Rukwa: population, incomes, poverty, health, schools and living conditions

Rukwa is a region of Tanzania, number 20 of 31 by population. The National Bureau of Statistics projects the population of Rukwa region at 1,806,971 in 2026, 2.6% of Tanzania's 70.04 million; 12th smallest of Tanzania's 31 regions. The projection is built from the 2022 census.

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Rukwa: Rukwa's economy produced goods and services worth TSh 5.02 trillion in 2025 (provisional regional GDP at current prices), 2.1% of Mainland Tanzania's total; 8th smallest of the 26 Mainland regions.
• Health in Rukwa: 49.8% of children under five in Rukwa were stunted (too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition) in the 2022 Demographic and Health Survey, and 8.3% were wasted (too thin); stunting is 3rd highest of Tanzania's 31 regions (Tanzania: 30.0%).
• Education in Rukwa: 74.1% of adults aged 15 and over in Rukwa could read and write at the 2022 census, up from 69.9% in 2012 (Tanzania: 83.0%); 3rd lowest of Tanzania's 31 regions.
• Poverty and living standards in Rukwa: 45.0% of people in Rukwa lived below the basic-needs poverty line (TSh 49,320 per adult a month) in the 2017-18 Household Budget Survey, the highest of the 26 Mainland regions (Mainland: 26.4%); 19.8% could not afford even the minimum food basket (Mainland: 8.0%). This is the latest official regional poverty survey; results of the 2024-25 survey are not yet published.

More figures

• On current trends Rukwa's population is projected to reach 2,081,343 by 2030, 15.2% more than in 2026 (Tanzania: 10.9%). Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copy
• 43.9% of the 4,256 births registered in Rukwa in 2025 were registered within the legal 90 days (Mainland: 51.0%), against 43.2% in 2024. Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copy

How regions are governed in Tanzania

Regions (31: 26 mainland, 5 Zanzibar). Regional commissioner appointed by the president. Supervise local councils, keep law and order; regional secretariat gives technical advice.

Every tier of government in Tanzania

Other regions of Tanzania

• Dar es Salaam 6,003,954
• Mwanza 4,242,495
• Tabora 3,895,504
• Morogoro 3,569,719
• Dodoma 3,479,323
• Geita 3,476,462
• Kagera 3,419,918
• Tanga 2,932,548
• Kigoma 2,847,496
• Mara 2,732,719
• Arusha 2,662,094
• Mbeya 2,616,176
• Shinyanga 2,558,483
• Simiyu 2,516,511
• Singida 2,298,443
• Pwani 2,245,859
• Manyara 2,161,860
• Ruvuma 2,078,301
• Kilimanjaro 2,061,256
• Mtwara 1,806,609
• Songwe 1,527,117
• Katavi 1,343,010
• Iringa 1,310,690
• Lindi 1,310,539
• Mjini Magharibi 1,017,138
• Njombe 973,707
• Kaskazini Pemba 318,290
• Kusini Pemba 313,589
• Kaskazini Unguja 291,967
• Kusini Unguja 220,102

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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: Administrative Units Population Distribution Report, Volume 1A (Table 1: population and growth by region), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6f41eee70eef…)
• 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: Tanzania Formal Sector Employment and Earnings Survey 2024/25: Table 2.10 (employees by region) and Table 6.6 (newly recruited workers by region), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f21640fc36b0…)
• National Bureau of Statistics: National Accounts Statistics of Mainland Tanzania 2019-2025, Tables 27 and 26: regional GDP and GDP per head at current prices, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c343f2c8c1d3…)
• National Bureau of Statistics: Household Budget Survey 2017-18, Tanzania Mainland, Key Indicators Report: Tables 4.1 and 4.3 (consumption and poverty by region), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 61cf58d49ba9…)
• 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…)
• National Bureau of Statistics: National Population Projections 2023-2050, Tables D5.1-D5.2: regional population projections, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 63a0ea088f0d…)

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