Zanzibar City is located in Zanzibar, an autonomous region of Tanzania. It is the capital city of Zanzibar. The city is divided into two sections known as Stone Town and Ng’ambo. Stone Town is home to the historical city center, while Ng’ambo is a larger and more modern area that features businesses and housing. The total population of Zanzibar City is 206,292. The city is also divided into 40 different wards, with Nyerere having the highest population with over 6,800 residents.
Zanzibar City – as well as the entire Zanzibar region – come from many different backgrounds. This includes Bantus, Arabs, Indians and Swahilis. Swahili is the official and national language which is spoken throughout Zanzibar City. There are, however, residents that also speak other languages such as Arabic, Italian and French. Almost the entire population – 98.9% to be exact – are Muslim. There is a minority population of Christians in the city.
Since 1910, the city has seen continuous growth. During the 1970s, the population grew to over 110,000 residents. Just 10 years later, the population grew by over 50%. By the early 2000s, the population was over 200,000, although the population growth in recent years has slowed significantly.
| City | 2025 Pop. ↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Dar es Salaam | 8,561,520 | 4.91% |
| Mwanza | 1,447,340 | 5.03% |
| Zanzibar | 873,982 | 4.56% |
| Mbeya | 712,316 | 4.73% |
| Arusha | 575,991 | 3.9% |
| Morogoro | 497,917 | 4.37% |
| Songea | 469,972 | 5.38% |
