Education in Pwani, Tanzania: official figures
86.4% of adults aged 15 and over in Pwani could read and write at the 2022 census, up from 73.6% in 2012 (Tanzania: 83.0%); 9th highest of Tanzania's 31 regions.
How many children in Pwani go to primary school?
89.8% of children of primary-school age in Pwani 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 Pwani?
Pwani had 277 secondary schools in 2025, 183 government and 94 private, teaching 160,087 students: about 578 per school (Mainland: 528).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyMore figures
- Women in Pwani are less likely to be literate than men: 82.8% of women and 90.0% 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
- 17.1% of people aged four and over in Pwani had never attended school at the 2022 census (Tanzania: 19.9%), 13th lowest of Tanzania's 31 regions; 30.3% were in school. Source: National Bureau of Statistics and Office of the Chief Government Statistician, Zanzibar · saved copy
- About 403,000 pupils were enrolled in Pwani's public and private primary schools in 2025, against 341,000 in 2020 (PO-RALG school census). Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copy
How Pwani compares with other regions
Adult literacy (aged 15+) (2022)
Pwani ranks 9 of 31, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adult literacy (aged 15+) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Iringa | 89.5% |
| 7 | Mbeya | 87.9% |
| 8 | Ruvuma | 86.6% |
| 9 | Pwani | 86.4% |
| 10 | Mara | 85.9% |
| 11 | Mwanza | 85.6% |
| 12 | Kaskazini Unguja | 85.4% |
Primary school net enrolment rate (2022)
Pwani ranks 11 of 31, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Primary school net enrolment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Iringa | 94.1% |
| 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% |
More on Pwani: 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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