Urban population growth (annual %) in Tanzania
Tanzania: Urban population growth (annual %) was 4.8% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population growth in Tanzania, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban population growth in Tanzania is 4.8%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in Tanzania peaked at 16.1% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 3.2%, in 1961.
Tanzania ranks 8th of 218 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban population growth (annual %) in Tanzania, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.2% | — |
| 1962 | 3.2% | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 3.2% | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 3.3% | +3.6% |
| 1965 | 3.5% | +4.2% |
| 1966 | 3.7% | +5.0% |
| 1967 | 3.8% | +5.0% |
| 1968 | 6.3% | +63.8% |
| 1969 | 11.2% | +78.1% |
| 1970 | 14.3% | +27.9% |
| 1971 | 15.8% | +10.4% |
| 1972 | 16.1% | +2.1% |
| 1973 | 15.6% | -3.1% |
| 1974 | 14.7% | -6.3% |
| 1975 | 13.4% | -8.3% |
| 1976 | 12.0% | -10.5% |
| 1977 | 10.5% | -12.8% |
| 1978 | 8.7% | -16.6% |
| 1979 | 7.4% | -15.3% |
| 1980 | 6.8% | -8.7% |
| 1981 | 6.3% | -6.5% |
| 1982 | 6.1% | -4.3% |
| 1983 | 6.1% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 5.9% | -3.4% |
| 1985 | 5.7% | -2.5% |
| 1986 | 5.6% | -1.2% |
| 1987 | 5.5% | -2.4% |
| 1988 | 5.2% | -5.2% |
| 1989 | 4.7% | -9.0% |
| 1990 | 4.5% | -4.8% |
| 1991 | 4.3% | -4.7% |
| 1992 | 4.2% | -3.4% |
| 1993 | 4.7% | +13.5% |
| 1994 | 5.4% | +13.8% |
| 1995 | 4.6% | -13.5% |
| 1996 | 3.3% | -28.3% |
| 1997 | 3.5% | +6.3% |
| 1998 | 4.2% | +18.4% |
| 1999 | 4.3% | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 4.5% | +5.7% |
| 2001 | 4.5% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 4.5% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 4.7% | +5.7% |
| 2004 | 5.1% | +7.0% |
| 2005 | 5.3% | +4.9% |
| 2006 | 5.5% | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 5.5% | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 5.4% | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 5.1% | -5.7% |
| 2010 | 5.1% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 5.1% | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 5.0% | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 5.0% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 5.0% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 5.1% | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 5.2% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 5.0% | -2.5% |
| 2018 | 4.8% | -4.9% |
| 2019 | 4.5% | -4.9% |
| 2020 | 4.5% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 4.5% | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 4.3% | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 4.8% | +10.1% |
| 2024 | 4.8% | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 4.8% | +0.0% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 4.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.7%, 1.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 4.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.4%, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban population growth (annual %) in Tanzania changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | +78.1% | 6.3% | 11.2% |
| 1968 | +63.8% | 3.8% | 6.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.6% | 3.2% | 11.2% | 9 |
| 1970s | 12.9% | 7.4% | 16.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.8% | 4.7% | 6.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.3% | 3.3% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.0% | 4.5% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.0% | 4.5% | 5.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.6% | 4.3% | 4.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
- 5 Mozambique 4.9% compare
- 6 United Arab Emirates 4.9% compare
- 7 Saudi Arabia 4.8% compare
- 9 Uganda 4.8% compare
- 10 Mali 4.8% compare
- 11 Ethiopia 4.6% compare
More climate change data for Tanzania
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 2.6% (2100)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 2.9 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0008 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 4.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.3688 units per person (2025)
- Precipitation anomalies, annual growth rate -140.91 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population 26.02 million (2025)
- Population, total 70.55 million (2025)
- Population growth 2.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in Tanzania?
- Urban population growth in Tanzania was 4.8% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 16.1% in 1972.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.2% in 1961.
- How does Tanzania rank for urban population growth?
- Tanzania ranks 8th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Tanzania data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual urban population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear urban population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank total population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.