Rwanda
Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →
Rwanda⌘K
Overview
- 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.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 24,668 sq km
- Water
- 1,670 sq km
- Total
- 26,338 sq km
- Climate
- temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible
- Terrain
- mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east
Land Use
- Other
- 0% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 24.5% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 76.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 47% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 13.7% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 15.6% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Central Africa, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, north of Burundi
- Coastline
- 0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Rusizi River 950 m
- Highest point
- Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m
- Mean elevation
- 1,598 m
- Irrigated land
- 96 sq km (2012)
- Map references
- Africa
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 930 km
- Border countries
- Burundi 315 km; Democratic Republic of the Congo 221 km; Tanzania 222 km; Uganda 172 km
- 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 - Geography note
- landlocked; most of the country is intensively cultivated and rugged, with the population predominantly rural
- Natural resources
- gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, hydropower, arable land
- Area comparative
- slightly smaller than Maryland
- Geographic coordinates
- 2 00 S, 30 00 E
- 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
Major Lakes (Area Sq Km)
- Fresh water lake(s)
- Lake Kivu (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo) - 2,220 sq km
Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)
- Atlantic ocean drainage
- Congo (3,730,881 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 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
People & Society
Literacy
- Male
- 81% (2022 est.)
- Female
- 76.7% (2022 est.)
- Total population
- 78.8% (2022 est.)
Languages
- 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.
- 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.)
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
- Total population
- 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.67 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 25.05 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 4.87 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 20.1 years
- Total
- 21.3 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 21.5 years
Population
- Male
- 6,684,655
- Total
- 13,623,302 (2024 est.)
- Female
- 6,938,647
Nationality
- Noun
- Rwandan(s)
- Adjective
- Rwandan
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 17% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 11.4% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 6.3% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 17.9% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 3.07% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
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)
- Ethnic groups
- Hutu, Tutsi, Twa
Child Marriage
- Men married BY age 18
- 0.4% (2020)
- Women married BY age 15
- 0.3% (2020)
- Women married BY age 18
- 5.5% (2020)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 67.5 (2024 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 62.3 (2024 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 19.4 (2024 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 5.1 (2024 est.)
- Physician density
- 0.09 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 7.3% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 9.5% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 0.7 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 3.2 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 60.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 65.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 88.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 39.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 34.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 11.9% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 4.7% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 13.9% national budget (2025 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 27.3 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 27.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 22.5 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 2% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 1.58 (2025 est.)
- 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
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 64.6 years
- Female
- 68.6 years
- Total population
- 66.6 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 229 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 87% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 87.8% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 91.4% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 13% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 12.2% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 8.6% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 6.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 1.248 million KIGALI (capital) (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 5.8% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 23 years (2019/20 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 49.9% (2022 est.)
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 7.7% (2020 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 13 years (2023 est.)
- Total
- 13 years (2023 est.)
- Female
- 13 years (2023 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- 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
Capital
- Name
- Kigali
- 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
- Time difference
- UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 1 57 S, 30 03 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
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
- 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
- Local long form
- Republika y'u Rwanda
- Local short form
- Rwanda
- Conventional long form
- Republic of Rwanda
- Conventional short form
- Rwanda
- Independence
- 1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)
- Legal system
- mixed system of civil law, based on German and Belgian models, and customary law; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts
- Government type
- presidential republic
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)
- Subordinate courts
- High Court of the Republic; commercial courts including the High Commercial Court; intermediate courts; primary courts; and military specialized courts
- 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
Executive Branch
- Note
- 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
- Cabinet
- Council of Ministers appointed by the president
- Chief of state
- President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000)
- 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%- Head of government
- Prime Minister Justin NSENGIYUMVA (since 23 July 2025)
- Most recent election date
- 4 August 2017
- 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
- Expected date of next election
- 15 July 2029
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
- 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)
- 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
Legislative Branch
- Legislature name
- Parlement (Parliament)
- Legislative structure
- bicameral
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Rwanda nziza" (Rwanda, Our Beautiful Country)
- History
- adopted 2001
- Lyrics/music
- Faustin MURIGO/Jean-Bosco HASHAKAIMANA
- National symbol(s)
- traditional woven basket with peaked lid
- 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)
Legislative Branch Lower Chamber
- Note
- note: 24 women are selected for seats by special-interest groups, and 3 members are selected by youth and disability organizations
- Chamber name
- Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Députés)
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 80 (53 directly elected; 27 indirectly elected)
- Electoral system
- proportional representation
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Most recent election date
- 7/15/2024 to 7/16/2024
- Expected date of next election
- July 2029
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 63.8%
- 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)
Legislative Branch Upper Chamber
- Chamber name
- Senate (Sénat)
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 26 (18 indirectly elected; 8 appointed)
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Most recent election date
- 9/16/2024 to 9/16/2024
- Expected date of next election
- September 2029
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 53.8%
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 232-4544
- Chancery
- 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 232-2882
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Mathilde MUKANTABANA (since 18 July 2013)
- Email address and website
info@rwandaembassy.org
https://rwandaembassy.org/
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [250] 252 580-325
- Embassy
- 2657 Avenue de la Gendarmerie (Kaciyiru), P. O. Box 28 Kigali
- Telephone
- [250] 252 596-400
- Mailing address
- 2210 Kigali Place, Washington DC 20521-2210
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Eric KNEEDLER (since 3 October 2023)
- Email address and website
consularkigali@state.gov
https://rw.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- 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
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Legislature
RWANDA · LOWER HOUSE
Chamber of Deputies
80 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
80
Majority line
41
Largest party
Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR) and its allies
Parties
6
All political parties
Upper house
RWANDA · UPPER HOUSE
Senate
26 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
26
Majority line
14
Largest party
Social Democratic Party
Parties
5
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Paul Kagame
- Head of State
Justin Nsengiyumva
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $3.41 billion (2023 est.)
- Expenditures
- $3.996 billion (2023 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $4.4B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2021
- $2.11 billion (2021 est.)
- Exports 2022
- $2.993 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $3.509 billion (2023 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $5.6B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2021
- $3.856 billion (2021 est.)
- Imports 2022
- $4.978 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $5.783 billion (2023 est.)
- Industries
- cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes
- Labor force
- 5.671 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 37.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
- Public debt 2016
- 37.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2021
- 3.5% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Remittances 2022
- 3.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 3.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- Rwandan francs (RWF) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 943.278 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 988.625 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 1,030.308 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 1,160.099 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 1,318.128 (2024 est.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $5.531 billion (2023 est.)
- 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
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 11.4%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 15.1% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 12.4% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 12% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- UAE 66%, China 10%, USA 3%, Kenya 3%, Thailand 2% (2023)
- Imports partners
- China 19%, Kenya 14%, Uganda 13%, Tanzania 9%, UAE 7% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $3,711
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $2,900 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $3,100 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $3,300 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 8.9%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 8.2% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 8.2% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 8.9% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- bananas, cassava, sweet potatoes, plantains, potatoes, maize, beans, pumpkins/squash, taro, sorghum (2023)
- Exports commodities
- gold, rare earth ores, coffee, tea, tin ores (2023)
- Imports commodities
- broadcasting equipment, fish, corn, packaged medicine, plastic products (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- -$1.8B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2021
- -$1.209 billion (2021 est.)
- Current account balance 2022
- -$1.246 billion (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- -$1.654 billion (2023 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 13.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $14.252 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 64.9% (2024 est.)
- Government consumption
- 17.1% (2024 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- -3.2% (2024 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 29.1% (2024 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 30.8% (2024 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -39.1% (2024 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 38.2% (2016 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 1.8%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 17.7% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 19.8% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 1.8% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- 10% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $46.543 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $39.485 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $42.743 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $46.543 billion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 15.8% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 17.5% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 19.4% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $1.726 billion (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $1.834 billion (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $2.406 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 21% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 47.6% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 24.6% (2024 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 2.4% (2016 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 35.6% (2016 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2016
- 43.7 (2016 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Imports
- 89,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 123,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 9,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Exports
- 8.674 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 32 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 876.401 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 294,000 kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 197.606 million kWh (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.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification rural areas
- 38.2%
- Electrification urban areas
- 98%
- Electrification total population
- 50.6% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 1.808 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Solar
- 3.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 43.6% 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.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 34% (2023 est.)
- 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
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.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 62,000 (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- (2023 est.) less than 1
Transport
- Airports
- 8 (2025)
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- 9XR
Environment
- Climate
- temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible
Land Use
- Other
- 0% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 24.5% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 76.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 47% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 13.7% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 15.6% (2023 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.)
- Environmental issues
- deforestation; overgrazing; land degradation; soil erosion; a decline in soil fertility (soil exhaustion); wetland degradation and loss of biodiversity; widespread poaching
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 230 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Industrial
- 10 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 361 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 1.645 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From consumed natural gas
- 124,000 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.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 35.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 13.3 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
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
Military & Security
- 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 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 Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 1.2%
- Military expenditures 2020
- 1.3% of GDP (2020 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 1.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 1.4% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 1.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 1.3% of GDP (2024 est.)
- 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 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)
- 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 Türkiye (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- approximately 30-35,000 active Rwanda Defense Forces (2025)
Space
- 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)
- 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
Transnational Issues
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
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Idps
- 21,948 (2024 est.)
- Refugees
- 128,561 (2024 est.)
- Stateless persons
- 14,500 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index33.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4129 / 1902024-Q4
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.09as of 2024-Q4142 / 1702024-Q4
Freedom House StatusNot Free (17/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Restricted press (42/100)as of 2024—2024
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Rwanda — vintage 2026-Q1: Rwanda factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/rwanda
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata