Rwanda

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 62,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2023 est.) less than 1

Broadcast media

13 TV stations; 35 radio stations, including international broadcasters; government owns most popular TV and radio stations; regional satellite-based TV available

Internet country code

.rw

Internet users

percent of population: 34% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 8,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2023 est.) less than 1

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 12.8 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 80 (2022 est.)

Agricultural products

bananas, cassava, sweet potatoes, plantains, potatoes, maize, beans, pumpkins/squash, taro, sorghum (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

revenues: $3.41 billion (2023 est.) expenditures: $3.996 billion (2023 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Current account balance

-$1.654 billion (2023 est.) -$1.246 billion (2022 est.) -$1.209 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

$5.531 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

low-income Sub-Saharan economy; services, industry, and agriculture sectors driving growth; increased government spending on human capital, energy, and healthcare; major infrastructure projects including the Bugesera Airport intended to support long-term growth; challenges include lack of economic diversification, high inflation, and wide current account deficit

Exchange rates

Rwandan francs (RWF) per US dollar - 1,318.128 (2024 est.) 1,160.099 (2023 est.) 1,030.308 (2022 est.) 988.625 (2021 est.) 943.278 (2020 est.)

Exports

$3.509 billion (2023 est.) $2.993 billion (2022 est.) $2.11 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

gold, rare earth ores, coffee, tea, tin ores (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

UAE 66%, China 10%, USA 3%, Kenya 3%, Thailand 2% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$14.252 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 64.9% (2024 est.) government consumption: 17.1% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 29.1% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: -3.2% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 30.8% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -39.1% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 24.6% (2024 est.) industry: 21% (2024 est.) services: 47.6% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

43.7 (2016 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.4% (2016 est.) highest 10%: 35.6% (2016 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$5.783 billion (2023 est.) $4.978 billion (2022 est.) $3.856 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

broadcasting equipment, fish, corn, packaged medicine, plastic products (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 19%, Kenya 14%, Uganda 13%, Tanzania 9%, UAE 7% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

10% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.8% (2024 est.) 19.8% (2023 est.) 17.7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

5.671 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

38.2% (2016 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

37.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$46.543 billion (2024 est.) $42.743 billion (2023 est.) $39.485 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

8.9% (2024 est.) 8.2% (2023 est.) 8.2% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$3,300 (2024 est.) $3,100 (2023 est.) $2,900 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Remittances

3.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 3.6% of GDP (2022 est.) 3.5% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.406 billion (2024 est.) $1.834 billion (2023 est.) $1.726 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Taxes and other revenues

13.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

12% (2024 est.) 12.4% (2023 est.) 15.1% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 17.5% (2024 est.) male: 15.8% (2024 est.) female: 19.4% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Coal

consumption: 123,000 metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 89,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 294,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 876.401 million kWh (2023 est.) exports: 8.674 million kWh (2023 est.) imports: 32 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 197.606 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 50.6% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 98% electrification - rural areas: 38.2%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 43.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 3.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 52.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

1.808 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

production: 63.666 million cubic meters (2023 est.) consumption: 63.696 million cubic meters (2023 est.) proven reserves: 56.634 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 9,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

1.645 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 226,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 1.295 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from consumed natural gas: 124,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Climate

temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible

Environmental issues

deforestation; overgrazing; land degradation; soil erosion; a decline in soil fertility (soil exhaustion); wetland degradation and loss of biodiversity; widespread poaching

International environmental agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Land use

agricultural land: 76.3% (2023 est.) arable land: 47% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 13.7% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 15.6% (2023 est.) forest: 24.5% (2023 est.) other: 0% (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

35.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

13.3 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 230 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 10 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 361 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 17.9% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.07% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 4.385 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 11.5% (2022 est.)

Area

total : 26,338 sq km land: 24,668 sq km water: 1,670 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Climate

temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point: Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m lowest point: Rusizi River 950 m mean elevation: 1,598 m

Geographic coordinates

2 00 S, 30 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; most of the country is intensively cultivated and rugged, with the population predominantly rural

Irrigated land

96 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 930 km border countries (4): Burundi 315 km; Democratic Republic of the Congo 221 km; Tanzania 222 km; Uganda 172 km

Land use

agricultural land: 76.3% (2023 est.) arable land: 47% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 13.7% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 15.6% (2023 est.) forest: 24.5% (2023 est.) other: 0% (2023 est.)

Location

Central Africa, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, north of Burundi

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s): Lake Kivu (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo) - 2,220 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Nile river source (shared with Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt [m]) - 6,650 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga Mountains are in the northwest along the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo volcanism: Visoke (3,711 m), on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is the country's only historically active volcano

Natural resources

gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, hydropower, arable land

Population distribution

one of Africa's most densely populated countries; large concentrations tend to be in the central regions and along the shore of Lake Kivu in the west, as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east

Administrative divisions

4 provinces ( provinces , singular - province (French); intara for singular and plural (Kinyarwanda)) and 1 city* ( ville (French); umujyi (Kinyarwanda)); Est (Eastern), Kigali*, Nord (Northern), Ouest (Western), Sud (Southern)

Capital

name: Kigali geographic coordinates: 1 57 S, 30 03 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the city takes its name from nearby Mount Kigali; the name is composed of the Bantu prefix ki- and the Rwandan word gali , meaning "broad," which is probably meant to describe the terrain

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Rwanda; if the father is stateless or unknown, the mother must be a citizen dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Constitution

history: several previous; latest adopted by referendum 26 May 2003, effective 4 June 2003 amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic (with Council of Ministers approval) or by two-thirds majority vote of both houses of Parliament; passage requires at least three-quarters majority vote in both houses; changes to constitutional articles on national sovereignty, the presidential term, the form and system of government, and political pluralism also require approval in a referendum

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Rwanda conventional short form: Rwanda local long form: Republika y'u Rwanda local short form: Rwanda former: Kingdom of Rwanda, Ruanda, German East Africa etymology: the country is named for a local people, but the meaning of their own name is obscure

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Eric KNEEDLER (since 3 October 2023) embassy: 2657 Avenue de la Gendarmerie (Kaciyiru), P. O. Box 28 Kigali mailing address: 2210 Kigali Place, Washington DC 20521-2210 telephone: [250] 252 596-400 FAX: [250] 252 580-325 email address and website: consularkigali@state.gov https://rw.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Mathilde MUKANTABANA (since 18 July 2013) chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 232-2882 FAX: [1] (202) 232-4544 email address and website: info@rwandaembassy.org https://rwandaembassy.org/

Executive branch

chief of state: President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Justin NSENGIYUMVA (since 23 July 2025) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president election/appointment process: president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president most recent election date: 4 August 2017 election results: 2024: Paul KAGAME reelected president; Paul KAGAME (RPF) 99.2%, Frank HABINEZA (DGPR) 0.5%, Philippe MPAYIMANA (independent) 0.3% 2017: Paul KAGAME reelected president; Paul KAGAME (RPF) 98.8%, Philippe MPAYIMANA (independent), other 1.2% expected date of next election: 15 July 2029 note: a constitutional amendment in 2016 reduced the presidential term from 7 to 5 years but included an exception that allowed President KAGAME to serve another 7-year term in 2017, potentially followed by two additional 5-year terms

Flag

description: three horizontal bands of sky blue (top, double-width), yellow, and green, with a golden sun with 24 rays on the right end of the blue band meaning: blue stands for happiness and peace, yellow for economic development and mineral wealth, and green for hope for prosperity and natural resources; the sun symbolizes unity and enlightenment

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices and 5 judges; normally organized into 3-judge panels); High Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and a minimum of 24 judges and organized into 5 chambers) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by the president after consultation with the Cabinet and the Superior Council of the Judiciary (SCJ), a 27-member body of judges, other judicial officials, and legal professionals, and approved by the Senate; chief and deputy chief justices appointed for 8-year nonrenewable terms; tenure of judges NA; High Court president and vice president appointed by the president of the republic upon approval by the Senate; judges appointed by the Supreme Court chief justice upon approval of the SCJ; judge tenure NA subordinate courts: High Court of the Republic; commercial courts including the High Commercial Court; intermediate courts; primary courts; and military specialized courts

Legal system

mixed system of civil law, based on German and Belgian models, and customary law; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts

Legislative branch

legislature name: Parlement (Parliament) legislative structure: bicameral

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name: Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Députés) number of seats: 80 (53 directly elected; 27 indirectly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 7/15/2024 to 7/16/2024 parties elected and seats per party: Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR) and its allies (37); Liberal Party (PL) (5); Social Democratic Party (PSD) (5); Other (6) percentage of women in chamber: 63.8% expected date of next election: July 2029 note: 24 women are selected for seats by special-interest groups, and 3 members are selected by youth and disability organizations

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name: Senate (Sénat) number of seats: 26 (18 indirectly elected; 8 appointed) scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 9/16/2024 to 9/16/2024 percentage of women in chamber: 53.8% expected date of next election: September 2029

National anthem(s)

title: "Rwanda nziza" (Rwanda, Our Beautiful Country) lyrics/music: Faustin MURIGO/Jean-Bosco HASHAKAIMANA history: adopted 2001

National color(s)

blue, yellow, green

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 2 (1 cultural, 1 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Memorial sites of the Genocide: Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero (c); Nyungwe National Park (n)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

National symbol(s)

traditional woven basket with peaked lid

Political parties

Democratic Green Party of Rwanda or DGPR Liberal Party or PL Party for Progress and Concord or PPC Rwandan Patriotic Front or RPF Rwandan Patriotic Front Coalition (includes RPF, PPC, PSP, UDPR, PDI, PSR, PDC) Social Democratic Party or PSD Social Party Imberakuri or PS-Imberakuri

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Rwanda -- a small and centralized country dominated by rugged hills and fertile volcanic soil -- has exerted disproportionate influence over the African Great Lakes region for centuries. A Rwandan kingdom increasingly dominated the region from the mid-18th century onward, with the Tutsi monarchs gradually extending the power of the royal court into peripheral areas and expanding their borders through military conquest. While the current ethnic labels Hutu and Tutsi predate colonial rule, their flexibility and importance have varied significantly over time and often manifested more as a hierarchical class distinction than an ethnic or cultural distinction. The majority Hutu and minority Tutsi have long shared a common language and culture, and intermarriage was frequent. The Rwandan royal court centered on the Tutsi king ( mwami ), who relied on an extensive network of political, cultural, and economic relationships. Social categories became more rigid during the reign of RWABUGIRI (1860-1895), who focused on aggressive expansion and solidifying Rwanda s bureaucratic structures. German colonial conquest began in the late 1890s, but the territory was ceded to Belgian forces in 1916 during World War I. Both European nations quickly realized the benefits of ruling through the already centralized Rwandan Tutsi kingdom. Colonial rule reinforced existing trends toward autocratic and exclusionary rule, leading to the elimination of traditional positions of authority for Hutus. Belgian administrators significantly increased requirements for communal labor and instituted harsh taxes, which fed the population's frustration. Changing political attitudes in Belgium contributed to colonial and Catholic officials shifting their support from Tutsi to Hutu leaders in the years leading up to independence. Simmering resentment of minority rule exploded in 1959, three years before independence from Belgium, when Hutus overthrew the Tutsi king. Thousands of Tutsis were killed over the next several years, and some 150,000 were driven into exile in neighboring countries. Army Chief of Staff Juvenal HABYARIMANA seized power in a coup in 1973 and ruled Rwanda as a single-party state for two decades. HABYARIMANA increasingly discriminated against Tutsis, and extremist Hutu factions gained prominence after multiple parties were introduced in the early 1990s. The children of Tutsi exiles later formed a rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and began a civil war in 1990. The civil war exacerbated ethnic tensions and culminated in the shooting down of HABYARIMANA s private jet in 1994. The event sparked a state-orchestrated genocide in which Rwandans killed more than 800,000 of their fellow citizens, including approximately three-quarters of the Tutsi population. The genocide ended later the same year when the predominantly Tutsi RPF, operating out of Uganda and northern Rwanda, defeated the national army and Hutu militias and established an RPF-led government of national unity. Rwanda held its first local elections in 1999 and its first post-genocide presidential and legislative elections in 2003, formalizing President Paul KAGAME s de facto role as head of government. KAGAME was formally elected in 2010, and again in 2017 after changing the constitution to allow him to run for a third term.

Military - note

the principle responsibilities of the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) are ensuring territorial integrity and national sovereignty and preventing infiltrations of illegal armed groups from neighboring countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); since 2021, Rwanda has deployed RDF troops to the border region with the DRC to combat the rebel Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which it has accused the DRC of backing; Rwanda has been accused by the DRC, the UN, and the US of deploying RDF troops in the DRC and providing material support to the March 23 Movement (M23, aka Congolese Revolutionary Army) rebel group; the RDF also participates in UN and regional military operations, as well as multinational exercises; it has deployed several thousand RDF troops and police personnel to Mozambique to assist in combating an insurgency since 2021; Rwanda has mutual defense treaties with Kenya and Uganda the Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR) were established following independence in 1962; after the 1990-1994 civil war and genocide, the victorious Tutsi-dominated Rwandan Patriotic Front's military wing, the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), became the country's military force; the RPA participated in the First (1996-1997) and Second (1998-2003) Congolese Wars; the RPA was renamed the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) in 2003, by which time it had assumed a more national character with the inclusion of many former Hutu officers as well as newly recruited soldiers (2025)

Military and security forces

Rwanda Defense Force (RDF; Ingabo z u Rwanda): Rwanda Army (Rwanda Land Force), Rwanda Air Force (Force Aerienne Rwandaise, FAR), Rwanda Reserve Force, Special Units Ministry of Internal Security: Rwanda National Police (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 30-35,000 active Rwanda Defense Forces (2025)

Military deployments

approximately 3,200 Central African Republic (about 2,200 under MINUSCA, plus some 700 police; approximately 1,000 under a bi-lateral agreement); estimated 3-4,000 Democratic Republic of the Congo; estimated 3,000 Mozambique (bilateral agreement to assist with combating an insurgency; includes both military and police forces); 2,600 (plus about 450 police) South Sudan (UNMISS) (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the RDF's inventory is a mix of older and some modern equipment from suppliers such as China, France, Israel, Russia/former Soviet Union, South Africa, and T rkiye (2025)

Military expenditures

1.3% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

typically 18-30 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service (including officer candidates and those with university degrees and specialized qualifications); enlistment is either as contract (5-years, renewable twice) or career professional; no conscription (2025)

Age structure

0-14 years: 37.2% (male 2,561,884/female 2,508,218) 15-64 years: 59.7% (male 3,954,608/female 4,179,844) 65 years and over: 3.1% (2024 est.) (male 168,163/female 250,585)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 6.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

25.05 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15: 0.3% (2020) women married by age 18: 5.5% (2020) men married by age 18: 0.4% (2020)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

7.7% (2020 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

49.9% (2022 est.)

Death rate

4.87 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 67.5 (2024 est.) youth dependency ratio: 62.3 (2024 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 5.1 (2024 est.) potential support ratio: 19.4 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 88.1% of population (2022 est.) rural: 60.1% of population (2022 est.) total: 65.1% of population (2022 est.) urban: 11.9% of population (2022 est.) rural: 39.9% of population (2022 est.) total: 34.9% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

4.7% of GDP (2024 est.) 13.9% national budget (2025 est.)

Ethnic groups

Hutu, Tutsi, Twa

Gross reproduction rate

1.58 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

7.3% of GDP (2021) 9.5% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 27.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 27.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Kinyarwanda (official, universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%, French (official) 0.1%, English (official) 0.1%, Swahili/Kiswahili (official, used in commercial centers) 0.1%, more than one language, other 6.3%, unspecified 0.3% (2002 est.) major-language sample(s): Inkoranya nzimbuzi y'isi, isoko fatizo y'amakuru y'ibanze. (Kinyarwanda) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 66.6 years (2024 est.) male: 64.6 years female: 68.6 years

Literacy

total population: 78.8% (2022 est.) male: 81% (2022 est.) female: 76.7% (2022 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.248 million KIGALI (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

229 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

total: 21.3 years (2025 est.) male: 20.1 years female: 21.5 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

23 years (2019/20 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

noun: Rwandan(s) adjective: Rwandan

Net migration rate

-0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

5.8% (2016)

Physician density

0.09 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

total: 13,623,302 (2024 est.) male: 6,684,655 female: 6,938,647

Population distribution

one of Africa's most densely populated countries; large concentrations tend to be in the central regions and along the shore of Lake Kivu in the west, as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

2% (2025 est.)

Religions

Catholic 39.9%, Pentecostal 21.3%, Protestant 14.6%, Adventist 12.2%, other Christians 4.2%, no religion 3.0%, Muslim 2.0%, other religions 2.0%; less than 1%: Jehovah Witness, not specified, Animist (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 91.4% of population (2022 est.) rural: 87% of population (2022 est.) total: 87.8% of population (2022 est.) urban: 8.6% of population (2022 est.) rural: 13% of population (2022 est.) total: 12.2% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 13 years (2023 est.) male: 13 years (2023 est.) female: 13 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 11.4% (2025 est.) male: 17% (2025 est.) female: 6.3% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.2 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 17.9% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.07% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Key space-program milestones

2018 - signed cooperation agreement with Japan for training in designing and producing mini-satellites 2019 - first remote sensing (RS) nanosatellite (RWASAT-1) built with assistance from and launched by Japan; first commercial communications satellite (Icyerekezo) built and launched by France 2022 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for space exploration 2025 - joined newly formed African Space Agency

Space agency/agencies

Rwanda Space Agency (L Agence Spatiale Rwandaise; RSA; established 2020 and approved by legislature in 2021) (2025)

Space program overview

has a small program focused on developing space technologies, such as satellite communications and imagery for connectivity, disaster management, security, and socioeconomic development; operates communications and remote sensing (RS) satellites; has established ties with the space agencies or industries of several countries, including France, Israel, Japan, Poland, the UAE, and the US, as well as members of the African Space Agency; seeks to establish itself as an African hub for satellite production and has encouraged development of a domestic commercial space sector (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees: 128,561 (2024 est.) IDPs: 21,948 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 14,500 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Rwanda remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/rwanda

Airports

8 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

9XR