Sub-Saharan Africa · Lower middle income
Tanzania: the economy in numbers
Per person: $1,319, or $4,471 at purchasing power parity. Population: 70.5 million (2025).
GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #83 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: +6.0%.
GDP
Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $28.9 billion in 1960, $90.1 billion in 2025.
GDP per capita
In 2025 dollars: $2,999 per person in 1960, $1,319 in 2025.
Real GDP growth
Average over 2016–2025: 5.2% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1961: 4 of 65.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Inflation
Consumer prices rose 4.48 times from 2000 to 2025. Highest annual inflation: 36.1% in 1984.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Government debt, % of GDP
Highest since 2001: 50.8% of GDP in 2001. IMF forecast for 2031: 41.4%.
Stock market capitalization, % of GDP
In 2025 listed domestic companies were worth $9.78 billion, or 10.8% of GDP.
Population
1960: 9.9 million · 2025: 70.5 million.
Unemployment rate
1991: 3.6% · 2025: 1.6%.
Life expectancy at birth
1960: 42.6 years · 2024: 67.2 years.
Exports of goods and services
1990: 8.7% · 2025: 19.0%.
Data by year
Show the year-by-year table
| Year | GDP | GDP per capita | Per capita, PPP | Real growth | Inflation | Gov. debt, % GDP | Population | Unemployment | Stock market, % GDP | Life expectancy | Exports, % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 6.0%f | 4.0%f | 41.4%f | ||||||||
| 2030 | 5.9%f | 4.0%f | 42.9%f | ||||||||
| 2029 | 6.0%f | 4.0%f | 43.9%f | ||||||||
| 2028 | 6.0%f | 4.0%f | 45.2%f | ||||||||
| 2027 | 5.9%f | 4.2%f | 46.6%f | ||||||||
| 2026 | 6.0%f | 4.0%f | 48.1%f | ||||||||
| 2025 | $90.1B | $1,319 | $4,471 | 5.9% | 3.3% | 49.8%e | 70.5M | 1.6% | 10.8% | 19.0% | |
| 2024 | $79.2B | $1,193 | $4,227 | 5.5% | 3.1% | 50.0%e | 68.6M | 1.6% | 9.2% | 67.2 | 19.7% |
| 2023 | $79B | $1,224 | $4,022 | 5.1% | 3.8% | 47.8% | 66.6M | 1.6% | 7.3% | 67.0 | 17.2% |
| 2022 | $75.7B | $1,208 | $3,799 | 4.6% | 4.4% | 44.9% | 64.7M | 1.6% | 8.8% | 66.9 | 15.4% |
| 2021 | $70.7B | $1,160 | $3,493 | 4.3% | 3.7% | 43.4% | 62.8M | 1.9% | 9.7% | 66.1 | 14.1% |
| 2020 | $66.1B | $1,117 | $3,291 | 2.0% | 3.3% | 41.3% | 61M | 1.8% | 9.8% | 66.8 | 13.5% |
| 2019 | $61B | $1,063 | $2,982 | 5.8% | 3.5% | 40.4% | 59.2M | 1.7% | 6.5% | 66.0 | 16.0% |
| 2018 | $57B | $1,023 | $2,728 | 5.5% | 3.5% | 42.0% | 57.4M | 1.8% | 65.5 | 14.7% | |
| 2017 | $53.3B | $987 | $2,472 | 6.7% | 5.3% | 40.1% | 55.7M | 1.9% | 65.0 | 15.7% | |
| 2016 | $49.8B | $953 | $2,435 | 6.9% | 5.2% | 39.8% | 53.8M | 1.9% | 64.4 | 16.3% | |
| 2015 | $47.4B | $939 | $2,317 | 6.2% | 5.6% | 39.5% | 52M | 2.0% | 63.9 | 17.1% | |
| 2014 | $50B | $1,023 | $2,221 | 6.7% | 6.1% | 36.4% | 50.4M | 2.1% | 63.4 | 18.1% | |
| 2013 | $45.6B | $963 | $2,176 | 6.8% | 7.9% | 32.7% | 48.8M | 2.9% | 62.8 | 19.0% | |
| 2012 | $39.7B | $862 | $2,083 | 4.5% | 16.0% | 30.0% | 47.4M | 3.2% | 62.3 | 22.4% | |
| 2011 | $34.7B | $775 | $2,211 | 7.7% | 12.7% | 28.4% | 46M | 3.5% | 61.6 | 21.6% | |
| 2010 | $32B | $737 | $2,069 | 6.3% | 6.2% | 27.6% | 44.8M | 3.0% | 61.1 | 19.6% | |
| 2009 | $29.4B | $694 | $1,972 | 5.3% | 12.1% | 23.9% | 43.6M | 2.5% | 60.5 | 18.2% | |
| 2008 | $27.9B | $676 | $1,908 | 5.7% | 10.3% | 21.6% | 42.6M | 2.8% | 59.9 | 19.5% | |
| 2007 | $21.9B | $543 | $1,820 | 6.8% | 7.0% | 23.8% | 41.4M | 3.0% | 59.3 | 19.8% | |
| 2006 | $18.6B | $476 | $1,707 | 6.5% | 7.3% | 34.5% | 40.3M | 3.3% | 58.5 | 18.4% | |
| 2005 | $18.4B | $483 | $1,598 | 7.5% | 5.0% | 46.1% | 39.2M | 3.2% | 57.7 | 17.0% | |
| 2004 | $16.7B | $450 | $1,482 | 7.5% | 4.7% | 44.5% | 38.1M | 3.1% | 56.8 | 16.0% | |
| 2003 | $15.2B | $422 | $1,379 | 6.7% | 5.3% | 44.4% | 37.1M | 3.1% | 55.9 | 15.1% | |
| 2002 | $14.1B | $403 | $1,302 | 7.1% | 5.3% | 47.4% | 36.1M | 3.0% | 54.9 | 14.3% | |
| 2001 | $13.6B | $397 | $1,229 | 6.1% | 5.1% | 50.8% | 35.2M | 3.0% | 2.9% | 54.1 | 13.8% |
| 2000 | $13.4B | $402 | $1,164 | 4.5% | 5.9% | 34.3M | 3.1% | 1.7% | 53.2 | 10.8% | |
| 1999 | $12.7B | $393 | $1,120 | 4.9% | 7.9% | 33.3M | 3.2% | 1.3% | 52.4 | 10.2% | |
| 1998 | $12.2B | $386 | $1,082 | 3.7% | 12.8% | 32.4M | 3.3% | 51.8 | 10.1% | ||
| 1997 | $11.2B | $364 | $1,059 | 3.5% | 16.1% | 31.6M | 3.3% | 51.2 | 11.2% | ||
| 1996 | $9.43B | $314 | $1,026 | 4.5% | 21.0% | 30.9M | 3.5% | 51.1 | 13.7% | ||
| 1995 | $7.63B | $258 | $981 | 3.6% | 27.4% | 30.4M | 3.7% | 51.0 | 16.6% | ||
| 1994 | $6.55B | $229 | $958 | 1.6% | 34.1% | 29.4M | 3.9% | 51.1 | 14.2% | ||
| 1993 | $6.18B | $224 | $959 | 1.2% | 25.3% | 28.3M | 3.9% | 51.2 | 12.4% | ||
| 1992 | $6.68B | $250 | $955 | 0.6% | 21.8% | 27.5M | 3.7% | 51.4 | 8.6% | ||
| 1991 | $7.2B | $276 | $952 | 2.1% | 28.7% | 26.8M | 3.6% | 51.8 | 7.1% | ||
| 1990 | $6.18B | $244 | $925 | 7.0% | 35.8% | 26.1M | 52.0 | 8.7% | |||
| 1989 | $6.42B | $260 | 3.8% | 25.8% | 25.4M | 52.1 | |||||
| 1988 | $7.41B | $308 | 7.3% | 31.2% | 24.8M | 52.2 | |||||
| 1987 | $7.82B | $335 | 4.8% | 29.9% | 24M | 52.2 | |||||
| 1986 | $10.8B | $479 | 5.5% | 32.4% | 23.3M | 52.2 | |||||
| 1985 | $15.3B | $700 | 1.2% | 33.3% | 22.5M | 52.2 | |||||
| 1984 | $12.9B | $609 | 4.7% | 36.1% | 21.8M | 52.2 | |||||
| 1983 | $14B | $685 | −0.4% | 27.1% | 21.1M | 52.2 | |||||
| 1982 | $13.9B | $702 | −0.4% | 28.9% | 20.4M | 52.0 | |||||
| 1981 | $13.2B | $684 | −1.0% | 25.7% | 19.8M | 51.7 | |||||
| 1980 | $11.4B | $611 | 2.7% | 30.2% | 19.2M | 51.3 | |||||
| 1979 | $9.8B | $542 | 2.5% | 12.9% | 18.6M | 50.8 | |||||
| 1978 | $9.26B | $530 | 2.1% | 6.6% | 18M | 50.4 | |||||
| 1977 | $7.73B | $458 | 0.0% | 11.6% | 17.4M | 50.0 | |||||
| 1976 | $6.47B | $398 | 3.3% | 6.9% | 16.7M | 49.5 | |||||
| 1975 | $5.73B | $365 | 4.0% | 26.1% | 16.1M | 48.9 | |||||
| 1974 | $4.98B | $329 | 2.1% | 19.6% | 15.6M | 48.4 | |||||
| 1973 | $4.14B | $284 | 6.2% | 10.4% | 15M | 47.9 | |||||
| 1972 | $3.47B | $247 | 7.1% | 7.6% | 14.5M | 47.4 | |||||
| 1971 | $3.05B | $224 | 3.9% | 4.8% | 14M | 47.0 | |||||
| 1970 | $2.85B | $217 | −46.4% | 3.5% | 13.5M | 46.5 | |||||
| 1969 | $5.14B | $405 | 3.3% | 16.4% | 13M | 46.0 | |||||
| 1968 | $4.9B | $399 | 6.3% | 15.6% | 12.6M | 45.6 | |||||
| 1967 | $4.57B | $385 | 5.5% | 12.2% | 12.2M | 45.2 | |||||
| 1966 | $4.38B | $380 | 11.6% | 9.8% | 11.8M | 44.9 | |||||
| 1965 | $3.82B | $342 | 4.4% | 11.5M | 44.5 | ||||||
| 1964 | $3.75B | $346 | 5.5% | 11.1M | 44.1 | ||||||
| 1963 | $3.46B | $329 | 6.3% | 10.8M | 43.6 | ||||||
| 1962 | $3.1B | $304 | 9.1% | 10.5M | 43.2 | ||||||
| 1961 | $2.83B | $285 | 1.1% | 10.2M | 42.8 | ||||||
| 1960 | $2.65B | $275 | 9.9M | 42.6 |
e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast.
Nearby economies in Sub-Saharan Africa
Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.
Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Côte d’Ivoire · DR Congo · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Republic of the Congo · Rwanda · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · South Sudan · Sudan · São Tomé and Príncipe · Tanzania · Togo · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Rankings
GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country
Data and methods
- GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
- Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
- In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
- Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
- Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
- Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
- Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)