Motherhood
Birth SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN PREGNANCYRELATED MORTALITY RATIO:
TEENAGE PREGNANCY IS DECREASING:
22.7% 4.1
of teenage girls (aged 15–19) in Mainland Tanzania in 2022 vs 26.7% in 2015/16
1 in nearly 962 women die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth (2022) vs 1 in 189 women in 2015/16
% of teenage girls (aged 15–19) in Zanzibar in 2022 vs 8.2% in 2015/16 have started childbearing
3 in 10 men believe that a husband is justified in beating his wife
Primary education ACUTE SHORTAGE OF CLASSROOMS:
75
The average number of school children per classroom in Mainland Tanzania
62
The average number of school children per classroom in Zanzibar
Well above the international best practice of a maximum of 30
SCHOOL SANITATION IS LAGGING BEHIND:
29.5
58.3
%
in 2015/16
Birth registration of children under 5 years has increased substantially, from 26.4% in 2015/16 to 67.7% in 2022
in the United Republic of Tanzania
%
live births in 2022
64.3% of youngest children (under 6 months of age) are exclusively breastfed
The Journey of a Child
of schools in Mainland Tanzania and
25/1,000
VS
55.7% of pregnant women (aged 15–49) are anaemic
Nearly 5 in 10 women
Primary school completion rate: About 80.1% in Mainland Tanzania and 86.6% in Zanzibar
24/1,000
Mainland Tanzania has a lower neonatal mortality rate (23/1,000) than Zanzibar (34/1,000)
Under-five deaths: Nearly half (48.9%) of all these deaths in Mainland Tanzania and nearly three-quarters (72.3%) in Zanzibar occur in the first month of life
HIGH LEVELS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN:
Primary school gross enrolment ratio (GER): 98.2% in Mainland Tanzania and 105.3% in Zanzibar
Neonatal mortality in URT remained almost stagnant between 2015/16 and 2022
MATERNAL MALNUTRITION IS SUBSTANTIAL:
Nearly half (45.0%) of teenage girls (aged 15–19) in Tanzania are anaemic
1 in 5 primary-school aged children are out of school in URT
NEONATAL MORTALITY IS BECOMING MORE PROMINENT:
in Zanzibar have basic sanitation services
Handwashing with soap is infrequently practised, with only 17.6% of schools in Mainland Tanzania and 18.2% in Zanzibar having basic hygiene services
VERY YOUNG CHILDREN ARE STILL VULNERABLE: The survival of children under five has improved in URT but % of under-five deaths occur during the first year of life, indicating an unmet human need in health care, nutrition, sanitation and education
2 in 5 lower-secondaryschool aged children are out of school
‘PERIOD POVERTY’ AFFECTS GIRLS’ EDUCATION: 16.8% of students still miss school due to menstruation (15.3% in Mainland Tanzania, 26.9% in Zanzibar) 57.5% of girls in Mainland Tanzania and 49.4% in Zanzibar practise safe menstruation (access to safe menstrual products, comprehensive knowledge and supportive environment)* 51.4% of schools in Mainland Tanzania
A baby born in an urban area in URT is more likely to die in the first month of life as a baby from a rural area (35 per 1,000 live births compared to 21 per 1,000 live births)
Early childhood CHILDREN SUFFER FROM HIGH LEVELS OF MALNUTRITION: 3 in 10 children in Mainland Tanzania
76.7
Under-five mortality rates (47/1,000) are the same in Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar and slightly higher in urban areas (49/1,000) than rural areas (41/1,000) in URT
URBAN DISADVANTAGE:
and nearly 2 in 10 children in Zanzibar are stunted 47.4% of children aged 24–59 months are developmentally on-track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being. 56.3% in urban areas vs 44.1% in rural areas 47.0% in Mainland Tanzania vs 60.8% in Zanzibar
CHILD MARRIAGE: 29.1% of women aged 20–24 years were first married by age 18 High child marriage rates contribute to the high levels of teenage pregnancy, and by extension, to just under 3 in 4 girls failing to complete their secondary education 1.0% of 15–24-year-olds are living with HIV, with girls and young women (1.3%) twice as likely to be affected as boys and men (0.6%) More lower secondary students are completing their education: Gross completion ratio (GCR) in 2023 – 42.0% in Mainland Tanzania and 60.0% in Zanzibar
Secondary education Sources: (1) 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicator Survey: Final report, 2023; (2) Tanzania HIV Impact Survey 2022–2023: Summary sheet, 2023; (3) ‘National Basic Education Statistics in Tanzania (BEST)’, 2023; (4) ‘Education Statistical Abstract’, Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, 2023; (5) 2018 Tanzania School Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Assessment: Main report, 2020; (6) Menstrual Health and Hygiene Among School Girls in Tanzania: Research report, 2021; (7) Global Initiative on Out-of-School Children, Tanzania Country Report, 2018 Note: * These statistics come from a survey report of 19 district councils in Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.
© United Nations Children’s Fund, Dar es Salaam, 2024