Tanzania Cities by Population 2024

As one of the world's largest countries by area, Tanzania also has a population to match. The 31st largest country in the world has the 27th biggest population spread across its cities and towns. Tanzania's most populous city is Dar es Salaam, which has over 2.6 million residents. This is the only city in the country to have reached the one million resident milestone. That doesn't mean that it doesn't have other populated cities, though. In fact, Tanzania has 15 cities that have populations that range between 100,000 and one million, with Mwanza topping the list with almost half a million residents. There are also 222 cities that have populations that fall between 10,000 and 100,000, which further adds to the total population figures.

When looking at the urban and rural populations, it is amazing to see just how quickly the urban areas in Tanzania have developed and grown. Back in 1960, about 95% of the population lived in what were considered rural areas. This number has declined in recent years, with 2015 data showing that just 68% of the country live in rural areas. While this is still significantly higher than many other countries, it is quite a decrease from the statistics from several decades ago, showing that the area is developing and more natives and immigrants are pursuing the educational and employment opportunities that Tanzania's major cities have to offer.