Health in Mtwara, Tanzania: official figures
22.3% of children under five in Mtwara were stunted (too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition) in the 2022 Demographic and Health Survey, and 2.1% were wasted (too thin); stunting is 9th lowest of Tanzania's 31 regions (Tanzania: 30.0%).
Do women in Mtwara give birth in hospital?
97.4% of births in the two years before the 2022 survey in Mtwara took place in a health facility and 82.5% of mothers had four or more antenatal visits (Tanzania: 81.2% and 65.1%); facility births are 4th highest of Tanzania's 31 regions.
Source: Ministry of Health, National Bureau of Statistics and Office of the Chief Government Statistician, Zanzibar (with ICF) · saved copyHow common is malaria in Mtwara?
74.0% of households in Mtwara owned at least one insecticide-treated mosquito net in 2022 (Tanzania: 73.6%), and 19.7% of children aged 6 to 59 months tested positive for malaria (Tanzania: 7.9%), 2nd highest of Tanzania's 31 regions.
Source: Ministry of Health, National Bureau of Statistics and Office of the Chief Government Statistician, Zanzibar (with ICF) · saved copyHow common is teenage pregnancy in Mtwara?
25.7% of young women aged 15 to 19 in Mtwara had already been pregnant in 2022 (Tanzania: 22.0%), 9th highest of the 24 regions with enough survey data.
Source: Ministry of Health, National Bureau of Statistics and Office of the Chief Government Statistician, Zanzibar (with ICF) · saved copyHow many people in Mtwara have health insurance?
5.3% of Mtwara's residents held a National Health Insurance Fund or community health fund card at the 2022 census (Tanzania: 7.0%), 15th lowest of Tanzania's 31 regions.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics and Office of the Chief Government Statistician, Zanzibar · saved copyMore figures
- 40.4% of married women aged 15 to 49 in Mtwara used a modern contraceptive method in 2022 (Tanzania: 31.1%), 9th highest of Tanzania's 31 regions. Source: Ministry of Health, National Bureau of Statistics and Office of the Chief Government Statistician, Zanzibar (with ICF) · saved copy
- 14.5% of people aged 7 and over in Mtwara reported a disability at the 2022 census, against 10.3% in 2012 (Tanzania: 11.2%). Source: National Bureau of Statistics and Office of the Chief Government Statistician, Zanzibar · saved copy
How Mtwara compares with other regions
Children under 5 stunted (2022)
Mtwara ranks 23 of 31, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Children under 5 stunted |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Singida | 25.7% |
| 21 | Tanga | 24.1% |
| 22 | Mara | 23.4% |
| 23 | Mtwara | 22.3% |
| 24 | Kaskazini Pemba | 21.8% |
| 25 | Lindi | 21.3% |
| 26 | Kilimanjaro | 20.4% |
Births in a health facility (2022)
Mtwara ranks 4 of 31, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Births in a health facility |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dar es Salaam | 100.0% |
| 2 | Iringa | 100.0% |
| 3 | Njombe | 98.7% |
| 4 | Mtwara | 97.4% |
| 5 | Lindi | 96.2% |
| 6 | Mjini Magharibi | 95.9% |
| 7 | Ruvuma | 95.8% |
More on Mtwara: overview · economy and jobs · education and schools · poverty and living standards · Tanzania
Sources
- Ministry of Health, National Bureau of Statistics and Office of the Chief Government Statistician, Zanzibar (with ICF): Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicator Survey 2022, Key Indicators Report: Tables 4, 6, 9, 12, 14 and 18 by region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 9108bc9f13cf…)
- 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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