Abstract
This chapter sheds light on recent population trends in Tanzania. It explores the contribution of fertility, mortality, and migration to population growth. It uses social demography as an analytical framework to identify social, cultural, economic, and behavioral drivers of population trends. It highlights the importance of location most notably in rural areas where fertility rates are high and literacy is low. Rural-urban migration is also influential in driving recent urbanization. Because the majority of urban migrants are poor, low-skilled, and unemployed, this fuels high rates of poverty among urban youth. Their low human capital also restricts full participation in the productive economy, preventing the harnessing of a large dividend from recent demographic changes.