Finland’s relations and development cooperation in Tanzania
Finnish development cooperation in Tanzania strengthens forest-based livelihoods and innovations and improves climate resilience.
Tanzania was long seen as a peaceful country with a stabilising influence in conflict-prone East Africa. Its economy has grown rapidly throughout the 21st century, contributing to poverty reduction. A growing number of Tanzanians have benefited from free education and an expanded electricity grid, among other improvements.
Despite this progress, approximately one in four Tanzanians still lives below the national poverty line. Rapid population growth, poor climate resilience and gender inequality create challenges for long-term development. The optimism of the early 2000s about Tanzania’s opening up and democratic development has waned in recent years. The current administration has sought to gradually silence the opposition and suppress citizens’ protests. Dissatisfaction with those in power came to the fore during the parliamentary and presidential elections in October 2025. The administration violently suppressed the demonstrations that broke out in connection with the elections, resulting in an estimated death toll of thousands.
Finland and Tanzania have longstanding relations that have focused primarily on development cooperation. Since the 1960s, Finland has supported Tanzania in developing forestry, the environment, education and good governance, among other areas. In recent years, traditional development cooperation has been complemented by cooperation involving the private sector, educational institutions and civil society.
Goals of Finland’s development cooperation in Tanzania in 2021–2024
In 2021–2024, Finland’s bilateral cooperation in Tanzania focused primarily on promoting democracy, good governance and gender equality, as well as on supporting forest-based livelihoods and climate resilience. Finland’s planned support to Tanzania for 2021–2024 amounted to EUR 56 million.
Finland’s Country Programme for Development Cooperation in Tanzania (PDF, 669 KB)
Finland’s development cooperation promotes democracy, good governance and gender equality
Finland directed its development cooperation to measures that supported the appointment of women in leadership roles, helped to provide services for people who suffered from gender-based violence, and strengthened the tax administration.
Outcome: Sustainable development through improving rights, gender equality, inclusion and taxation
- Women and persons with disabilities have improved opportunities of participation in leading roles in society
- People who have experienced sexual and gender-based violence have better access to support services
- Tax administration will be more effective
Projects and programmes ongoing in 2021–2024
- Finland's and UN Women’s programme entitled Women’s Leadership and Political Participation (WLPP): EUR 7.9 million in 2022–2025
- Support to the Institute of African Leadership for Sustainable Development (Uongozi Institute): EUR 4 million in 2023–2026
- Cooperation between the Tanzania Revenue Authority and the Finnish Tax Administration: EUR 1.5 million in 2023–2026
- Finland’s and UNFPA’s programme aiming to protect the rights and choices of women and girls of all abilities: EUR 5.25 million in 2021–2024
Finnish development cooperation supports improved forest-based livelihoods and climate resilience
Finland supported the ecosystem services in forests and village plantations, jobs and income generation in forestry, and citizens’ capacity to adapt to climate change.
Outcome: Improved forest-based livelihoods and climate resilience
- Improved quality of ecosystem services based on forests and village plantations
- Greater number of jobs in forestry and better income generation
- Improved capacity of citizens, administration and companies to adapt to climate change.
Projects and programmes ongoing in 2021–2024
- Second phase of the Participatory Plantation Forestry Programme (PFP 2): EUR 10.8 million in 2019–2024
- Forestry and Value Chains programme (FORVAC): EUR 14.15 million in 2018–2024
- Support to commercial plantation forestry among small-holders: EUR 1.1 million in 2019–2023
- Finnish Environment Institute's project Increasing Climate Resilience of Zanzibar with Integrated Marine Management and Sustainable Blue Economy (BLUE-ZAN): EUR 1 million in 2023–2026
Highlights of the Results Report 2021-2024
Tanzania’s operating environment showed positive developments at the beginning of the Country Programme period, but the situation gradually deteriorated. A new Country Programme for Tanzania for 2025–2028 was prepared, but its approval process is currently suspended due to election-related violence. The implementation of ongoing projects has continued at the technical level.
One of the results to which the Country Programme for 2021–2024 contributed was stronger domestic tax revenue mobilisation in Tanzania: tax revenues increased by 7.5 per cent over the period 2021–2024. The Tax Modernisation Programme (TMP), which was partly funded by Finland and ended in 2022, modernised the tax system and improved the effectiveness of tax collection. Although the TMP was not extended, the cooperation project between the Finnish Tax Administration and the Tanzania Revenue Authority continues, promoting voluntary tax compliance and the modernisation of tax administration, among other objectives.
The Uongozi Institute (UI), which provides leadership training for Tanzania’s public administration, increased its self-financing ratio, while Finland’s share of the institute’s budget fell from 17 to 12 per cent during the programme period. Launched in 2023 with support from Finland and the EU, UI’s training programme for women leaders improved Tanzanian women’s access to support for their career development.
Gender equality improved considerably: Tanzania rose from 82nd to 54th place in the Global Gender Gap Index between 2021 and 2024. Projects funded by Finland and implemented by UN Women and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) contributed to the finalisation of both a national gender equality programme and an action plan to end violence against women and children. In the areas covered by the projects, more women candidates than before were elected to decision-making bodies in the 2024 local elections. Finland also helped ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities were systematically integrated into UNFPA’s work in Tanzania.
The contribution of Tanzania’s forest sector to gross domestic product increased from 3.5 to 4.3 per cent during the programme period. Finland supported the transition to sustainable management of natural forests covering more than 450,000 hectares. The area of strictly protected forests increased by more than 33,000 hectares in areas supported by Finland. Forest sector projects funded by Finland created employment opportunities for around 5,000 Tanzanians and generated EUR 4 million in timber sales revenue. In total, nearly 90,000 people benefited from the projects.
Finland’s Country Strategy for Tanzania 2021–2024 (PDF, 338 KB)
Finland’s partners for development cooperation in Tanzania
Finland works in Tanzania as a member of the European Union and the donor community. As an EU Member State, Finland participates in the EU’s dialogue with the Government of Tanzania, where the country is encouraged to develop human rights and democracy, to advance good governance, to promote trade, to combat climate change, and to support the rules-based international system.
Finland collaborates closely with the other Nordic countries. They uphold the Nordic values, continue political dialogue and promote trade.
In future, Finland, together with other donors, will work to promote Tanzania’s efforts to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Finland also supports economic and social development in Tanzania by providing funding for UN organisations and international development finance institutions. In addition, Finland provides needs-based humanitarian assistance especially via humanitarian organisations of the UN and Finnish civil society organisations.
Several Finnish civil society organisations support the development in Tanzanian society in collaboration with the country’s civil society actors. This support focuses on advancing the status of persons with disabilities and on improving education, healthcare and the environment.
Team Finland cooperation
Tanzania and Finland want to develop their mutual trade and investments by the side of the traditional development cooperation. They aim is to increase both direct trade between the countries and trade supported by Finland’s public sector, such as via Finnfund.
So far, the volume of trade has been modest, and only a few Finnish companies are active in Tanzania. However, Tanzania’s economic development opens up export opportunities for Finnish expertise. Potential sectors for Finnish exports include forestry, energy economy and innovations in various fields related to information technology. Finland is involved in planning a joint EU project aimed at digitalising public services. The aim is to engage Finnish system and technology suppliers in implementing the project. Cooperation on critical minerals has also begun in Tanzania, where the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) has gained a foothold in EU-funded projects.
Finland’s objective is to double its trade with African countries in 2020–2030. During the same period of time, efforts will be made to significantly increase Finnish companies’ investments in Africa and African companies’ investments in Finland. Finland supports, for example, TradeMark Africa (TMA) in order to enhance Finnish companies’ opportunities to trade in Tanzania and other East African countries.
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