Tanzania: Introduction

This research paper provides an introductory overview of Tanzania's geographic, political, and economic landscape as of June 2026. It details the country's transition to a lower-middle-income economy, its complex political history dominated by the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, and the governance crisis following the contested October 2025 general elections.

• Tanzania is a lower-middle-income country (LMIC) with a Gross National Income (GNI) of US$4,120 in 2024. While it is the 13th-largest country in Africa by land size and the 8th-largest economy by GDP, it ranks 31st among African countries in GDP per capita as of 2023.
• The political landscape is characterized by the long-term dominance of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, which has remained in power since the introduction of multiparty politics in 1992. Despite an initial period of political opening under President Samia Suluhu Hassan starting in 2021, the environment has shifted toward renewed repression, including the disqualification of the opposition party CHADEMA and the arrest of its leader, Tundu Lissu.
• The October 2025 general elections, which returned President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the CCM to power with a 98% majority, were marked by serious irregularities, violence, and an internet shutdown. The African Union's observer mission concluded that the polls were neither free nor fair and did not meet democratic standards, leading to widespread protests and a deepening governance crisis.
• Tanzania faces significant economic and social challenges despite an average annual GDP growth of around 6%. The country ranked 165th out of 191 countries in the UNDP Human Development Report in 2023. Growth is hindered by rapid population growth, low-productivity agriculture, and a large informal economy, leading the government to prioritize structural transformation and human capital investment in its Third Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP III) and draft Vision 2050.
• Tanzania's geography is diverse, featuring a 1,400 km coastline along the Indian Ocean and access to three of Africa's Great Lakes: Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, and Lake Malawi. Environmental threats include soil erosion, deforestation, and land degradation, with rainfall patterns causing periodic flooding and droughts.

APA

van Rooyen, M., & Chipanda, B. (2026). Tanzania: Introduction. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=TZ&topic=01-introduction

Chicago

van Rooyen, Michelle, and Blessing Chipanda. Tanzania: Introduction. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=TZ&topic=01-introduction.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=van Rooyen |first1=Michelle |last2=Chipanda |first2=Blessing |title=Tanzania: Introduction |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=15 June 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=TZ&topic=01-introduction |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vanrooyen2026tanzania, author = {van Rooyen, Michelle and Chipanda, Blessing}, title = {{Tanzania: Introduction}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=TZ&topic=01-introduction}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }