Quick facts
Mwanza overview
Mwanza (orange) and the other large cities of Tanzania
Mwanza lies in Tanzania at 2.52°S, 32.9°E, about 1,144 m above sea level. The local time zone is Africa/Dar_es_Salaam (UTC+3); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Dar es Salaam (5,383,728) and larger than Dodoma (765,179). 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 514 km away; the nearest large city is Geita, 84 km from Mwanza.
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 Mwanza
Largest cities in Tanzania
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Mwanza?
Mwanza has about 1,104,521 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Mwanza the capital of Tanzania?
No. The capital of Tanzania is Dodoma (765,179 people), about 514 km away. Mwanza is the 2nd largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Mwanza compared with the rest of Tanzania?
Its 1,104,521 residents are 1.5% of the 73,154,031 people living in Tanzania today. Dar es Salaam is larger with 5,383,728 people.
Where is Mwanza?
In Tanzania, at latitude -2.52 and longitude 32.9, 1,144 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Geita (84 km), Bunda (121 km), Bariadi (124 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Mwanza Population 2026 — Tanzania. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/tanzania/mwanza/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/tanzania/mwanza/">Mwanza 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.