Tanzania Population

Tanzania combines high fertility with a very young population, putting it among the African countries set to grow most this century. Birth rates are declining only gradually, so the population keeps expanding quickly from a large base. Whether that becomes a demographic dividend depends on how fast schooling and jobs can keep pace with the rising number of young people.

Tanzania is home to about 71.5 million people in 2026, the 21st largest population of any country. In Eastern Africa, where it lies, that future is driven by fertility, longevity and the movement of people across its borders. Population density stands at about 82 people for every square kilometre of land.

Tanzania is projected to keep growing until about 2100, when its population peaks at roughly 262 million before a gradual decline sets in, leaving it near 262 million by 2100. It is projected to pass the 200 million mark around 2076.

Fertility is high, around 4.54 births per woman, the engine of rapid, sustained growth.

Half of Tanzania is currently younger than about 17, but by 2100 the median age is projected to reach around 32, even as life expectancy improves from about 67 years. For now it remains one of the world's youngest populations, with a large generation about to reach working age. A rising median age means fewer working-age people supporting each retiree over time.

These figures follow the UN's medium variant, the most widely cited scenario. The low and high variants, driven mainly by differing fertility assumptions, fan out into a wide range by 2100, so treat each number as a central estimate rather than a precise forecast.