Briefing Paper

Poverty Among the Elderly and Children in Mainland Tanzania

“This brief analyses the economic situation of elderly persons and children in Tanzania. Significantly, the analysis found that households with elderly and children only are by far the poorest, in both urban and rural areas; 45% of these households are below the poverty line, compared with 33% of households with at least one adult of working age. A very high percentage are female headed (62%). Based on the evidence collected, both the elderly persons and children in these households – an estimated 330,000 children and 251,000 elderly people – merit special consideration in national programmes of social protection and agricultural development.”