OBJECTIVE: To determine factors associated with male condom use in Tanzania. METHODS: Data from the 1996 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS) was used. In this survey, a national representative sample of sexually active men (N=1898) and women (N=7027) were interviewed to obtain information about potential predictors of sexual practices and condom use. RESULTS: Two hundred and ninety (4.1%) women and 288 (15.2%) men had used condoms during their last sexual encounter. Men aged 20-24 years and women aged 15-19 years reported the highest rate of condom use. In both men and women, condom use increased with increasing level of education. Residents of large urban centers were more likely to have used condoms among both women [adjusted OR=1.8, 95% CI=1.2-2.8] and men (adjusted O=2.0, 95% CI=1.3-3.1). Condom use was significantly increased among women (adjusted OR=6.2, 95% CI=4.4-8.8) and men [adjusted OR-5.9, 95% CI=3.2-8.8) practising high-risk sexual behaviour. Similarly, condom use was significantly increased among men who were never married and in those who had ever tested for AIDS. CONCLUSIONS: Condom promotion activities have been less successful in Tanzania. Additional efforts to increase condom acceptability and use are urgently needed.