What is the population of Dar es Salaam?
Dar es Salaam's metropolitan area has about 7,405,000 people, making it the 55th largest metro area in our dataset of 140 major cities.
In Tanzania
Metro population
7,405,000
0.089% of world population
Archive estimateAnnual growth
+5.12%
About 1,039 people a day
Archive estimateDensity
4,657/km²
1,590 km² metro area
City proper
5,383,728
Within the administrative boundary
GeoNamesAbout Dar es Salaam
With a metropolitan population of 7.405 million, Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's largest urban center. The city-proper encompasses 5.383 million residents at a density of 4,657 people per km², reflecting intense concentration across its relatively compact area. Annual growth of 5.1% indicates rapid demographic expansion.
Founded in 1862, the city sits at a low elevation of 24 m on Africa's eastern coast. Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) and Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) serve the metropolitan area, connecting it to regional and international networks.
This summary is AI-generated from the statistics on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.
Key Facts
Airports
Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.
- Julius Nyerere International AirportDAR
9 km from the city centre
- Abeid Amani Karume International AirportZNZ
67 km from the city centre
Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.
Compared with the World's Largest Cities
Metropolitan population against the fifteen largest metro areas.
| Name | Metro population |
|---|---|
| Tokyo | 37.4M |
| Delhi | 32.9M |
| Shanghai | 29.2M |
| São Paulo | 22.6M |
| Dhaka | 22.5M |
| Mexico City | 22.3M |
| Cairo | 22.2M |
| Mumbai | 21.7M |
| Beijing | 21.5M |
| Osaka | 19M |
| New York | 18.9M |
| Karachi | 17.1M |
| Kinshasa | 17.1M |
| Chongqing | 16.9M |
| Lagos | 15.9M |
| Dar es Salaam | 7.41M |
Population Trend in Tanzania
No free source publishes metropolitan population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 7,625,155 |
| 1960 | 9,901,419 |
| 1970 | 13,492,677 |
| 1980 | 19,189,769 |
| 1990 | 26,110,207 |
| 2000 | 34,260,139 |
| 2010 | 44,758,488 |
| 2020 | 60,972,798 |
| 2030 | 80,913,124 |
| 2040 | 103,999,359 |
| 2050 | 129,621,102 |
| 2060 | 156,850,592 |
| 2070 | 184,885,708 |
| 2080 | 212,537,418 |
| 2090 | 238,809,591 |
| 2100 | 262,834,721 |
Nearest Major Cities
Closest cities in our dataset by great-circle distance.
Dar es Salaam Population FAQ
What is the difference between Dar es Salaam's city and metro population?
About 5,383,728 people live within the city proper, while the wider metropolitan area holds roughly 7,405,000. Metro figures include surrounding commuter areas that fall outside the city's administrative boundary.
Is Dar es Salaam growing or shrinking?
Dar es Salaam is growing at +5.12% a year.
What share of Tanzania's population lives in Dar es Salaam?
Dar es Salaam's metro area holds about 10.5% of Tanzania's total population.
How densely populated is Dar es Salaam?
Dar es Salaam has roughly 4,657 people per km² across a metro area of about 1,590 km².
Which airports serve Dar es Salaam?
The nearest major airports are Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR), Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ).
Which country is Dar es Salaam in?
Dar es Salaam is in Tanzania, in Africa.
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- #3 ShanghaiChina · 29.2M · +0.86%
- #4 São PauloBrazil · 22.6M · +0.75%
- #5 DhakaBangladesh · 22.5M · +2.89%
- #6 Mexico CityMexico · 22.3M · +0.80%