This background paper provides an update on the status of population dynamics and its
implication for social policy.
The population of the United Republic of Tanzania is currently estimated to be about 47.4
million and growing at a rate of 2.7 per cent per annum. The continued high population growth
rate has for the past 50 years resulted in a youthful population. The population dynamics of
Tanzania is marked by a slow pace of fertility decline with wide regional differentials. Almost
half of the country’s 30 regions have pre-transition fertility levels of 6 or more births per
woman. The main factors behind the slow pace of fertility decline include the unchanging
high fertility among those in a low socioeconomic class and high adolescent birth rates. The
regions with high fertility have a high unmet need for family planning, high demand for large
family sizes, and low levels of education, especially among women. Mortality has declined
at all ages and by geography. Substantial progress has been made in bridging the gap in
childhood mortality between the poor and the wealthiest groups. However, urban areas
continue to have higher mortality at all ages compared to rural areas.