List of ethnic groups in Tanzania


Tanzania’s population comprises more than 120 ethnic groups, with no single group forming a majority, contributing to a diverse cultural and linguistic landscape without including ethnic groups that reside in Tanzania as refugees from conflicts in nearby countries. These ethnic groups are of Bantu origin, with large Nilotic-speaking, moderate indigenous, and small non-African minorities. The country lacks a clear dominant ethnic majority: the largest ethnic group in Tanzania, the Sukuma people, comprises about 16 percent of the country's total population, followed by the Wanyakyusa, and the Chagga. Unlike its neighbouring countries, Tanzania has not experienced large-scale ethnic conflicts, a fact attributed to the unifying influence of the Swahili language.
The ethnic groups mentioned here are mostly differentiated based on ethnolinguistic lines. They may sometimes be referred to together with noun class prefixes appropriate for ethnonyms: this can be either a prefix from the ethnic group's native language, or the Swahili prefix wa.
Ethnic groupRegionDistrictEthnolinguistic groupNotes
AlagwaDodoma RegionKondoa DistrictCushiteThe community is associated with the arts of rainmaking, despite being 99% Muslim.
AkieManyara RegionSimanjiro DistrictKhoisanThe Akie, like all other hunter-gatherer persons in Tanzania and Kenya, are sometimes referred to as "Dorobo" or "Wandorobo", which is disparaging and false.
BarabaigManyara RegionHanang DistrictNilotic
AssaManyara RegionKiteto DistrictCushite
ArushaArusha RegionArusha DistrictNilotic
BembeKatavi RegionMpanda DistrictBantu
BenaNjombe RegionNjombe DistrictBantu
BendeKatavi RegionMpanda DistrictBantu
BondeiTanga RegionPangani District & Muheza DistrictBantu
BunguMbeya RegionChunya DistrictBantu
BurungeDodoma RegionKondoa DistrictCushite
ChaggaKilimanjaro RegionSiha District, Moshi District, Moshi Rural District, Rombo District & Hai DistrictBantu
DatoogaArusha RegionKaratu DistrictNilotic
DhaisoTanga RegionMuheza DistrictBantu
DigoTanga RegionMkinga District & Tanga DistrictBantu
DoePwani RegionChalinze DistrictBantu
FipaRukwa RegionNkasi District & Sumbawanga DistrictBantu
GogoDodoma RegionChamwino District, Chemba District, Bahi District, Kongwa District & Mpwapwa DistrictBantu
Goma peopleKigoma RegionKigoma-Ujiji District & Kigoma DistrictBantu
GorowaDodoma RegionKondoa DistrictCushite
HaKigoma RegionKasulu District & Kibondo DistrictBantu
HadimuZanzibarKati District, Kaskazini A District, Kaskazini B District, Mjini District & Kusini DistrictBantu
HadzaArusha RegionKaratu DistrictKhoisan
HangazaKagera RegionNgara DistrictBantu
HayaKagera RegionMuleba District, Bukoba Rural District, Bukoba District, & Missenyi DistrictBantu
HeheIringa RegionIringa District, Kilolo District, Mufindi District & Iringa Urban DistrictBantu
Holoholo peopleKigoma RegionUvinza DistrictBantu
IkizuMara RegionBunda DistrictBantu
IkomaMara RegionSerengeti District & Butiama DistrictBantu
IraqwManyara RegionHanang District, Babati District & Mbulu DistrictCushite
IsanzuSingida RegionMkalama DistrictBantu
JijiKigoma RegionKigoma-Ujiji DistrictBantu
JitaMara RegionRorya DistrictBantu
JoluoMara RegionButiama District, Musoma Urban, Rorya District & Tarime DistrictNilotic
KaguruMorogoro RegionGairo District & Kilosa DistrictBantu
KamiPwani RegionKisarawe DistrictBantu
KaraMwanza RegionUkerewe DistrictBantu
KereweMwanza RegionUkerewe DistrictBantu
KimbuMbeya RegionChunya DistrictBantu
KingaNjombe RegionMakete DistrictBantu
KisiNjombe RegionMakete DistrictBantu
KonongoKatavi RegionMpanda DistrictBantu
KuriaMara RegionTarime DistrictBantu
KutuMorogoro RegionMorogoro Rural DistrictBantu
Kw'adzaManyara RegionMbulu DistrictCushite
KwayaMara RegionMusoma Rural DistrictBantu
LambyaSongwe RegionMomba DistrictBantu
LuguruMorogoro RegionMvomero District & Morogoro Rural DistrictBantu
LunguRukwa RegionKalambo DistrictBantu
MaasaiManyara Region & Arusha RegionNgorongoro District, Kiteto District, Simanjiro District, Longido District, Monduli District & Arusha DistrictNilotic
MachingaLindi RegionLindi District & Kilwa DistrictBantu
MagomaNjombe RegionMakete DistrictBantu
MahanjiNjombe RegionMakete DistrictBantu
MakondeMtwara Region & Lindi RegionMtwara-Mikindani District, Mtwara District, Ruangwa District, Nachingwea District, Masasi District, Lindi District, Tandahimba District & Newala DistrictBantu
MakuaMtwara RegionNewala District & Tandahimba DistrictBantu
MalilaSongwe RegionMomba DistrictBantu
MambweRukwa RegionKalambo DistrictBantu
ManyemaKigoma RegionKigoma DistrictBantu
MandaNjombe RegionLudewa DistrictBantu
MeruArusha RegionMeru DistrictBantu
MatengoRuvuma RegionMbinga DistrictBantu
MatumbiLindi RegionKilwa DistrictBantu
MavihaMtwara RegionMtwara DistrictBantu
MbugweManyara RegionBabati DistrictBantu
MbungaIringa RegionKilolo DistrictBantu
Mbugu peopleTanga RegionLushoto DistrictBantu
MpotoRuvuma RegionMbinga DistrictBantu
MweraLindi RegionKilwa DistrictBantu
NdaliSongwe RegionMomba DistrictBantu
NdambaIringa RegionKilolo DistrictBantu
NdendeuleRuvuma RegionNamtumbo DistrictBantu
NdengerekoPwani RegionMkuranga District, Kisarawe District & Rufiji DistrictBantu
NdondeLindi RegionNachingwea DistrictBantu
NgasaKilimanjaro RegionRombo DistrictBantu
NgindoLindi RegionLiwale DistrictBantu
NgoniRuvuma RegionSongea DistrictBantu
NguluTanga RegionKilindi DistrictBantu
NgurimiMara RegionSerengeti District & Tarime DistrictBantu
IrambaSingida Region & Shinyanga RegionIramba District & Kishapu DistrictBantu
NindiRuvuma RegionSongea DistrictBantu
NyakyusaMbeya RegionKyela District & Rungwe DistrictBantu
KwereRukwa RegionNkasi District & Sumbawanga DistrictBantu
NyamboKagera RegionKaragwe DistrictBantu
NyamwangaSongwe RegionMomba DistrictBantu
NyamweziTabora Region & Shinyanga RegionUrambo District, Kaliua District, Sikonge District, Nzega District, Kahama District, Shinyanga District, Uyui District & Igunga DistrictBantu
NyanyembeTabora RegionUyui DistrictBantu
NyaturuSingida RegionIkungi District & Manyoni DistrictBantu
NyihaMbeya RegionMbozi DistrictBantu
PangwaNjombe RegionLudewa DistrictBantu
PareKilimanjaro RegionMwanga District & Same DistrictBantu
PimbweKatavi RegionMpimbwe District & Mlele DistrictBantu
PogoloMorogoro RegionKilombero DistrictBantu
RangiDodoma RegionKondoa DistrictBantu
RufijiPwani RegionRufiji District, Mafia District & Kibiti DistrictBantu
RungwaKatavi RegionMpanda DistrictBantu
SafwaMbeya RegionMbeya District & Rungwe DistrictBantu
SagaraMorogoro RegionKilosa DistrictBantu
SandaweDodoma RegionChemba DistrictKhoisan
SanguMbeya RegionChunya DistrictBantu
SegejuTanga RegionMkinga DistrictBantu
ShambaaTanga RegionKorogwe District, Bumbuli District & Lushoto DistrictBantu
ShiraziZanzibarKati District, Kaskazini A District, Kaskazini B District, Mjini District & Kusini DistrictBantu
ShubiKagera RegionNgara DistrictBantu
SubaMara RegionRorya DistrictBantu
SukumaMwanza Region, Simiyu Region, Geita Region & Shinyanga RegionIlemela District, Kwimba District, Magu District, Misungwi District, Nyamagana District, Sengerema District, Geita District, Nyang'hwale District, Bariadi District, Busega District, Itilima District, Maswa District, Meatu District Shinyanga District, Kahama District, Kishapu District, Msalala District, Ushetu District & Mbogwe DistrictBantu
SumbwaGeita RegionBukombe DistrictBantu
SwahiliAll regionsAll districtsBantu-
SonjoArusha RegionNgorongoro DistrictBantu
TongweKigoma RegionUvinza DistrictBantu
TumbukaRukwa RegionNkasi District & Sumbawanga DistrictBantu
VidundaMorogoro RegionKilosa DistrictBantu
VinzaKigoma RegionUvinza DistrictBantu
WandaRukwa RegionSumbawanga DistrictBantu
WanjiNjombe RegionMakete DistrictBantu
WareMara RegionRorya DistrictBantu
YaoRuvuma RegionTunduru District & Namtumbo DistrictBantu
ZanakiMara RegionButiama District & Bunda DistrictBantu
ZaramoDar es Salaam Region & Pwani RegionIlala District, Temeke District, Ubungo District, Kigamboni District, Kinondoni District, Bagamoyo District, Kibaha District, Chalinze District, Kisarawe District, Mkuranga District, Mafia District & Kibiti DistrictBantu
ZiguaTanga Region & Pwani RegionHandeni District, Muheza District, Chalinze District, Kilindi District, Korogwe District & Pangani DistrictBantu
ZinzaGeita Region & Mwanza RegionSengerema District, Geita District & Chato DistrictBantu

Other groups:
Ethnic groupRegionDistrictEthnolinguistic group
GujaratiDar es Salaam RegionIlala DistrictIndo-Aryan

Ndwewe; from morogoro, Tanzania. Malinyi, Ulanga and Kilombero

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