Education in Mtwara, Tanzania: official figures
78.0% of adults aged 15 and over in Mtwara could read and write at the 2022 census, up from 70.8% in 2012 (Tanzania: 83.0%); 11th lowest of Tanzania's 31 regions.
How many children in Mtwara go to primary school?
89.8% of children of primary-school age in Mtwara were enrolled in primary school at the 2022 census (net enrolment rate; Tanzania: 83.3%), joint 11th 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 Mtwara?
Mtwara had 200 secondary schools in 2025, 186 government and 14 private, teaching 80,141 students: about 401 per school (Mainland: 528).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyMore figures
- Women in Mtwara are less likely to be literate than men: 73.3% of women and 83.6% 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
- 18.1% of people aged four and over in Mtwara had never attended school at the 2022 census (Tanzania: 19.9%), joint 14th lowest of Tanzania's 31 regions; 27.2% were in school. Source: National Bureau of Statistics and Office of the Chief Government Statistician, Zanzibar · saved copy
- About 277,000 pupils were enrolled in Mtwara's public and private primary schools in 2025, against 288,000 in 2020 (PO-RALG school census). Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copy
How Mtwara compares with other regions
Adult literacy (aged 15+) (2022)
Mtwara ranks 21 of 31, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adult literacy (aged 15+) |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Kagera | 80.1% |
| 19 | Singida | 79.4% |
| 20 | Manyara | 78.2% |
| 21 | Mtwara | 78.0% |
| 22 | Lindi | 77.6% |
| 23 | Shinyanga | 77.3% |
| 24 | Kaskazini Pemba | 77.2% |
Primary school net enrolment rate (2022)
Mtwara ranks 12 of 31, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Primary school net enrolment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Kaskazini Pemba | 93.9% |
| 10 | Mara | 91.2% |
| 11 | Pwani | 89.8% |
| 12 | Mtwara | 89.8% |
| 13 | Mwanza | 89.1% |
| 14 | Ruvuma | 88.1% |
| 15 | Tanga | 86.2% |
More on Mtwara: 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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