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Abstract: We present a technique to tailor materials for functionally graded (FG) linear elastic hollow cylinders and spheres to attain through-the-thickness either a constant hoop (or circumferential) stress or a constant in-plane shear stress. The volume fractions of two phases of a FG material (FGM) are assumed to vary only with the radius and the effective material properties are estimated by using either the rule of mixtures or the Mori–Tanaka scheme; the analysis is applicable to other homogenization methods. For a FG cylinder we find the required radial variation of the volume fractions of constituents to make a linear combination of the radial and the hoop stresses uniform throughout the thickness. The through-the-thickness uniformity of the hoop stress automatically eliminates the stress concentration near the inner surface of a very thick cylinder. The through-the-thickness variations of Young’s moduli obtained with and without considering the variation of Poisson’s ratio are very close to each other for a moderately thick hollow cylinder but are quite different in a very thick hollow cylinder. For an FG sphere the required radial variation of the volume fractions of the two phases to get a constant circumferential stress is similar to that in an FG cylinder. The material tailoring results presented here should help structural engineers and material scientists optimally design hollow cylinders and spheres comprised of inhomogeneous materials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]