At $90.14bn, Tanzania's 2025 GDP is roughly 36% higher than the $66.07bn recorded in 2020 and nearly double the $47.41bn figure reported in 2015. The economy if Tanzania is now on course to hit the $100bn GDP mark, a milestone that only 11 African countries have achieved. Tanzania's real GDP grew by 6% in 2025, up from 5.5% the previous year, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projecting sustained expansion of 6.3% to 6.5% through 2028.
Last year's robust growth was driven primarily by record gold exports, a booming tourism sector and the completion of the 2,115 MW Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project. The financial services sector was also a standout performer thanks to record profits generated by the nation's largest commercial banks.
A historic rally in gold prices and increased production at major mines led to a 37.4% jump in gold exports, which reached a record $4.7bn compared with $3.4bn in the previous year. Gold accounted for 45.7% of the total value of goods Tanzania exported last year. The surge in gold exports pushed the broader mining sector's overall contribution to GDP above 10% for the first time.
Meanwhile, tourism extended its multi-year recovery in 2025. International arrivals rose 11.4% to a record 2.3m visitors by October, while revenues reached $4.3bn from $3.8bn a year earlier - closely rivalling gold exports. The rebound highlights the sector's continued recovery from the Covid‑19 downturn in 2020, when annual arrivals dipped to 600,000 from 1.5m a year earlier and revenues dropped to $900m from $2.6bn.
Originally published by African Business.