Three out of four children in Tanzania are affected by poverty

United Republic of Tanzania, 11 August 2016 – Three out of every four children in Tanzania experience poverty, according to the report Child Poverty in Tanzania which was launched 11 August 2016 by the Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, the Hon. Dr. Ashatu Kijaji, at the Mwalimu Nyerere International Conference Centre in Dar es Salaam.

The report findings are based on a new comprehensive estimate of child multidimensional poverty specific to Tanzania that goes beyond monetary income. It takes into account children’s access to nutrition, health, protection, education, information, sanitation, water, and housing across four age groups (0-23 months; 24-59 months 5-13 years and 14-17 years).

If a child suffers deprivation in three or more of these areas, he or she is classified as experiencing multidimensional poverty. Using this measure, 74 per cent of children are affected by multidimensional poverty and 29 per cent affected by monetary poverty.

The Child Poverty in Tanzania Report was developed by the National Bureau of Statistics, in collaboration with UNICEF, using the dataset of the National Panel Survey conducted in 2012-2013. The analysis used the multiple overlapping deprivation (MODA) methodology, developed by the UNICEF Office of Research and the University of Bristol.

UNICEF Representative in Tanzania, Ms. Maniza Zaman, highlighted, “It’s important to realize that poverty is not just about having very little money. Nearly half of the country’s children who live in homes that are not classified as income-poor actually experience poverty in other forms. The broader definition of poverty helps define more effective responses. Poor children, most of whom live in rural areas and overcrowded urban centres, need better access to integrated social services in order to overcome poverty in all its forms and develop to their full potential.”

The report recommends that child deprivation poverty counts, based on nationally available data, be routinely calculated and reported along with the number of children living in monetarily poor households.