The share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Tanzania
Tanzania: The share and number of people living in extreme poverty was 51.3% in 2018. ▼ Falling
The share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Tanzania, 1991–2018
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for the share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Tanzania is 51.3%, measured in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
The figure is down 17.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, the share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Tanzania peaked at 86.9% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 51.3%, in 2018.
That places Tanzania 8th out of 120 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.
The share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Tanzania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 73.5% | — |
| 2000 | 86.9% | +18.4% |
| 2007 | 61.9% | -28.8% |
| 2011 | 51.5% | -16.7% |
| 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 9.7%, 5.3× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 51.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 38.8%, 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 the share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Tanzania?
- The share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Tanzania was 51.3% in 2018, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest the share and number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 86.9% in 2000.
- What is the lowest the share and number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.3% in 2018.
- How does Tanzania rank for the share and number of people living in extreme poverty?
- Tanzania ranks 8th out of 120 countries with data for 2018.
- Is the share and number of people living in extreme poverty rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.0%. 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 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of The share and number of people living in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $3 per day.