Education in Rukwa, Tanzania: official figures
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.
How many children in Rukwa go to primary school?
72.1% of children of primary-school age in Rukwa were enrolled in primary school at the 2022 census (net enrolment rate; Tanzania: 83.3%), 3rd lowest 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 Rukwa?
Rukwa had 117 secondary schools in 2025, 91 government and 26 private, teaching 65,601 students: about 561 per school (Mainland: 528).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyMore figures
- Women in Rukwa are less likely to be literate than men: 68.1% of women and 80.7% 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
- 28.3% of people aged four and over in Rukwa had never attended school at the 2022 census (Tanzania: 19.9%), 3rd highest of Tanzania's 31 regions; 29.4% were in school. Source: National Bureau of Statistics and Office of the Chief Government Statistician, Zanzibar · saved copy
- About 296,000 pupils were enrolled in Rukwa's public and private primary schools in 2025, against 286,000 in 2020 (PO-RALG school census). Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copy
How Rukwa compares with other regions
Adult literacy (aged 15+) (2022)
Rukwa ranks 29 of 31, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adult literacy (aged 15+) |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Geita | 77.0% |
| 26 | Kigoma | 76.7% |
| 27 | Dodoma | 76.3% |
| 28 | Simiyu | 75.0% |
| 29 | Rukwa | 74.1% |
| 30 | Katavi | 70.4% |
| 31 | Tabora | 68.0% |
Primary school net enrolment rate (2022)
Rukwa ranks 29 of 31, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Primary school net enrolment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Singida | 78.3% |
| 26 | Shinyanga | 77.5% |
| 27 | Dodoma | 77.4% |
| 28 | Simiyu | 76.0% |
| 29 | Rukwa | 72.1% |
| 30 | Katavi | 64.6% |
| 31 | Tabora | 63.4% |
More on Rukwa: 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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