Quick facts
Tanga overview
Tanga (orange) and the other large cities of Tanzania
Tanga lies in Tanzania at 5.07°S, 39.1°E, about 22 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 Kahama (453,654) and larger than Geita (318,006). 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 391 km away; the nearest large city is Zanzibar, 122 km from Tanga.
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 Tanga
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Zanzibar Zanzibar Urban/West | 122 km | 709,809 |
| Handeni Tanga | 126 km | 108,968 |
| Kibaha Pwani | 190 km | 265,360 |
| Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam Region | 196 km | 5,383,728 |
Largest cities in Tanzania
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Tanga?
Tanga has about 393,429 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Tanga the capital of Tanzania?
No. The capital of Tanzania is Dodoma (765,179 people), about 391 km away. Tanga is the 9th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Tanga compared with the rest of Tanzania?
Its 393,429 residents are 0.5% of the 73,154,031 people living in Tanzania today. Dar es Salaam is larger with 5,383,728 people.
Where is Tanga?
In Tanzania, at latitude -5.07 and longitude 39.1, 22 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Zanzibar (122 km), Handeni (126 km), Kibaha (190 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Tanga Population 2026 — Tanzania. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/tanzania/tanga/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/tanzania/tanga/">Tanga 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.