Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population) in Tanzania
Tanzania: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population) was 51.3% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Tanzania, 1991–2018
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
In 2018, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Tanzania stood at 51.3%. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
The figure is down 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Tanzania peaked at 86.9% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 51.3%, in 2018.
That places Tanzania 8th out of 123 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population) in Tanzania, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 73.5% | — |
| 2000 | 86.9% | +18.2% |
| 2007 | 61.9% | -28.8% |
| 2011 | 51.5% | -16.8% |
| 2018 | 51.3% | -0.4% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 51.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 28.3%, 1.8× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 51.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 40.1%, 1.3× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 73.5% | 73.5% | 73.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 74.4% | 61.9% | 86.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 51.4% | 51.3% | 51.5% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
More poverty & inequality data for Tanzania
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 1 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 4.61 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 1,961 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 8.03 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 11.48 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 11.5% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Tanzania?
- Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Tanzania was 51.3% in 2018, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 86.9% in 2000.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.3% in 2018.
- How does Tanzania rank for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
- Tanzania ranks 8th out of 123 countries with data for 2018.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Tanzania data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2021 U.S. dollars and defined as max($3.00, $1.30 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $3.00. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.