Ambassador Elsie Sia KANZA (since 1 December 2021)
Email address and website: ubalozi@tanzaniaembassy-us.org https://us.tzembassy.go.tz/
FAX: [1] (202) 797-7408
Telephone: [1] (202) 884-1080

Executive branch

Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among members of the National Assembly
Chief of state: President Samia Suluhu HASSAN (since 19 March 2021)
Election results: 2025: Samia Suluhu HASSAN reelected; percent of vote - Samia Suluhu HASSAN (CCM) 97.7%, others 2.3%
Election/appointment process: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president
Expected date of next election: October 2030
Head of government: President Samia Suluhu HASSAN (since 19 March 2021)
Most recent election date: 29 October 2025
Note: note 1: Zanzibar elects a president as head of government for internal matters; election held on 28 October 2020; Hussein MWINYI (CCM) 76.3%, Maalim Seif SHARIF (ACT-Wazalendo) 19.9%, other 3.8% note 2: the president is both chief of state and head of government note 3: after the death of President John MAGUFULI in March 2021, Vice President Samia Suluhu HASSAN assumed the presidency

Flag

description: divided diagonally by a yellow-edged black band, from the lower left corner to the upper right corner; the upper triangle (left side) is green, and the lower is blue meaning: colors come from the flags of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; green stands for natural vegetation, gold for rich mineral deposits, black for the Swahili people, and blue for lakes and rivers, as well as the Indian Ocean

Flag description

The flag of Tanzania features a yellow-edged black diagonal band that extends from the lower hoist-side corner to the upper fly-side corner of the field. Above and beneath this band are a green and light blue triangle respectively.

Flag image

svg: https://flagcdn.com/tz.svg

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

26 April 1964 (Tanganyika united with Zanzibar to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar); 29 October 1964 (renamed United Republic of Tanzania); notable earlier dates: 9 December 1961 (Tanganyika became independent from UK-administered UN trusteeship); 10 December 1963 (Zanzibar became independent from UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, EAC, EADB, EITI, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

Highest court(s): Court of Appeal of the United Republic of Tanzania (consists of the chief justice and 14 justices); High Court of the United Republic for Mainland Tanzania (consists of the principal judge and 30 judges organized into commercial, land, and labor courts); High Court of Zanzibar (consists of the chief justice and 10 justices)
Judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and High Court justices appointed by the national president after consultation with the Judicial Service Commission for Tanzania, a judicial body of high-level judges and 2 members appointed by the national president; Court of Appeal and High Court judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 60, but terms can be extended; High Court of Zanzibar judges appointed by the national president after consultation with the Judicial Commission of Zanzibar; judges can serve until mandatory retirement at age 65
Subordinate courts: Resident Magistrates Courts; Kadhi courts (for Islamic family matters); district and primary courts

Legal system

English common law; judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation

Legislative branch

Electoral system: plurality/majority
Expected date of next election: October 2030
Legislative structure: unicameral
Legislature name: National Assembly (Bunge)
Most recent election date: 10/29/2025
Note: note: the Attorney General fills the "other" seat as an ex-officio member
Number of seats: 403 (272 directly elected; 120 indirectly elected; 10 appointed; 1 other)
Parties elected and seats per party: Revolutionary Party of Tanzania (CCM) (383); ACT-Wazalendo (2)
Percentage of women in chamber: 39.5%
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 5 years

National color(s)

green, yellow, blue, black

National heritage

Selected World Heritage Site locales: Ngorongoro Conservation Area (m); Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara (c); Serengeti National Park (n); Selous Game Reserve (n); Kilimanjaro National Park (n); Stone Town of Zanzibar (c); Kondoa Rock-Art Sites (c)
Total World Heritage Sites: 7 (3 cultural, 3 natural, 1 mixed)

National holiday

Union Day (Tanganyika and Zanzibar), 26 April (1964)

National symbol(s)

Uhuru (freedom) torch, giraffe

Political parties

Alliance for Change and Transparency (Wazalendo) or ACT-Wazalendo Civic United Front (Chama Cha Wananchi) or CUF Party of Democracy and Development (Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo) or CHADEMA Revolutionary Party of Tanzania (Chama Cha Mapinduzi) or CCM

Start of week

Monday

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

UN Member

Yes

Economy

Agricultural products

maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, bananas, milk, sugarcane, rice, vegetables, beans, sunflower seeds (2023)
note: note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

On alcohol and tobacco: 1.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
On food: 26.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

Expenditures: $13.583 billion (2024 est.)
Note: note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Revenues: $11.716 billion (2024 est.)

Currency

code: TZS
name: Tanzanian shilling (TZS) [Sh]

Current account balance

$-2,379,788,231
Current account balance 2021: -$2.374 billion (2021 est.)
Current account balance 2022: -$5.482 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023: -$2.958 billion (2023 est.)
Note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

$36.34 billion
Debt - external 2023: $17.513 billion (2023 est.)
Note: note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

emerging lower middle-income East African economy; resource-rich and growing tourism; strong post-pandemic recovery from hospitality, electricity, mining, and transit sectors; declining poverty; stable inflation; gender-based violence economic and labor force disruptions

Exchange rates

Currency: Tanzanian shillings (TZS) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020: 2,294.146 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 2,297.764 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 2,303.034 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 2,383.043 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024: 2,597.9 (2024 est.)

Exports

$15.64 billion
Exports 2021: $9.874 billion (2021 est.)
Exports 2022: $11.986 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $13.98 billion (2023 est.)
Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

gold, refined petroleum, dried legumes, refined copper, coal (2023)
note: note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

India 15%, UAE 14%, Uganda 12%, South Africa 10%, China 6% (2023)
note: note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Foreign direct investment

net inflows: $1.72 billion

GDP - composition, by end use

Exports of goods and services: 19.8% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 9.2% (2024 est.)
Household consumption: 52.9% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -21.7% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 41.4% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: -1.6% (2024 est.)
Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

Agriculture: 23.4% (2024 est.)
Industry: 28.7% (2024 est.)
Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Services: 28.4% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$78.78 billion (2024 est.)
note: note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP per capita (nominal)

$1,187

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

40.5 (2017)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018: 40.5 (2018 est.)
Note: note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

GNI (gross national income)

$77.1 billion

GNI per capita

$1,210

Gross domestic investment

40 % of GDP

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Highest 10%: 33.1% (2018 est.)
Lowest 10%: 2.9% (2018 est.)
Note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$17.1 billion
Imports 2021: $11.61 billion (2021 est.)
Imports 2022: $16.674 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $16.059 billion (2023 est.)
Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, plastics, garments, fertilizers, wheat (2023)
note: note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 32%, India 13%, UAE 9%, Saudi Arabia 5%, Japan 4% (2023)
note: note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

5.2% (2024 est.)
note: note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine); mining (diamonds, gold, and iron), salt, soda ash; cement, oil refining, shoes, apparel, wood products, fertilizer

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.06%
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 4.4% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 3.8% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 3.1% (2024 est.)
Note: note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

32.983 million (2024 est.)
note: note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
total: 34.05 million persons

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 64.57%
industry: 8.1%
services: 27.32%

Population below poverty line

26.4% (2018 est.)
note: note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

Public debt 2016: 38% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$280.43 billion
Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $222.506 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $233.786 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $246.706 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

5.53%
Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 4.6% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 5.1% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024: 5.5% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

$4,221
Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022: $3,500 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $3,600 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $3,700 (2024 est.)

Remittances

$1.12 billion
Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2021: 0.8% of GDP (2021 est.)
Remittances 2022: 0.9% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2016: $4.351 billion (2016 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2017: $5.888 billion (2017 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018: $5.05 billion (2018 est.)

Revenue (excl grants)

15 % of GDP

Tax revenue

13 % of GDP

Taxes and other revenues

11.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
note: note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

1.57%
Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 2.6% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 2.6% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 2.6% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

Female: 4.2% (2024 est.)
Male: 2.6% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 3.3% (2024 est.)

Energy

Coal

Consumption: 740,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 1.602 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 21 metric tons (2023 est.)
Production: 2.341 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 1.41 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

Consumption: 9.109 billion kWh (2023 est.)
consumption per capita: 123 kWh
Imports: 157.688 million kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 1.818 million kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 2.039 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

Electrification - rural areas: 36%
Electrification - total population: 45.8% (2022 est.)
Electrification - urban areas: 74.7%

Electricity generation sources

Biomass and waste: 0.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 74.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectric: 29.3%
Hydroelectricity: 24.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
nuclear: 0%
renewable: 39.39%
Solar: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

405 kg of oil equivalent
Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 4.091 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

Consumption: 2.016 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Production: 2.016 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 6.513 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

Refined petroleum consumption: 85,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Renewable energy consumption

78.3%

Communications

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

per 100 inhabitants: 2 per 100
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2023 est.)
Total: 1.66 million (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

about 45 TV stations, with 13 national that broadcast free-to-air TV; 196 radio stations, most operating at the district level, but also including 5 independent national stations and 1 state-owned national radio station; international broadcasts widely available through satellite TV; 3 major satellite TV providers (2020)

Internet country code

.tz

Internet users

Percent of population: 29% (2023 est.)

Telephone calling code

+255

Telephones - fixed lines

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2023 est.) less than 1
Total subscriptions: 76,000 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100: 105 per 100
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 127 (2024 est.)
Total subscriptions: 86.8 million (2024 est.)

Transportation

Air transport

passengers carried: 1.91 million passengers
registered carrier departures: 81,604 departures

Airports

206 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Driving side

Left

Merchant marine

By type: bulk carrier 4, container ship 17, general cargo 170, oil tanker 58, other 132
Total: 381 (2023)

Ports

Key ports: Chake Chake, Dar Es Salaam, Tanga, Zanzibar
Large: 0
Medium: 1
Ports with oil terminals: 4
Small: 3
Total ports: 8 (2024)
Very small: 4

Railways

Broad gauge: 2,707 km (2022) 1.000 m guage
Narrow gauge: 969 km (2022) 1.067 m gauge
Standard gauge: 421 km (2022)
Total: 4,097 km (2022)

Vehicle registration code

EAT

Military and Security

Land forces

armored vehicles
tanks

Military - note

the chief concerns of the Tanzania Defense Forces (TDPF) are maritime piracy and smuggling, border security, terrorism, animal poaching, and spillover from instability in neighboring countries, particularly Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); it participates in multinational training exercises, regional peacekeeping deployments, and has ties with a variety of foreign militaries, including those of China, India, and the US; it has contributed troops to the UN’s Force Intervention Brigade in the DRC; the TPDF also participated in the former Southern African Development Community intervention force in Mozambique, which assisted the Mozambique military in combating fighters affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); the regional force withdrew in 2024, but the TPDF continues to maintain troops in Mozambique as part of a separate bilateral security agreement; since 2020, the TPDF has reinforced the border with Mozambique following several cross-border attacks by ISIS fighters (2025)

Military and security forces

Tanzania People's Defense Forces (TPDF or Jeshi la Wananchi la Tanzania, JWTZ): Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force, Nation Building Army (Jeshi la Kujenga Taifa, JKT), Reserve Forces Ministry of Home Affairs: Tanzania Police Force (Jeshi la Polisi Tanzania) (2025)
active duty personnel: 28,000
note: note 1: the Nation Building Army (aka National Services) is a paramilitary organization under the Defense Forces that provides six months of military and vocational training to individuals as part of their two years of public service; after completion of training, some graduates join the regular Defense Forces while the remainder become part of the Reserves note 2: the Tanzania Police Force includes the Police Field Force (aka Field Force Unit), a special police division with the responsibility for controlling unlawful demonstrations and riots
percent of total labor force: 0.10 %

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 25,000 active Defense Forces (2025)

Military deployments

520 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); more than 1,000 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO and Southern African Development Community regional force); 125 Lebanon (UNIFIL); approximately 300 Mozambique (under bi-lateral agreement to assist with combatting an insurgency) (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the TPDF's inventory includes mostly British, Chinese, and Russian/Soviet-era armaments (2025)

Military expenditures

1 % of GDP
current USD: $920,849,886
Military Expenditures 2020: 1.2% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 1.1% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2024: 1.3% of GDP (2024 est.)
percent of central government expenditure: 6.10 %
percent of GDP: 1.15 % of GDP

Military service age and obligation

generally 18-25 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women, but may go up to 35 years of age depending on education levels and for medical specialists; no conscription (2026)

Military strength ranking

PowerIndex score: 1.9111

Transnational Issues

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs: 75,117 (2024 est.)
Refugees: 218,123 (2024 est.)

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s)

al-Shabaab; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
note: note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Environment

Carbon dioxide emissions

From coal and metallurgical coke: 1.687 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 3.954 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 12.066 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Total emissions: 17.707 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

water pollution; improper management of liquid waste; indoor air pollution from burning wood or charcoal for cooking and heating; soil degradation; deforestation; desertification; coral reef destruction; illegal hunting and animal trade, especially ivory; loss of biodiversity; solid waste disposal

Geoparks

Global geoparks and regional networks: Ngorongoro Lengai (2023)
Total global geoparks and regional networks: 1

International environmental agreements

Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Methane emissions

Agriculture: 1,176.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Energy: 568.3 kt (2022-2024 est.)
Other: 1,226.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste: 168.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

14.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Protected areas

32 % of total land area

Renewable electricity output

4 % of total

Total renewable water resources

96.27 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

6 % of internal resources
Agricultural: 4.632 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Industrial: 25 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Municipal: 527 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 9.277 million tons (2024 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 12.3% (2022 est.)