By John Ikani
Tanzania’s population jumped by more than 37 percent in a decade to 61.7 million, according to the results of the national census announced on Monday.
Analysis of the results indicate that the East African country’s population grew from 44.9 million in 2012 to more than 60 million.
The results also indicate that Tanzania’s commercial capital Dar es Salaam is poised to become one of the world’s most heavily populated cities in the years to come.
The population rise by more than 37% prompted President Samia Suluhu Hassan to warn about the challenges posed by the expanding numbers.
“Such population might not be a big deal for a huge country like ours but it’s a burden when it comes to allocating resources and delivering social services,” President Samia was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.
“We need development strategies to serve these people,” she said.
Population in the capital, Dodoma, rose by a million to 3.1 million, while the commercial hub, Dar es Salaam, remains the most populated region with around 5.4 million residents.
Dar es Salaam, which lies on Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast, grew from a fishing village to become the country’s largest city.
Women represent 51% of the general population, according to the census results.
“We need to start preparing development projects for these people and make necessary reforms in our policies to match with the current numbers,” Hassan said, pointing out that the country’s population was projected to reach 151.2 million in 2050.
