Whilst today Tanzania enjoys relative political stability, it still faces many challenges not least its high levels of poverty with many of its citizens living under the poverty line. Tanzania is in 167th place out of 193 countries and territories in 2021 when ranked in terms of life expectancy, literacy, access to knowledge and the living standards of a country. The average age in the country is just 18 years old and life expectancy 66.41 years (2020). One in every six children die before their fifth birthday and over three million children do not attend school, with two million children orphaned through AIDS/HIV.

As with many countries in the region, Tanzania is facing up to the challenges of climate change with the World Bank reporting "More than 80% of the population of Tanzania relies directly on agriculture for their livelihoods; a 10% reduction in rainfall would in effect make most of Tanzania unsuitable for maize." In other parts of the country, where trees and vegetation have been cleared to make room for homes for Tanzania's rapidly increasing population, flooding is becoming a major issue with no where for the rainfall to run off. Such floods have left dozens dead and tens of thousands homeless.

Although a destination of choice for volunteers and tourists alike, travellers are advised to avoid travelling by ferry given the high number of disasters claiming hundreds of lives due to poor safety and, like in most of east Africa, long distance buses are often involved in accidents which can be fatal.

Please be aware that as from 1s June 2019 plastic bags have been banned for environmental reasons and, during the rainy seasons from the end of March until May and then from October to the middle of December, exceptionally heavy rainfall and strong winds can occur. There are also increasing concerns about terrorist attacks in Tanzania (especially close to the Tanzanian border with the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique) by groups linked with Islamic extremism.