Tanzania is the longest-standing development cooperation partner of Finland. Tanzania is currently one of the eight long-term development cooperation partner countries of Finland and one of the largest recipients of Finnish development aid. The amount of aid that Finland is directing to Tanzania is increasing. The reasons behind for increasing the amount of aid are the poverty level of the country, Tanzania's willingness to develop, and positive results of Tanzania's development efforts. Finnish bilateral development aid to Tanzania totalled at 34 million euros in the year 2009, and this amount will increase to 35 million euros in the year 2010.
Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world, and the challenges in reaching the UN Millennium Development Goals are extensive. However, during the past ten years the prerequisites of reducing poverty in Tanzania have greatly improved due to reforms in governance and economy. Results yielded by Tanzania's poverty reduction policy and the developing aid supporting it have already become visible in the recent years.
Primary education has been given more weight with basket funding and with a significantly increased share of the national budget. The results are impressive, even though especially the quality of education should still be improved. Currently over 95 per cent of children aged between 7 to 13 years go to school, and the amount of boys and girls is almost equal. Tanzania is likely to reach the Millennium Development Goals in education and gender equality before the year 2015.
The latest health statistics are encouraging as well. The under-five mortality rate has been reducing significantly. When in the year 1999 the mortality rate was 147 out of one thousand children, in the year 2005 it had reduced to 112. The maternal mortality rate has not reduced correspondingly. Regional divisions in development continue to be substantive.
Updated 8/24/2010
