The population of Tanzania has jumped by nearly 40% in 10 years to reach 61.7 million inhabitants, the president said on Monday, stressing that this strong demographic growth constituted a "burden" for the sharing of resources.
The population of this East African country has increased from 44.9 million inhabitants to more than 60 million, an average annual increase of 3.2% according to the figures of the last census revealed by the head of the State Samia Suluhu Hassan from the capital Dodoma.
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"Such a population may not be a big problem for a big country like ours, but it is a burden when it comes to allocating resources and providing social services," the president added. .
“We need development strategies to service these people,” she continued, pointing out that the country’s population is expected to reach 151.2 million in 2050. The economic capital Dar es Salaam is also on the verge of to become one of the most populated cities on the continent.
According to a World Bank report published in 2019, Dar es Salaam is “one of the fastest growing cities in Africa and, with a growth rate of 6.5%, it is expected to reach 10 million inhabitants by 2030".
“Due to this rapid growth, the city faces serious mobility problems, which are compounded by an insufficient road network,” according to this report.