Education in Shinyanga, Tanzania: official figures
77.3% of adults aged 15 and over in Shinyanga could read and write at the 2022 census, up from 68.4% in 2012 (Tanzania: 83.0%); 9th lowest of Tanzania's 31 regions.
How many children in Shinyanga go to primary school?
77.5% of children of primary-school age in Shinyanga were enrolled in primary school at the 2022 census (net enrolment rate; Tanzania: 83.3%), 6th 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 Shinyanga?
Shinyanga had 198 secondary schools in 2025, 167 government and 31 private, teaching 109,310 students: about 552 per school (Mainland: 528).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyMore figures
- Women in Shinyanga are less likely to be literate than men: 73.2% of women and 81.6% 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
- 25.8% of people aged four and over in Shinyanga had never attended school at the 2022 census (Tanzania: 19.9%), 7th highest of Tanzania's 31 regions; 29.3% were in school. Source: National Bureau of Statistics and Office of the Chief Government Statistician, Zanzibar · saved copy
- About 454,000 pupils were enrolled in Shinyanga's public and private primary schools in 2025, against 445,000 in 2020 (PO-RALG school census). Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copy
How Shinyanga compares with other regions
Adult literacy (aged 15+) (2022)
Shinyanga ranks 23 of 31, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adult literacy (aged 15+) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Manyara | 78.2% |
| 21 | Mtwara | 78.0% |
| 22 | Lindi | 77.6% |
| 23 | Shinyanga | 77.3% |
| 24 | Kaskazini Pemba | 77.2% |
| 25 | Geita | 77.0% |
| 26 | Kigoma | 76.7% |
Primary school net enrolment rate (2022)
Shinyanga ranks 26 of 31, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Primary school net enrolment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Geita | 80.3% |
| 24 | Manyara | 78.5% |
| 25 | Singida | 78.3% |
| 26 | Shinyanga | 77.5% |
| 27 | Dodoma | 77.4% |
| 28 | Simiyu | 76.0% |
| 29 | Rukwa | 72.1% |
More on Shinyanga: 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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