Quick facts
Dar es Salaam overview
Dar es Salaam (orange) and the other large cities of Tanzania
Dar es Salaam lies in Dar es Salaam Region in Tanzania at 6.82°S, 39.27°E, about 24 m above sea level. The local time zone is Africa/Dar_es_Salaam (UTC+3); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is the biggest urban centre of Tanzania: the next largest cities are Mwanza (1,104,521), Dodoma (765,179), Zanzibar (709,809). Together, the three largest cities hold 9.9% of the national population.
The national capital, Dodoma, is about 397 km away; the nearest large city is Kibaha, 39 km from Dar es Salaam.
Tanzania as a whole has a live population of 73,154,031 (+2.8% a year) and ranks #21 of 238 countries — see the Tanzania population page for the full statistics and the Tanzania atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Dar es Salaam
Largest cities in Tanzania
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Dar es Salaam?
Dar es Salaam has about 5,383,728 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Dar es Salaam the capital of Tanzania?
No. The capital of Tanzania is Dodoma (765,179 people), about 397 km away. Dar es Salaam is the largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Dar es Salaam compared with the rest of Tanzania?
Its 5,383,728 residents are 7.4% of the 73,154,031 people living in Tanzania today. It is the largest city in the country.
Where is Dar es Salaam?
In Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania, at latitude -6.82 and longitude 39.27, 24 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Kibaha (39 km), Zanzibar (74 km), Morogoro (178 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Dar es Salaam Population 2026 — Tanzania. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/tanzania/dar-es-salaam/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/tanzania/dar-es-salaam/">Dar es Salaam Population 2026 — Tanzania</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.