Education in Ruvuma, Tanzania: official figures
86.6% of adults aged 15 and over in Ruvuma could read and write at the 2022 census, up from 84.4% in 2012 (Tanzania: 83.0%); 8th highest of Tanzania's 31 regions.
How many children in Ruvuma go to primary school?
88.1% of children of primary-school age in Ruvuma were enrolled in primary school at the 2022 census (net enrolment rate; Tanzania: 83.3%), 14th 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 Ruvuma?
Ruvuma had 246 secondary schools in 2025, 191 government and 55 private, teaching 94,830 students: about 385 per school (Mainland: 528).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyMore figures
- Women in Ruvuma are less likely to be literate than men: 83.8% of women and 89.5% 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
- 14.4% of people aged four and over in Ruvuma had never attended school at the 2022 census (Tanzania: 19.9%), 7th lowest of Tanzania's 31 regions; 30.2% were in school. Source: National Bureau of Statistics and Office of the Chief Government Statistician, Zanzibar · saved copy
- About 341,000 pupils were enrolled in Ruvuma's public and private primary schools in 2025, against 345,000 in 2020 (PO-RALG school census). Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copy
How Ruvuma compares with other regions
Adult literacy (aged 15+) (2022)
Ruvuma ranks 8 of 31, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adult literacy (aged 15+) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Njombe | 90.0% |
| 6 | Iringa | 89.5% |
| 7 | Mbeya | 87.9% |
| 8 | Ruvuma | 86.6% |
| 9 | Pwani | 86.4% |
| 10 | Mara | 85.9% |
| 11 | Mwanza | 85.6% |
Primary school net enrolment rate (2022)
Ruvuma ranks 14 of 31, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Primary school net enrolment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Pwani | 89.8% |
| 12 | Mtwara | 89.8% |
| 13 | Mwanza | 89.1% |
| 14 | Ruvuma | 88.1% |
| 15 | Tanga | 86.2% |
| 16 | Mbeya | 85.8% |
| 17 | Arusha | 85.0% |
More on Ruvuma: 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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