Quick facts
Sumbawanga overview
Sumbawanga (orange) and the other large cities of Tanzania
Sumbawanga lies in Rukwa in Tanzania at 7.97°S, 31.62°E, about 1,833 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 Tabora (308,741) and larger than Songea (286,285). 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 497 km away; the nearest large city is Mpanda, 190 km from Sumbawanga.
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 Sumbawanga
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Mpanda Katavi | 190 km | 204,338 |
| Tunduma Songwe | 195 km | 219,309 |
Largest cities in Tanzania
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Sumbawanga?
Sumbawanga has about 303,986 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Sumbawanga the capital of Tanzania?
No. The capital of Tanzania is Dodoma (765,179 people), about 497 km away. Sumbawanga is the 12th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Sumbawanga compared with the rest of Tanzania?
Its 303,986 residents are 0.4% of the 73,154,031 people living in Tanzania today. Dar es Salaam is larger with 5,383,728 people.
Where is Sumbawanga?
In Rukwa, Tanzania, at latitude -7.97 and longitude 31.62, 1,833 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Mpanda (190 km), Tunduma (195 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Sumbawanga Population 2026 — Tanzania. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/tanzania/sumbawanga/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/tanzania/sumbawanga/">Sumbawanga 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.