Tanzania achieves new heights in data innovation

DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA has joined the rest of the continent in marking the African Statistics Day 2025, celebrated every year on 18 November. The message is clear: data is not just numbers, it is the foundation of justice, inclusion, and progress.

The UNFPA will commemorate the day in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Office of the Chief Government Statistician (OCGS)–Zanzibar, showcasing progress in using data innovations to inform development and improve lives.

NBS will mark African Statistics Day 2025 by presenting key findings from the Population and Housing Census 2022 (PHC2022) Thematic Reports, including: Migration and Urbanization, Adolescent and Youth, Gender Dimensions, Births and Deaths, Childhood Mortality, Environment and Climate Change.

These findings demonstrate how data can inform policies, monitor progress, and enhance national and local planning for development.

OCGS will commemorate African Statistics Day by conducting the Zanzibar Statistical Forum, providing a platform for statisticians, policymakers, and partners to discuss innovations in data production, dissemination, and use in Zanzibar.

This year’s theme, “Leveraging innovations in data and statistics to promote a just, peaceful, inclusive and prosperous society for Africans,” resonates deeply with UNFPA’s mandate to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.

For UNFPA Tanzania, data is the bridge between evidence and impact, ensuring that every intervention is backed by facts and focused on results that change lives.

In 2024, UNFPA Tanzania continued to strengthen national statistical systems and the use of innovative data solutions that inform reproductive health and rights programming.

 Working closely with NBS and the Office of the Chief Government Statistician in Zanzibar, UNFPA supported the development of five thematic monographs based on the 2022 Population and Housing Census — covering areas such as fertility, mortality, youth, and gender.

The Office also supported the upgrade of Zanzibar’s JUMUISHI database, a digital system that captures data on persons with disabilities and those at risk of gender-based violence, ensuring that no one is left behind in development planning and social protection.

“Reliable and inclusive data is the foundation of equitable development,” says Mark Bryan Schreiner, UNFPA Representative in Tanzania.

Added “Every statistic represents a person — a mother giving birth safely, a young girl accessing education, or a community gaining access to reproductive health services. When we invest in data, we invest in dignity, justice, and sustainable progress for all.”

Through evidence-driven programming, He said  UNFPA supported the expansion of youth-friendly health facilities from 37 in 2023 to 68 in 2024, and trained 69 service providers across 31 regions to deliver quality, rights-based sexual and reproductive health care. This progress directly contributes to Tanzania’s efforts to reduce maternal mortality and ensure universal access to reproductive health services.

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He addresses that UNFPA also worked with the Ministry of Health to introduce a Family Planning funding dashboard, a real-time tool to track national investments and improve accountability. In addition, 910 healthcare workers (509 men and 401 women) were trained in family planning counselling and service delivery, ensuring that family planning commodities reach those who need them most.

“In collaboration with vocational institutions and community partners, 824 out-of-school adolescent girls and young women received life-skills and entrepreneurship training, with 213 graduates completing vocational courses through the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) in Shinyanga and Mara regions.

He said the data collected from these programmes helps identify what works best for empowering young people to transition from vulnerability to opportunity.

 Schreiner explains that UNFPA also supported ongoing efforts to eliminate female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage through data mapping, community outreach, and digital monitoring tools that strengthen coordination of protection responses in high-prevalence regions.

“Innovation remains central to UNFPA’s approach. By using geospatial data, mobile platforms, and interactive dashboards, UNFPA has helped make reproductive health and gender data more accessible for decision-makers and communities alike. These tools are transforming how evidence is generated, shared, and applied to improve lives — especially for women, adolescents, and young people.

He said this progress is made possible through strong partnerships with the Tanzanian government, the National Bureau of Statistics, and generous support from donor partners, including Ireland, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and others. Their continued commitment enables UNFPA to advance the collection and use of gender-responsive, inclusive data to inform national priorities and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

“Our partnership with the Tanzanian government is rooted in one principle that data is a tool for justice,” adds Mr. Schreiner. “When statistical systems are inclusive and innovative, they give visibility to the most vulnerable — and that is where real change begins.”

UNFPA’s 2024 results are a testament to the transformative power of evidence. From maternal health to youth empowerment, from family planning to gender equality — data continues to illuminate the path toward a more just, peaceful, inclusive, and prosperous Tanzania.