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Kahama Population

Population · latest official estimate
453,654

Kahama is the 8th largest city in Tanzania, with a population of about 454,000 — 0.6% of the country's 73.2 million people — about as many people as the whole of Brunei. Worldwide it ranks #1218 among 5,279 cities with 100,000 or more inhabitants.

Quick facts

GeoNames · UN WPP
Population
453,654
city proper · GeoNames
Rank in Tanzania
#8 of 32
largest cities tracked
World rank
#1218
of 5,279 cities ≥ 100k
Region
Shinyanga
first-level division
Elevation
1,249 m
above sea level
Time zone
UTC+3
Africa/Dar_es_Salaam
Coordinates
3.83°S 32.6°E
Share of country
0.6%
of 73.15M people

Kahama overview

Updated October 2026
Dar es Salaam · 5,383,728Mwanza · 1,104,521Dodoma · 765,179Zanzibar · 709,809Arusha · 617,631Mbeya · 541,603Morogoro · 471,409Tanga · 393,429Geita · 318,006Tabora · 308,741Sumbawanga · 303,986Songea · 286,285Kibaha · 265,360Bariadi · 260,927Kasulu · 238,321Singida · 232,459Kigoma · 232,388Moshi · 221,733Tunduma · 219,309Ifakara · 205,843Mpanda · 204,338Iringa · 202,490Bunda · 182,970Musoma · 164,172Bukoba · 144,938Mtwara · 140,793Shinyanga · 139,727Tarime · 133,043Nzega · 125,193Makumbako · 116,232Handeni · 108,968Kahama · 453,654Kahama

Kahama (orange) and the other large cities of Tanzania

Kahama lies in Shinyanga in Tanzania at 3.83°S, 32.6°E, about 1,249 m above sea level. The local time zone is Africa/Dar_es_Salaam (UTC+3).

It is smaller than Morogoro (471,409) and larger than Tanga (393,429). The largest city in Tanzania is Dar es Salaam with 5,383,728 people; the capital, Dodoma, has 765,179.

The national capital, Dodoma, is about 434 km away; the nearest large city is Nzega, 77 km from Kahama.

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 Kahama

Within 200 km · straight-line distance
CityDistancePopulation
Nzega
Tabora
77 km125,193
Shinyanga
Shinyanga
93 km139,727
Geita
Geita
114 km318,006
Tabora
Tabora
134 km308,741
Mwanza
Mwanza
150 km1,104,521
Bariadi
Simiyu
192 km260,927

Largest cities in Tanzania

Top 10 · all 32 →
#CityRegionPopulation
1Dar es SalaamDar es Salaam Region5,383,728
2MwanzaMwanza1,104,521
3DodomaCapitalDodoma765,179
4ZanzibarZanzibar Urban/West709,809
5ArushaArusha617,631
6MbeyaMbeya541,603
7MorogoroMorogoro471,409
8KahamaShinyanga453,654
9TangaTanga393,429
10GeitaGeita318,006

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Kahama?

Kahama has about 453,654 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.

Is Kahama the capital of Tanzania?

No. The capital of Tanzania is Dodoma (765,179 people), about 434 km away. Kahama is the 8th largest city of the country.

How big is Kahama compared with the rest of Tanzania?

Its 453,654 residents are 0.6% of the 73,154,031 people living in Tanzania today. Dar es Salaam is larger with 5,383,728 people.

Where is Kahama?

In Shinyanga, Tanzania, at latitude -3.83 and longitude 32.6, 1,249 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Nzega (77 km), Shinyanga (93 km), Geita (114 km).

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APAGlostats. (2026). Kahama Population 2026 — Tanzania. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/tanzania/kahama/
HTML<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/tanzania/kahama/">Kahama Population 2026 — Tanzania</a> — Glostats

Figures 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.