Songea Population 2026

Songea has a population of 286,285, making it the #13 biggest city in 🇹🇿 Tanzania, located in Ruvuma. Roughly 0.4% of Tanzania's population lives here. It is about 19× smaller than Dar es Salaam, the country's biggest city.

Location of Songea (capital Dodoma shown for reference). Boundaries: Natural Earth.

Population (city proper)

286,285

Rank in Tanzania

#13

Coordinates

10.68°S, 35.65°E

~1,113 m elevation · Africa/Dar_es_Salaam

Distance to capital (Dodoma)

502 km

312 miles, straight line

Other big cities in Ruvuma

City	Population	Rank in Tanzania
Mbinga	60,868	#48
Tunduru	48,000	#58
Kigonsera	22,155	#146
Maposeni	19,472	#177
Matiri	18,830	#186
Tingi	16,315	#214
Mahanje	15,009	#223

Cities near Songea

Maposeni19,472 people · ~29 km away
Kigonsera22,155 people · ~67 km away
Mbinga60,868 people · ~75 km away
Matiri18,830 people · ~82 km away
Mahanje15,009 people · ~90 km away
Tingi16,315 people · ~96 km away

FAQ

What is the population of Songea?

Songea has a population of 286,285 (city proper, latest official figure via GeoNames), making it the #13 biggest city in Tanzania.

What region is Songea in?

Songea is located in Ruvuma, Tanzania.

Is Songea the capital of Tanzania?

No, the capital of Tanzania is Dodoma, about 502 km away.

Sources & notes

Population refers to the city proper (municipal boundaries), not the metropolitan area. Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 2026-07-07. Country data: UN World Population Prospects 2024.

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