Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Monday announced the east African nation’s latest population as 61,741,120.

Ms Hassan made public the country’s latest population in the capital Dodoma, following the National Population and Housing Census held from August 23 to September 4, this year.

According to astatement by the Directorate of Presidential Communications, out of the 61,741,120 people, 59,851,347 people are in Tanzania mainland and 1,889,773 people are in Zanzibar.

The government added that out of the 61,741,120 people, 31,687,990 are women and 30,053,130 are men, according to the statement.

Ms Hassan said the population increased by 16,812,197 people in 10 years since the last population census was conducted in 2012 when the population was 44,928,923 people.

She said Dar es Salaam region was leading with 5,383,728 people.

The announcement of the results of the population census went in tandem with the launch of special guidelines on the use of the 2022 census results by the president.

Ms Hassan urged government leaders to use the results of the population census in planning for the country’s economic development and improving the welfare of the people. 

(Xinhua/NAN)