Research Tanzania
TANZANIA POPULATION SURVEY 2022: RESULTS SUMMARY
BACKGROUND:
WE COMPLETED A FACE TO FACE STREET SURVEY OF OVER 2,000 PERSONS ACROSS TANZANIA FROM JANUARY TO APRIL 2022. THE PERSONS SELECTED FOR INTERVIEW WERE THOSE DEEMED BY INTERVIEWERS TO BE ‘FERTILE’. WE DEFINED ‘FERTILE’ AS: AGE OF MALES 10-70; FEMALES 10-45. PERSONS DEEMED TO HAVE CEASED TO BE FERTILE WERE ELIMINATED FROM THE SAMPLE AND THEIR FORMS WERE NOT PROCESSED.
WE SOUGHT AN EQUAL BALANCE BETWEEN GENDERS, MARITAL STATUS AND AGES. THEREFORE IT WAS A RANDOMISED SAMPLE.
WE SELECTED TANZANIA FOR OUR FIRST POPULATION STREET SURVEY BECAUSE TANZANIA HAS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING HUMAN POPULATIONS IN THE WORLD AT 2.99% ANNUAL RATE OF GROWTH ACCORDING TO WORLDOMETER. TANZANIA IS ALSO ONE OF 16 COUNTRIES WHERE THE RATE OF POPULATION GROWTH IS ACCELERATING. THE SEPTEMBER 2022 OFFICIAL CENSUS REPORTED THAT THE POPULATION OF TANZANIA ROSE BY 27.3% IN THE 10 YEARS SINCE THE CENSUS OF 2012.
CITIES, VILLAGES AND EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS WERE VISITED, NOTABLY ARUSHA, DODOMA, MBEYA, DAR ES SALAAM, ZANZIBAR. IT WAS NOT OBLIGATORY FOR AN INTERVIEWEE TO ANSWER EVERY OR ANY QUESTION. HOWEVER, IF TOO FEW QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED (FOR EXAMPLE, ONLY GENDER) THE FORM WAS EXCLUDED FROM RESULTS.
THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE SURVEY WAS TO ASCERTAIN THE CORRELATION IF ANY BETWEEN POVERTY AND LARGE FAMILY SIZE.
WE USED A4 PAPER QUESTIONNAIRE FORMS. THE ANSWERS ON THE FORMS HAVE BEEN PROCESSED TO STATISTICAL SOFWARE.
15 QUESTIONS WERE POSED IN THE QUESTIONNAIRE. THE FINAL QUESTION WAS “IS THERE A CONNECTION BETWEEN POVERTY AND LARGE FAMILY SIZE?” [Je, kuna uhusiano wowote kuusu umaskini na idadi kubwa ya familia?]
OTHER QUESTIONS RELATE TO EXISTING FAMILY SIZE, DESIRED OWN FAMILY SIZE, PERCEPTION OF ‘PERFECT’ FAMILY SIZE AND VIEWS ON CONTRACEPTION.
A FURTHER SECTION ALLOWED INTERVIEWEES TO ADD A FURTHER COMMENT IF DESIRED.
NO QUESTIONS WERE POSED CONCERNING WEALTH, RELIGION OR POLITICS. HOWEVER, SOME INTERVIEWEES VOLUNTEERED THEIR RELIGIOUS ADHERENCE, WHILE IN MANY CASES RELIGIOUS PERSUASION WAS OBVIOUS.
INITIAL GENERAL RESULTS OF THE TANZANIA SURVEY
THERE WAS A NOTABLE DIFFERENCE IN THE RESULTS BETWEEN YOUNGER PEOPLE UNDER AGE 35, AND THOSE OVER 35. YOUNGER PERSONS GENERALLY BELIEVE THAT A SMALLER FAMILY SIZE IS BENEFICIAL – WITHOUT NECESSARILY CONNECTING IT TO POVERTY OR PROSPERITY.
SOME CHRISTIAN MEN WHO ALREADY HAD MANY CHILDREN (7+) STATED THAT THEY WISHED FOR MORE CHILDREN, OR AS MANY AS POSSIBLE.
SOME MOSLEM MALE INTERVIEWEES HAVE MORE THAN ONE WIFE, EACH OF WHOM HAS LIKELY BORNE SEVERAL CHILDREN BY THIS ONE MAN. WE DID NOT MEET ANY WOMEN INTERVIEWEES WHO DECLARED THAT THEY HAVE MORE THAN ONE HUSBAND.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON SOME QUESTIONNAIRES
ABOUT ONE THIRD OF ALL RESPONDENTS OFFERED ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, EITHER IN SWAHILI OR ENGLISH.
THESE INCLUDED CONGRATULATIONS OR CRITICISMS FOR CARRYING OUT THE SURVEY. OTHER COMMENTS WERE MORE AMUSING: ONE STATED ‘YOU COLONIALISTS ARE CARRYING OUT THIS SURVEY SO YOU CAN TAKE BACK OUR LAND’.
COST OF THE SURVEY
The cost of the survey was GBP £10,984. This total includes payments to survey staff for their time, travel, subsistence and accommodation; sweets and other presents for interviewees and their children; stationery, salaries of data processors; transport of project leader.
If you wish to help defray the cost of this or a future survey (perhaps in Mali or Palestine), please let us know or donate on this website: https://17billion.org/donate/