Wood fuel market in Tanzania

Earlier Report Observations

The market for wood fuel in Tanzania grew steadily from 24.8 thousand m³ in 2018 to 26.3 thousand m³ in 2023. This expansion was primarily driven by continuous high demand, as wood fuel and charcoal met over 90% of the country's energy needs for cooking and heating. Population growth and the limited affordability of alternative fuels like LPG sustained consumption volumes despite policy efforts to promote a shift.

Government and WWF initiatives to transform the fuel wood value chain through sustainable forest management, such as the EU-funded Tanzania Fuel Wood Value Chain Project launched in 2020, aimed at balancing supply with environmental concerns. However, by 2023, access to clean cooking technology remained low at only 6.9% of households, which entrenched reliance on traditional wood fuel. Economic dependency of rural communities on charcoal production as a critical income source further supported market volume.

Regulatory involvement from bodies like Tanzania Forest Services focused on forest management, while the absence of price regulation for LPG and import challenges kept alternative fuels less accessible. The gradual implementation of the National Clean Cooking Energy Strategy, targeting 80% clean energy use by 2034, began to shape the policy landscape but had not yet significantly reduced the overall wood fuel market size by the end of 2023.

Production wood fuel in Tanzania

In kind, 2017-2020, K m³

Between 2017 and 2020, Tanzania ranked as the 16th largest producer of wood fuel globally.

Top producers of wood fuel, 2017-2020

World map of production of wood fuel, 2017-2020

Tanzania's wood fuel production grew for the third consecutive year. In 2020, the country produced 25 396 thousand cubic meters of wood fuel, marking a 1.2% increase from 2019. Over the 2017-2020 period, production rose by 3.4%, with an average annual growth rate of 1.1%.

Annual dynamics of production in Tanzania in kind, 2017-2020, K m³

Exports wood fuel from Tanzania

Exports in kind, m³

Tanzania's cross-border shipments of wood fuel expanded for the third year in a row. In 2020, export volume reached 72 646 cubic meters, surging by 162.1% compared to the previous year. From 2017 to 2020, exports skyrocketed by 107 349 422.7%, translating to an annualized growth rate of 10 139.2%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Tanzania in kind, 2017-2020, m³

From 2017 to 2020, Tanzania's wood fuel exports in kind were almost entirely concentrated in Kenya, which accounted for 99.5% of the total.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Tanzania in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

Tanzania's wood fuel exports in value terms increased for the third consecutive year. In 2020, the country exported 6 844 thousand US dollars worth of wood fuel, up by 136.7% year-over-year. Over the 2017-2020 period, exports soared by 2 683 642.5%, with a compound annual growth rate of 2 894.0%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Tanzania in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, the structure of Tanzania's wood fuel exports in value terms was dominated by a single market: Kenya, which held a 99.1% share of total flows.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Tanzania in value, 2017-2020

Imports wood fuel to Tanzania

Imports in kind, m³

The market exhibited significant volatility during these years. Import volumes hit their lowest point in 2018 at 39 cubic meters, then peaked in 2019 at 326 cubic meters, representing an 8.3-fold difference between the two years. In 2020, Tanzania imported 80 cubic meters of wood fuel, a sharp decline of 75.5% from 2019. The largest decrease occurred in 2018, dropping by 83.9%, while the largest increase was recorded in 2019, surging by 731.8%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Tanzania in kind, 2017-2020, m³

From 2017 to 2020, the main destinations for Tanzania's wood fuel imports in kind were consistently the United States (42.0% of imports), Germany (35.0%), and Mozambique (6.7%), together accounting for 83.7% of total flows.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Tanzania in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

The market showed notable volatility during this period. Imports reached their highest level in 2019 at 337 thousand US dollars, then fell to their lowest in 2020 at 7 thousand US dollars, varying by a factor of 50 between these years. In 2020, Tanzania imported 7 thousand US dollars worth of wood fuel, down by 98.0% year-over-year. The largest increase was recorded in 2019, jumping by 2 353.5%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Tanzania in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, the United States (with 56.0% of total flows) and Germany (37.9%) together formed 93.9% of Tanzania's wood fuel imports in value terms, while other partners accounted for the remainder.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Tanzania in value, 2017-2020