Tanzania strengthens child poverty measurement to inform better policies for children

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 12 August 2026 – Tanzania has taken an important step towards better understanding the realities children face by integrating a new measure of child poverty into its national household survey, helping ensure that policies and investments reach the children who need them most.

This was revealed today when government institutions, researchers and development partners from Tanzania, Uganda and Brazil gathered in Dar es Salaam for a regional exchange on how to better measure and understand child poverty, hosted by UNICEF in partnership with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Office of the Chief Government Statistician (OCGS) Zanzibar, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) and Cardiff University.

The discussions centred on a new way of measuring child poverty that looks beyond household income alone, asking a simpler and more human question: do children have what they need to grow, learn and thrive? These essentials include nutritious food, appropriate clothing, learning materials and healthcare.

Combined with traditional income-based measures, this gives a fuller picture of children's everyday realities and points directly to where policies, programmes and investments can make the biggest difference in their lives.

A key milestone highlighted at the event: Tanzania has now built child poverty questions into its 2025 Integrated Household Budget Survey (IHBS). For the first time, the survey covers both Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar, making it possible to build a full national picture of child poverty across the country.

"The integration of this approach into the 2025 Integrated Household Budget Survey marks an important step in strengthening how we measure and understand child poverty in Tanzania. The data generated will provide valuable evidence to help inform policies and programmes that improve outcomes for children across the country," said Mr. Abdallah Khamis Abdallah, Director of Administration and Planning, OCGS, who represented the NBS Statistician General and the Chief Government Statistician, OCGS.

Participants also discussed next steps, including analysis of the survey data and how the findings can be used to strengthen planning and resource allocation for children.

This initiative supports Tanzania Development Vision 2050, which places strong emphasis on human capital development, inclusive growth and reducing poverty. 

By shining a light on the different hardships children face, Tanzania will be better equipped to design policies and services that reach every child, helping ensure no child is left behind as the country grows.

"Every child deserves the opportunity to survive, learn and thrive. Better data on children's well-being helps decision-makers understand the realities children experience and identify where additional support and investment are needed. This evidence is critical for designing effective solutions and ensuring every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential," said Elke Wisch, UNICEF Representative to Tanzania. "This milestone reflects the strong partnership between UNICEF, the National Bureau of Statistics and the Office of the Chief Government Statistician in strengthening child-focused data and evidence in Tanzania."

The event also gave Tanzania, Uganda and Brazil the opportunity to share experiences and lessons on measuring child poverty, strengthening regional and international collaboration on how best to generate evidence that improves children's lives. Brazil's contribution drew on joint research by the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) and Cardiff University, which applies the consensual approach, a method that identifies the necessities of life through public consultation, within the country's constitutional guarantee of children's rights, including its Bolsa Família programme, which ties income support to school attendance and children's wellbeing.