Country partners

Tanzania

The Government of Tanzania led the implementation of the Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS) in 2009, and launched the Tanzania VACS report in 2011.

The Tanzania Ministry of Community Development, Gender, and Children coordinated the implementation of the VACS with support from UNICEF, PEPFAR, Catapult/Chime for Change, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Tanzania completed a second VACS in 2024, and launched the second Tanzania VACS report in 2025. The second VACS results offer an unprecedented opportunity to measure progress since the 2011 VACS, evaluate ongoing efforts, and identify opportunities to create safer communities for every child, adolescent, and youth.

See the 2024 report

Past reports

Tanzania VACS report 2024 cover

The key objectives of the 2024 Tanzania VACS were to:

  • Estimate the national prevalence of sexual, physical, and emotional violence perpetrated against male and female children and youth;

  • Estimate the prevalence of HIV among children and youth aged 15–24 years to better understand the association between violence and HIV;

  • Identify risk and protective factors for physical, emotional, and sexual violence against children and youth to guide prevention and response efforts;

  • Identify the health and social consequences associated with violence against children and youth;

  • Assess the knowledge and utilization of medical, psychosocial, legal, and protective services available for children and youth who have experienced sexual, emotional, and physical violence.

What the data tells us

Conducting a second VACS allows the opportunity to measure progress made since the first VACS, identify emerging shifts in violence against children, evaluate ongoing efforts, and identify opportunities to create safer communities for every child, adolescent, and youth

Between 2009 to 2024, Tanzania has greatly reduced violence. There was a 52% decrease in females aged 13–24 who ever experienced violence in the 2024 VACS, with a 53% decrease in males aged 13–24.

Despite the promising reductions in violence, the 2024 VACS report revealed concerning trends on access to supportive services for survivors among 18-24: female survivors seeking help declined by 67%, while male survivors seeking help declined by 41%. While more male survivors received help, with a 36% increase from 2009, female survivors who received help declined by 61% between 2009 - 2024.

These findings underscore the importance of data disaggregated by sex and age, and that overall trends may mask risks and from specific forms of violence. Overall, these results point to progress in Tanzania but also suggest the need to continue to build on efforts to better support adolescent girls accessing support and prevent violence against adolescent girls, specifically.

Change is possible. Violence is preventable

The VACS process demonstrates that change is possible. The significant reduction in violence against children and youth in Tanzania since 2011 highlights the importance of data in providing evidence to inform policies and programs aimed at preventing violence. It also demonstrates the impact of governments, organizations, partnerships, and individuals working together to create safer communities for children, adolescents, and youth.

Milestones and commitments to ending sexual violence against children

All eventsHighlights

Key stats from the 2009 Tanzania VACS: