Tanzania's population hits 61.7 million mark

 

Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan during the release of the 2022 Population and Housing Census in Dodoma on October 31, 2022

By The Citizen Reporter

Media/news company

Mwananchi Communication Limited

Summary

• President Suluhu said the census results showed there are 59.8 million in Tanzania mainland and 1.9 million in the Zanzibar islands.

Tanzania’s population grew by 16 million in 10 years to hit 61.7 million, President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced on Monday October 31, following a Population and Housing Census (PHC), which was held from August 23 to September 4.

Tanzania’s population stood at 44.9 million in the 2012 census.

President Suluhu said the census results showed there are 59.8 million in Tanzania mainland and 1.9 million in the Zanzibar islands.

The results show that men have once again been out numbered with total population, 31.7 million being females, whereas 30 million are males.

Tanzania’s commercial capital Dar es Salaam, though smallest by area, is the most populous region, with 5.38 million people, followed by Mwanza with 3.69 inhabitants.

According to the Tanzania National Bureau of Statistics conducted this was the sixth Population and Housing Census (PHC) since the United republic was formed in 1964

President Suluhu also launched the 10-year National Directive for the Implementation of the 2022 Census that will span from November to October 2032.

"Such population might not be a big deal for a huge country like ours but it's a burden when it comes to allocating resources and delivering social services," Hassan said during an event broadcast live from the capital Dodoma.

"We need development strategies to serve these people," she said.

Dar es Salaam remains the most populated region with around 5.4 million residents, while the semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar is home to 1.9 million people, an increase of 600,000.

"We need to start preparing development projects for these people and make necessary reforms in our policies to match with the current numbers," Hassan said, pointing out that the country's population was projected to reach 151.2 million in 2050.

A World Bank report in 2019 said Dar es Salaam was "one of the fastest growing cities in Africa, and with a growth rate of 6.5 percent, it is expected to reach 10 million residents by 2030.

"Because of this rapid growth, the city faces serious congestion and mobility challenges, which are worsened by an undeveloped road network."