TZ Youth for Tomorrow: World Population Day 2025.

TANZANIA: Tanzania will be among nine (9) countries expected to contribute significantly to total population growth from 2017 to 2050. Other countries being India, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan, Ethiopia, the United States of America, Uganda and Indonesia.

Tanzania’s population has been on a consistent upward growth trajectory since the first census in 1967. Over the past 55 years, the population has grown from 12.3 million people to 61.7 million in 2022.

This growth is primarily fuelled by high fertility rates and decline in mortality rate which is attributable to improved access to health services and life expectancy over the years. Hence, the World Population Day 2025 theme comes at the right time where the country enjoys the benefits of having a youthful population, with 34.5 percent of the total population being youth (aged 15 -35). Similarly, according to Population and housing Census 2022 the country has a significant workforce, comprising 53.4 percent of the total population.

Tanzania’s population is projected to double in 22 years, reaching approximately 123.4 million people by 2044, at the current growth rate of 3.2%. This growth presents a double-edged sword for the nation; potential challenges in the absence of strategic investments – or opportunities for propelling the country towards achieving its national development aspirations. Additionally, rapid growth can bring both opportunity and formidable challenges: straining resources, hampering economic progress, and exacerbating the dependency ratio – currently standing at 87 dependents per 100 working-age individuals.

The future depends on how we think about and respond to the ties between population and development. The theory of quantity-quality trade-off underscores the importance of addressing this issue as it hypothesizes that larger families, with limited resources, may struggle to invest adequately in each child’s well-being, potentially impacting their quality of life.

This highlights the imperative for strategic and focused interventions in education, healthcare, and demographic transition (family planning), ensuring that the nation’s human capital is nurtured and empowered.

However, Tanzania’s rapidly growing population also presents a golden opportunity. The nation’s youthful demographic can trigger a demographic dividend – a period of accelerated economic growth resulting from a larger workforce and increased productivity. But demographic dividend is not automatic, it necessitates building human capital through deliberate investments in employment, education, good governance and health to be realized.

Tanzania Development Vision 2050 (Dira 2050) arrives at a pivotal moment in the nation’s demographic journey, providing a strategic opportunity to prioritize and align national planning with transformative investments in the country’s population. Dira 2050 envisions a prosperous, just, inclusive, and self-reliant middle-income Tanzania, driven by innovation, productivity, and equity. None of this is possible without unlocking the full potential of its growing youthful population.

By equipping young people with quality education and relevant skills, Tanzania can cultivate a productive workforce that drives innovation and economic advancement. Additionally, creating a conducive environment for job creation and entrepreneurship is essential to absorb the growing labour force and reduce unemployment.

Reduce early marriages and teenage childbearing by promoting school progression and improving access to family planning by adolescents. Additionally, by empowering women and couples with reproductive choices and ensuring access to quality healthcare, Tanzania can lower fertility rates and continue to improve maternal and child health outcomes, ultimately contributing to a healthier and more prosperous society.

Unlocking the power of gender equality is another key pillar. Too often, women are side-lined from key decision-making. Empowering women and girls through education, economic opportunities, and social participation not only enhances their well-being but also fosters inclusive and sustainable development.

Addressing the challenges and seizing the opportunities presented by Tanzania’s growing population necessitates a multi-faceted approach. In fact, single-sector-focused policies contribute to Tanzania development, but are most powerful when combined with other socio-economic strategies.

At the policy and decision-making level, a comprehensive understanding of population dynamics and their impact on the economy and quality of life is paramount. Crafting policies that promote economic and sustainable development, prioritize human capital investment and address gender disparities is essential.

Moreover, a population has access to quality healthcare, quality education, gender equality, women’s empowerment, engage in productive activity and the ability to contribute to economic growth, substantial national economic benefits can be realized, leading to the achievement of a demographic dividend.

The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania in collaboration with other development partners including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), continues to invest in the nation’s youth, particularly to enhance their health and education. Harnessing the development of human capital through Dira 2050 will unlock Tanzania’s full potential, paving the way for sustainable growth and long-term prosperity.

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Tanzania’s prosperous future is intertwined with the decisions made today. Striking a delicate balance between quantity and quality, investing in human capital, and embracing a multi-sectoral approach can transform Tanzania’s demographic landscape into a powerful engine for sustainable development—fulfilling the promise of Dira 2050. This year, World Population Day needs to mark the beginning of a new juncture in our interventions—shifting from business as usual to business unusual—by focusing on transformative initiatives to harness the benefits of the demographic dividend, particularly in relation to the youth bulge.

The possibilities for tomorrow are limitless, and choices today will shape its destiny.