Regions of Mozambique: population and official figures
Mozambique is divided into 11 regions. The largest by population is Nampula with 6,984,000 people (20.5% of the total); the smallest is Maputo City with 1,140,000. Population figures are projections for 2025 by Mozambique's National Statistics Institute (INE) from the 2017 census, rounded to the nearest thousand. Each province page adds household spending, jobs, water, electricity and literacy from the INE Household Budget Survey (IOF 2022), schools, health services and social assistance from the INE Statistical Yearbook 2025, and health from the 2022-23 Demographic and Health Survey. No official provincial budget or poverty-rate figures were found online for recent years.
Who governs Mozambique's regions?
Provinces (10 + Maputo City): Provincial assembly elected by proportional representation; since 2019 the governor is the head of the winning list. A Secretary of State appointed by the President represents central government. Decentralised provincial services; central ministries keep their own provincial offices.
How local power works in Mozambique · Level 5: devolved and state governments worldwide
All 11 regions, largest first
| # | Region | Population | Year | Growth (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nampula | 6,984,000 | 2025 | +2.5% |
| 2 | Zambezia | 6,314,000 | 2025 | +2.5% |
| 3 | Tete | 3,368,000 | 2025 | +3.0% |
| 4 | Cabo Delgado | 2,900,000 | 2025 | +2.8% |
| 5 | Sofala | 2,828,000 | 2025 | +2.8% |
| 6 | Maputo Province | 2,662,000 | 2025 | +3.6% |
| 7 | Manica | 2,429,000 | 2025 | +2.8% |
| 8 | Niassa | 2,349,000 | 2025 | +3.3% |
| 9 | Inhambane | 1,616,000 | 2025 | +1.1% |
| 10 | Gaza | 1,500,000 | 2025 | +0.8% |
| 11 | Maputo City | 1,140,000 | 2025 | +0.4% |
Cities: the largest cities of Mozambique.
More on Mozambique: official statistics · government and power · local power
Sources
- Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (INE), Mozambique: Anuario Estatistico 2025 (Statistical Yearbook 2025): Quadros 2.1.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.4, 2.3.6, 2.3.16, 2.4.1, 5.1.6 and 5.6.1 by province, read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 25e1129ec762…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (INE), Mozambique: Anuario Estatistico 2024 (Statistical Yearbook 2024): Quadro 2.1.1, population by province, 2024, read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 afd1afb283cd…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (INE), Mozambique: Relatorio Final do Inquerito sobre Orcamento Familiar - IOF 2022 (Household Budget Survey 2022 final report): Quadros 4.2, 4.11, 6.3, 6.8, 7.5, 7.6, 7.9, 8.2, 11.2, 12.1, 12.2, read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 70a1687d340c…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estatistica (INE) and Ministry of Health (with ICF, The DHS Program): Mocambique Inquerito Demografico e de Saude 2022-23, Relatorio Resumo: "Principais indicadores por provincia" (page 23), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 01467bf8c29b…)
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