Education in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: official figures
97.5% of adults aged 15 and over in Dar es Salaam could read and write at the 2022 census, up from 96.1% in 2012 (Tanzania: 83.0%); the highest of Tanzania's 31 regions.
How many children in Dar es Salaam go to primary school?
96.8% of children of primary-school age in Dar es Salaam were enrolled in primary school at the 2022 census (net enrolment rate; Tanzania: 83.3%), 3rd highest of Tanzania's 31 regions.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics and Office of the Chief Government Statistician, Zanzibar · saved copyHow many secondary schools are there in Dar es Salaam?
Dar es Salaam had 376 secondary schools in 2025, 196 government and 180 private, teaching 317,419 students: about 844 per school (Mainland: 528).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyMore figures
- Women in Dar es Salaam are less likely to be literate than men: 96.7% of women and 98.3% of men aged 15 and over could read and write in 2022 (Tanzania: 79.5% and 86.8%). Source: National Bureau of Statistics and Office of the Chief Government Statistician, Zanzibar · saved copy
- 4.6% of people aged four and over in Dar es Salaam had never attended school at the 2022 census (Tanzania: 19.9%), the lowest of Tanzania's 31 regions; 30.8% were in school. Source: National Bureau of Statistics and Office of the Chief Government Statistician, Zanzibar · saved copy
- About 840,000 pupils were enrolled in Dar es Salaam's public and private primary schools in 2025, against 706,000 in 2020 (PO-RALG school census). Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copy
How Dar es Salaam compares with other regions
Adult literacy (aged 15+) (2022)
Dar es Salaam ranks 1 of 31, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adult literacy (aged 15+) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dar es Salaam | 97.5% |
| 2 | Mjini Magharibi | 96.2% |
| 3 | Kilimanjaro | 94.2% |
| 4 | Kusini Unguja | 93.9% |
| 5 | Njombe | 90.0% |
| 6 | Iringa | 89.5% |
| 7 | Mbeya | 87.9% |
Primary school net enrolment rate (2022)
Dar es Salaam ranks 3 of 31, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Primary school net enrolment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mjini Magharibi | 98.2% |
| 2 | Kusini Unguja | 97.8% |
| 3 | Dar es Salaam | 96.8% |
| 4 | Kusini Pemba | 96.7% |
| 5 | Kilimanjaro | 96.4% |
| 6 | Kaskazini Unguja | 96.2% |
| 7 | Njombe | 95.5% |
More on Dar es Salaam: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · Tanzania
Sources
- National Bureau of Statistics: Tanzania Statistical Abstract 2025: Tables 3.2, 3.6, 12.3, 12.15, 16.3 and 16.6 (density, birth registration, schools, crime and road deaths by region), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 65b6dcd7d322…)
- National Bureau of Statistics and Office of the Chief Government Statistician, Zanzibar: 2022 Population and Housing Census: Basic Demographic and Socio-Economic Profile, United Republic of Tanzania (regional tables), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 20ed491aac53…)
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