List of ethnic groups in Tanzania
There are more than 100 distinct ethnic groups and tribes in Tanzania , not 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 .[ 1]
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 (if Bantu), or the Swahili prefix wa .[ 2]
Ethnic group
Region
District
Ethnolinguistic group
Notes
Alagwa
Dodoma Region
Kondoa District
Cushite
The community is associated with the arts of rainmaking , despite being 99% Muslim.[ 3]
Akie
Manyara Region
Simanjiro District
Khoisan
The Akie, like all other hunter-gatherer persons in Tanzania and Kenya, are sometimes referred to as "Dorobo " or "Wandorobo", which is disparaging and false.[ 4]
Barabaig
Manyara Region
Hanang District
Nilotic
Assa
Manyara Region
Kiteto District
Cushite
Arusha
Arusha Region
Arusha District
Nilotic
Bembe
Katavi Region
Mpanda District
Bantu
Bena
Njombe Region
Njombe District
Bantu
Bende
Katavi Region
Mpanda District
Bantu
Bondei
Tanga Region
Pangani District & Muheza District
Bantu
Bungu
Mbeya Region
Chunya District
Bantu
Burunge
Dodoma Region
Kondoa District
Cushite
Chagga
Kilimanjaro Region
Siha District , Moshi District , Moshi Rural District , Rombo District & Hai District
Bantu
Datooga
Arusha Region
Karatu District
Nilotic
Dhaiso
Tanga Region
Muheza District
Bantu
Digo
Tanga Region
Mkinga District & Tanga District
Bantu
Doe
Pwani Region
Chalinze District
Bantu
Fipa
Rukwa Region
Nkasi District & Sumbawanga District
Bantu
Gogo
Dodoma Region
Chamwino District , Chemba District , Bahi District , Kongwa District & Mpwapwa District
Bantu
Goma people
Kigoma Region
Kigoma-Ujiji District & Kigoma District
Bantu
Gorowa
Dodoma Region
Kondoa District
Cushite
Ha
Kigoma Region
Kasulu District & Kibondo District
Bantu
Hadimu
Zanzibar
Kati District , Kaskazini A District , Kaskazini B District , Mjini District & Kusini District
Bantu
Hadza
Arusha Region
Karatu District
Khoisan
Hangaza
Kagera Region
Ngara District
Bantu
Haya
Kagera Region
Muleba District , Bukoba Rural District , Bukoba District , & Missenyi District
Bantu
Hehe
Iringa Region
Iringa District , Kilolo District , Mufindi District & Iringa Urban District
Bantu
Holoholo people
Kigoma Region
Uvinza District
Bantu
Ikizu
Mara Region
Bunda District
Bantu
Ikoma
Mara Region
Serengeti District & Butiama District
Bantu
Iraqw
Manyara Region
Hanang District , Babati District & Mbulu District
Cushite
Isanzu
Singida Region
Mkalama District
Bantu
Jiji
Kigoma Region
Kigoma-Ujiji District
Bantu
Jita
Mara Region
Rorya District
Bantu
Joluo
Mara Region
Butiama District , Musoma Urban , Rorya District & Tarime District
Nilotic
Kaguru
Morogoro Region
Gairo District & Kilosa District
Bantu
Kami
Pwani Region
Kisarawe District
Bantu
Kara
Mwanza Region
Ukerewe District
Bantu
Kerewe
Mwanza Region
Ukerewe District
Bantu
Kimbu
Mbeya Region
Chunya District
Bantu
Kinga
Njombe Region
Makete District
Bantu
Kisi
Njombe Region
Makete District
Bantu
Konongo
Katavi Region
Mpanda District
Bantu
Kuria
Mara Region
Tarime District
Bantu
Kutu
Morogoro Region
Morogoro Rural District
Bantu
Kw'adza
Manyara Region
Mbulu District
Cushite
Kwaya
Mara Region
Musoma Rural District
Bantu
Lambya
Songwe Region
Momba District
Bantu
Luguru
Morogoro Region
Mvomero District & Morogoro Rural District
Bantu
Lungu
Rukwa Region
Kalambo District
Bantu
Maasai
Manyara Region & Arusha Region
Ngorongoro District , Kiteto District , Simanjiro District , Longido District , Monduli District & Arusha District
Nilotic
Machinga
Lindi Region
Lindi District & Kilwa District
Bantu
Magoma
Njombe Region
Makete District
Bantu
Mahanji
Njombe Region
Makete District
Bantu
Makonde
Mtwara Region & Lindi Region
Mtwara-Mikindani District , Mtwara District , Ruangwa District , Nachingwea District , Masasi District , Lindi District , Tandahimba District & Newala District
Bantu
Makua
Mtwara Region
Newala District & Tandahimba District
Bantu
Malila
Songwe Region
Momba District
Bantu
Mambwe
Rukwa Region
Kalambo District
Bantu
Manyema
Kigoma Region
Kigoma District
Bantu
Manda
Njombe Region
Ludewa District
Bantu
Meru
Arusha Region
Meru District
Bantu
Matengo
Ruvuma Region
Mbinga District
Bantu
Matumbi
Lindi Region
Kilwa District
Bantu
Maviha
Mtwara Region
Mtwara District
Bantu
Mbugwe
Manyara Region
Babati District
Bantu
Mbunga
Iringa Region
Kilolo District
Bantu
Mbugu people
Tanga Region
Lushoto District
Bantu
Mpoto
Ruvuma Region
Mbinga District
Bantu
Mwera
Lindi Region
Kilwa District
Bantu
Ndali
Songwe Region
Momba District
Bantu
Ndamba
Iringa Region
Kilolo District
Bantu
Ndendeule
Ruvuma Region
Namtumbo District
Bantu
Ndengereko
Pwani Region
Mkuranga District , Kisarawe District & Rufiji District
Bantu
Ndonde
Lindi Region
Nachingwea District
Bantu
Ngasa
Kilimanjaro Region
Rombo District
Bantu
Ngindo
Lindi Region
Liwale District
Bantu
Ngoni
Ruvuma Region
Songea District
Bantu
Ngulu
Tanga Region
Kilindi District
Bantu
Ngurimi
Mara Region
Serengeti District & Tarime District
Bantu
Iramba
Singida Region & Shinyanga Region
Iramba District & Kishapu District
Bantu
Nindi
Ruvuma Region
Songea District
Bantu
Nyakyusa
Mbeya Region
Kyela District & Rungwe District
Bantu
Kwere
Rukwa Region
Nkasi District & Sumbawanga District
Bantu
Nyambo
Kagera Region
Karagwe District
Bantu
Nyamwanga
Songwe Region
Momba District
Bantu
Nyamwezi
Tabora Region & Shinyanga Region
Urambo District , Kaliua District , Sikonge District , Nzega District , Kahama District , Shinyanga District , Uyui District & Igunga District
Bantu
Nyanyembe
Tabora Region
Uyui District
Bantu
Nyaturu
Singida Region
Ikungi District & Manyoni District
Bantu
Nyiha
Mbeya Region
Mbozi District
Bantu
Pangwa
Njombe Region
Ludewa District
Bantu
Pare
Kilimanjaro Region
Mwanga District & Same District
Bantu
Pimbwe
Katavi Region
Mpimbwe District & Mlele District
Bantu
Pogolo
Morogoro Region
Kilombero District
Bantu
Rangi
Dodoma Region
Kondoa District
Bantu
Rufiji
Pwani Region
Rufiji District , Mafia District & Kibiti District
Bantu
Rungwa
Katavi Region
Mpanda District
Bantu
Safwa
Mbeya Region
Mbeya District & Rungwe District
Bantu
Sagara
Morogoro Region
Kilosa District
Bantu
Sandawe
Dodoma Region
Chemba District
Khoisan
Sangu
Mbeya Region
Chunya District
Bantu
Segeju
Tanga Region
Mkinga District
Bantu
Shambaa
Tanga Region
Korogwe District , Bumbuli District & Lushoto District
Bantu
Shirazi
Zanzibar
Kati District , Kaskazini A District , Kaskazini B District , Mjini District & Kusini District
Bantu
Shubi
Kagera Region
Ngara District
Bantu
Suba
Mara Region
Rorya District
Bantu
Sukuma
Mwanza Region , Simiyu Region , Geita Region & Shinyanga Region
Ilemela 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 District
Bantu
Sumbwa
Geita Region
Bukombe District
Bantu
Swahili
All regions
All districts
Bantu
Sonjo
Arusha Region
Ngorongoro District
Bantu
Tongwe
Kigoma Region
Uvinza District
Bantu
Tumbuka
Rukwa Region
Nkasi District & Sumbawanga District
Bantu
Vidunda
Morogoro Region
Kilosa District
Bantu
Vinza
Kigoma Region
Uvinza District
Bantu
Wanda
Rukwa Region
Sumbawanga District
Bantu
Wanji
Njombe Region
Makete District
Bantu
Ware
Mara Region
Rorya District
Bantu
Yao
Ruvuma Region
Tunduru District & Namtumbo District
Bantu
Zanaki
Mara Region
Butiama District & Bunda District
Bantu
Zaramo
Dar es Salaam Region & Pwani Region
Ilala District , Temeke District , Ubungo District , Kigamboni District , Kinondoni District , Bagamoyo District , Kibaha District , Chalinze District , Kisarawe District , Mkuranga District , Mafia District & Kibiti District
Bantu
Zigua
Tanga Region & Pwani Region
Handeni District , Muheza District , Chalinze District , Kilindi District , Korogwe District & Pangani District
Bantu
Zinza
Geita Region & Mwanza Region
Sengerema District , Geita District & Chato District
Bantu
Other groups:
References
Ndwewe; from morogoro, Tanzania. Malinyi, Ulanga and Kilombero
Sovereign states States with limited recognition
Dependencies and other territories