Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Tanzania
Tanzania: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 77.56 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
77.56 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 2.9%
World rank
128th
of 216 countries
All-time high
77.56 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
11.5 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Tanzania, 1961–2024
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
Tanzania recorded 77.56 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 36.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Tanzania peaked at 77.56 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 11.5 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
Tanzania ranks 128th of 216 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Tanzania, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 11.5 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 11.84 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1963 | 12.19 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1964 | 12.56 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1965 | 12.95 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1966 | 13.35 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1967 | 13.77 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1968 | 14.23 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1969 | 14.72 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 1970 | 15.23 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1971 | 15.77 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1972 | 16.35 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1973 | 16.95 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1974 | 17.57 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1975 | 18.22 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1976 | 18.89 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1977 | 19.59 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1978 | 20.29 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1979 | 20.99 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 1980 | 21.66 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1981 | 22.34 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1982 | 23.03 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1983 | 23.8 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1984 | 24.59 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1985 | 25.4 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1986 | 26.26 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 1987 | 27.13 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 27.96 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 28.72 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1990 | 29.48 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1991 | 30.23 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 31 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 31.99 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1994 | 33.24 people per sq. km of land area | +3.9% |
| 1995 | 34.3 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1996 | 34.94 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 35.65 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 36.6 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 37.59 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 38.68 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 39.74 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 40.78 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 41.87 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 43.02 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 44.23 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 45.49 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 46.78 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 48.06 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 49.26 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 50.53 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 51.96 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 53.48 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 55.12 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 56.84 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 58.73 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 60.76 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 62.83 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 64.84 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 66.8 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 68.97 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 71.08 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 73.2 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 75.36 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 2024 | 77.56 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 77.56 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 82.92 people per sq. km of land area, 94% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 77.56 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 69.86 people per sq. km of land area, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 13.01 people per sq. km of land area | 11.5 people per sq. km of land area | 14.72 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 17.99 people per sq. km of land area | 15.23 people per sq. km of land area | 20.99 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 25.09 people per sq. km of land area | 21.66 people per sq. km of land area | 28.72 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 33.5 people per sq. km of land area | 29.48 people per sq. km of land area | 37.59 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.79 people per sq. km of land area | 38.68 people per sq. km of land area | 49.26 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.19 people per sq. km of land area | 50.53 people per sq. km of land area | 66.8 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.23 people per sq. km of land area | 68.97 people per sq. km of land area | 77.56 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
- 125 Samoa 78.42 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 126 Ireland 78.32 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 127 Guinea-Bissau 78.28 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 129 Lesotho 76.99 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 130 Yemen 76.87 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 131 Tajikistan 76.31 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Tanzania
- Population in the largest city 32.9% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 20.17 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.1419 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 10.01 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 4.92 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 10.26 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 8.56 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 0 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 96.27 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Tanzania?
- Population density in Tanzania was 77.56 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 77.56 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.5 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Tanzania rank for population density?
- Tanzania ranks 128th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Tanzania data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.