Victimisation in Tanzania: Surveys of Crime in Arusha, Dar es Salaam and Mtwara

To better understand crime and public perceptions of safety in Tanzania, victimisation surveys were carried out in Arusha, Dar es Salaam and Mtwara. A fundamental requirement for the prevention and control of crime is the availability of reliable data. To this end the Arusha Municipal Council, the Dar es Salaam City Council (Safer Cities) and the Mtwara Spatial Development Initiative located within the National Development Corporation, in partnership with the Mtwara-Mikandani Town and Mtwara Rural Councils, requested that such a study to be undertaken in each of their constituencies.

The surveys consisted of 1,150 interviews in Arusha and 1,100 each in Dar es Salaam and Mtwara. The demographic component of the survey gathered information on 13,373 persons living in 3,256 households across the three areas. The average household size was 4,2 people in Arusha and 4,1 in both Mtwara and Dar es Salaam—figures that compare favourably with the 2002 Census. Over three quarters of all household members over the age of 19 were not engaged in any income earning activities. Indeed, only 11% enjoyed intermittent earnings and a miniscule 5% had a regular income from formal sector employment.