Rwanda

total: 17,685 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.1 (2020 est.)

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

.rw

total: 3,497,096 (2020 est.) percent of population: 27% (2020 est.)

general assessment: Rwanda was slow to liberalize the mobile sector; there was effective competition among three operators; the fixed broadband sector has suffered from limited fixed-line infrastructure and high prices; operators are rolling out national backbone networks which also allow them to connect to the international submarine cables on Africa s east coast; these cables gave the entire region greater internet bandwidth and ended the dependency on satellites; while the country also has a new cable link with Tanzania, and via Tanzania s national broadband backbone it has gained connectivity to the networks of several other countries in the region; the number of subscribers on LTE infrastructure has increased sharply, helped by national LTE coverage achieved in mid-2018; mobile remains the dominant platform for voice and data services; the regulator noted that the number of mobile subscribers increased 2.7% in 2021, year-on-year; there was a slight fall in the beginning of 2022 (2022) domestic: the capital, Kigali, is connected to provincial centers by microwave radio relay, and recently by cellular telephone service; much of the network depends on wire and HF radiotelephone; fixed-line less than 1 per 100 and mobile-cellular telephone density has increased to nearly 82 telephones per 100 persons (2020) international: country code - 250; international connections employ microwave radio relay to neighboring countries and satellite communications to more distant countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefax service); international submarine fiber-optic cables on the African east coast has brought international bandwidth and lessened the dependency on satellites note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services

total subscriptions: 11,671 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions: 10,614,408 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 82 (2020 est.)

bananas, sweet potatoes, cassava, potatoes, plantains, beans, maize, gourds, milk, taro

revenues: 1.943 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: 2.337 billion (2017 est.)

-4.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Fitch rating: B+ (2014) Moody's rating: B2 (2016) Standard & Poors rating: B+ (2019) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

-$622 million (2017 est.) -$1.336 billion (2016 est.)

$3.258 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $2.611 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Rwanda is a rural, agrarian country with agriculture accounting for about 63% of export earnings, and with some mineral and agro-processing. Population density is high but, with the exception of the capital Kigali, is not concentrated in large cities its 12 million people are spread out on a small amount of land (smaller than the state of Maryland). Tourism, minerals, coffee, and tea are Rwanda's main sources of foreign exchange. Despite Rwanda's fertile ecosystem, food production often does not keep pace with demand, requiring food imports. Energy shortages, instability in neighboring states, and lack of adequate transportation linkages to other countries continue to handicap private sector growth. The 1994 genocide decimated Rwanda's fragile economic base, severely impoverished the population, particularly women, and temporarily stalled the country's ability to attract private and external investment. However, Rwanda has made substantial progress in stabilizing and rehabilitating its economy well beyond pre-1994 levels. GDP has rebounded with an average annual growth of 6%-8% since 2003 and inflation has been reduced to single digits. In 2015, 39% of the population lived below the poverty line, according to government statistics, compared to 57% in 2006. The government has embraced an expansionary fiscal policy to reduce poverty by improving education, infrastructure, and foreign and domestic investment. Rwanda consistently ranks well for ease of doing business and transparency. The Rwandan Government is seeking to become a regional leader in information and communication technologies and aims to reach middle-income status by 2020 by leveraging the service industry. In 2012, Rwanda completed the first modern Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Kigali. The SEZ seeks to attract investment in all sectors, but specifically in agribusiness, information and communications, trade and logistics, mining, and construction. In 2016, the government launched an online system to give investors information about public land and its suitability for agricultural development.

Rwandan francs (RWF) per US dollar - 839.1 (2017 est.) 787.25 (2016 est.) 787.25 (2015 est.) 720.54 (2014 est.) 680.95 (2013 est.)

$2.25 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $2.04 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

gold, refined petroleum, coffee, tea, tin (2019)

United Arab Emirates 35%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 28%, Uganda 5% (2019)

calendar year

$9.136 billion (2017 est.)

household consumption: 75.9% (2017 est.) government consumption: 15.2% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 22.9% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0.5% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 18.2% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -32.8% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 30.9% (2017 est.) industry: 17.6% (2017 est.) services: 51.5% (2017 est.)

43.7 (2016 est.) 51.3 (2010 est.)

lowest 10%: 2.1% highest 10%: 43.2% (2011 est.)

$3.74 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $3.34 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

refined petroleum, gold, raw sugar, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment (2019)

China 17%, Kenya 10%, Tanzania 9%, United Arab Emirates 9%, India 7%, Saudi Arabia 5% (2019)

4.2% (2017 est.)

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

3.3% (2019 est.) -0.3% (2018 est.) 8.4% (2017 est.)

6.227 million (2017 est.)

agriculture: 75.3% industry: 6.7% services: 18% (2012 est.)

38.2% (2016 est.)

40.5% of GDP (2017 est.) 37.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

$27.18 billion (2020 est.) $28.13 billion (2019 est.) $25.7 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

6.1% (2017 est.) 6% (2016 est.) 8.9% (2015 est.)

$2,100 (2020 est.) $2,200 (2019 est.) $2,100 (2018 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

$997.6 million (31 December 2017 est.) $1.104 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

21.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

2.7% (2014 est.)

total: 17.2% male: 15.5% female: 19% (2020 est.)

1.189 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 1.189 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity: 265,000 kW (2020 est.) consumption: 1,007,300,000 kWh (2019 est.) exports: 4.5 million kWh (2019 est.) imports: 93.96 million kWh (2019 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 142 million kWh (2019 est.)

electrification - total population: 53% (2019) electrification - urban areas: 76% (2019) electrification - rural areas: 48% (2019)

fossil fuels: 39% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) solar: 6.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) hydroelectricity: 53.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) biomass and waste: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

1.704 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) proven reserves: 56.634 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 8,300 bbl/day (2019 est.) crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

6,628 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

particulate matter emissions: 40.75 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 1.11 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 2.92 megatons (2020 est.)

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

deforestation results from uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel; overgrazing; land degradation; soil erosion; a decline in soil fertility (soil exhaustion); wetland degradation and loss of biodiversity; widespread poaching

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

agricultural land: 74.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 47% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 10.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 17.4% (2018 est.) forest: 18% (2018 est.) other: 7.5% (2018 est.)

degree of risk: very high (2020) food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever animal contact diseases: rabies

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

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

coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

forest revenues: 3.75% of GDP (2018 est.)

13.3 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal: 61.4 million cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 20.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 102 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

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

municipal solid waste generated annually: 4,384,969 tons (2016 est.)

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

slightly smaller than Maryland

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

0 km (landlocked)

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

2 00 S, 30 00 E

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

96 sq km (2012)

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

agricultural land: 74.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 47% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 10.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 17.4% (2018 est.) forest: 18% (2018 est.) other: 7.5% (2018 est.)

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

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

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

Africa

none (landlocked)

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

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

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

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

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

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 "Kigali" is composed of the Bantu prefix ki and the Rwandan gali meaning "broad" and likely refers to the broad, sprawling hill that has been dignified with the title of "mount"

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

history: several previous; latest adopted by referendum 26 May 2003, effective 4 June 2003 amendments: 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; amended several times, last in 2015

conventional long form: Republic of Rwanda conventional short form: Rwanda local long form: Republika y'u Rwanda local short form: Rwanda former: Ruanda, German East Africa etymology: the name translates as "domain" in the native Kinyarwanda language

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Deb MacLEAN (since February 2022) 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/

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/

chief of state: President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Edouard NGIRENTE (since 30 August 2017) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); note - a constitutional amendment approved in December 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; election last held on 4 August 2017 (next to be held in August 2024); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Paul KAGAME reelected president; Paul KAGAME (RPF) 98.8%, Philippe MPAYIMANA (independent) 0.7%, Frank HABINEZA (DGPR)0.5%

three horizontal bands of sky blue (top, double width), yellow, and green, with a golden sun with 24 rays near the fly end of the blue band; blue represents happiness and peace, yellow economic development and mineral wealth, green hope of prosperity and natural resources; the sun symbolizes unity, as well as enlightenment and transparency from ignorance

presidential republic

1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)

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

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, 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, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices and 15 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

mixed legal system of civil law, based on German and Belgian models, and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court

description: bicameral Parliament consists of: Senate or Senat (26 seats; 12 members indirectly elected by local councils, 8 appointed by the president, 4 appointed by the Political Organizations Forum - a body of registered political parties, and 2 selected by institutions of higher learning; members serve 8-year terms) Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (80 seats; 53 members directly elected by proportional representation vote, 24 women selected by special interest groups, and 3 selected by youth and disability organizations; members serve 5-year terms) elections: Senate - last held on 16-18 September 2019 (next to be held in 2027) Chamber of Deputies - last held on 3 September 2018 (next to be held in September 2023) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 17, women 9, percent of women 34.6% Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Rwandan Patriotic Front Coalition 40, PSD 5, PL 4, other 4 indirectly elected 27; composition - men 31, women 49, percent of women 54.7%; note - total Parliament percent of women 54.7%

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

Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

traditional woven basket with peaked lid; national colors: blue, yellow, green

Democratic Green Party of Rwanda or DGPR [Frank HABINEZA] Liberal Party or PL [Donatille MUKABALISA] Party for Progress and Concord or PPC [Dr. Alivera MUKABARAMBA] Rwandan Patriotic Front or RPF [Paul KAGAME] Rwandan Patriotic Front Coalition (includes RPF, PPC) [Paul KAGAME] Social Democratic Party or PSD [Vincent BIRUTA] Social Party Imberakuri or PS-Imberakuri [Christine MUKABUNANI]

18 years of age; universal

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. The majority Hutu and minority Tutsi have long shared a common language and culture, and intermarriage was not rare. The Rwandan royal court centered on the Tutsi king ( mwami ), who relied on an extensive hierarchy of political, cultural, and economic relationships that intertwined Rwanda s ethnic and social groups. 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 rule began in 1898, but Belgian forces captured Rwanda in 1916 during World War I. Both European nations quickly realized the benefits of ruling through the already centralized Rwandan kingdom. Colonial rule reinforced existing trends toward autocratic and exclusionary rule, leading to the elimination of traditional positions of authority for Hutus and a calcification of ethnic identities. Belgian administrators significantly increased requirements for communal labor and instituted harsh taxes, increasing frustration and inequality. 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. Newly mobilized political parties and 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 Tutsi and extremist Hutu factions that 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 April 1994. The event sparked a state-orchestrated genocide in which Rwandans killed approximately 800,000 of their fellow citizens, including approximately three-quarters of the Tutsi population. The genocide ended later that 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 won reelection in 2010, and again in 2017 after changing the constitution to allow him to run for a third term.

since 2021, Rwanda has deployed troops to the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to combat the rebel Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR); it has also been accused by the DRC Government of providing material support to the March 23 Movement (M23, aka Congolese Revolutionary Army) rebel group, which as of 2022 was fighting with DRC troops and UN peacekeeping forces 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 the RDF is widely regarded as one of Africa s best trained and most capable and professional military forces; as of 2022, over 7,000 RDF and police personnel were deployed on missions in Africa (2022)

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 (2022)

approximately 33,000 active RDF personnel (32,000 Army; 1,000 Air Force) (2022)

2,450 (plus about 500 police) Central African Republic (approximately 1,700 for MINUSCA; an additional 750 troops sent separately under a bilateral agreement with CAR in August, 2021); up to 2,000 Mozambique (deployed mid-2021 under a bi-lateral agreement to assist with combating insurgency; includes both military and police forces); 2,600 (plus about 400 police) South Sudan (UNMISS) (2022)

the RDF's inventory includes mostly Russian, Soviet-era, and older Western - largely French and South African - equipment; since 2010, Russia has been the top supplier (2021)

1.4% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2020 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $220 million) 1.2% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $200 million) 1.2% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $190 million)

18 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; no conscription; Rwandan citizenship is required; enlistment is either as contract (5-years, renewable twice) or career (2021)

0-14 years: 39.95% (male 2,564,893/female 2,513,993) 15-24 years: 20.1% (male 1,280,948/female 1,273,853) 25-54 years: 33.06% (male 2,001,629/female 2,201,132) 55-64 years: 4.24% (male 241,462/female 298,163) 65 years and over: 2.65% (male 134,648/female 201,710) (2020 est.)

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.)

26.44 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)

7.7% (2019/20)

64.1% (2019/20)

6.4% of GDP (2019)

5.86 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Rwanda’s fertility rate declined sharply during the last decade, as a result of the government’s commitment to family planning, the increased use of contraceptives, and a downward trend in ideal family size. Increases in educational attainment, particularly among girls, and exposure to social media also contributed to the reduction in the birth rate. The average number of births per woman decreased from a 5.6 in 2005 to 4.5 in 2016. Despite these significant strides in reducing fertility, Rwanda’s birth rate remains very high and will continue to for an extended period of time because of its large population entering reproductive age. Because Rwanda is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa, its persistent high population growth and increasingly small agricultural landholdings will put additional strain on families’ ability to raise foodstuffs and access potable water. These conditions will also hinder the government’s efforts to reduce poverty and prevent environmental degradation. The UNHCR recommended that effective 30 June 2013 countries invoke a cessation of refugee status for those Rwandans who fled their homeland between 1959 and 1998, including the 1994 genocide, on the grounds that the conditions that drove them to seek protection abroad no longer exist. The UNHCR’s decision is controversial because many Rwandan refugees still fear persecution if they return home, concerns that are supported by the number of Rwandans granted asylum since 1998 and by the number exempted from the cessation. Rwandan refugees can still seek an exemption or local integration, but host countries are anxious to send the refugees back to Rwanda and are likely to avoid options that enable them to stay. Conversely, Rwanda itself hosts almost 160,000 refugees as of 2017; virtually all of them fleeing conflict in neighboring Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

total dependency ratio: 72.5 youth dependency ratio: 67.1 elderly dependency ratio: 5.4 potential support ratio: 18.4 (2021 est.)

improved: urban: 92.3% of population rural: 80.7% of population total: 82.7% of population unimproved: urban: 7.7% of population rural: 19.3% of population total: 17.3% of population (2020 est.)

3.8% of GDP (2021 est.)

Hutu, Tutsi, Twa (Pygmy)

2.3% (2021 est.)

total: 26.39 deaths/1,000 live births male: 28.9 deaths/1,000 live births female: 23.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)

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.

total population: 65.85 years male: 63.89 years female: 67.86 years (2022 est.)

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 73.2% male: 77.6% female: 69.4% (2018)

degree of risk: very high (2020) food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever animal contact diseases: rabies

1.248 million KIGALI (capital) (2023)

248 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

total: 19.7 years male: 18.9 years female: 20.4 years (2020 est.)

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

noun: Rwandan(s) adjective: Rwandan

-3.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)

5.8% (2016)

0.12 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

13,173,730 (2022 est.)

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

1.74% (2022 est.)

Protestant 57.7% (includes Adventist 12.6%), Roman Catholic 38.2%, Muslim 2.1%, other 1% (includes traditional, Jehovah's Witness), none 1.1% (2019-20 est.)

improved: urban: 89.1% of population rural: 83.2% of population total: 84.2% of population unimproved: urban: 10.9% of population rural: 16.8% of population total: 15.8% of population (2020 est.)

total: 11 years male: 11 years female: 11 years (2019)

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.54 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

total: 13.7% (2020 est.) male: 20.1% (2020 est.) female: 7.2% (2020 est.)

3.33 children born/woman (2022 est.)

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

total: 17.2% male: 15.5% female: 19% (2020 est.)

Rwanda-Burundi: Burundi's Ngozi province and Rwanda's Butare province dispute the two-kilometer-square hilly farmed area of Sabanerwa in the Rukurazi Valley where the Akanyaru/Kanyaru River shifted its course southward after heavy rains in 1965 around Kibinga Hill in Rwanda's Butare Province Rwanda-Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): the 2005 DRC and Rwanda border verification mechanism to stem rebel actions on both sides of the border remains in place Rwanda-Uganda: a joint technical committee established in 2007 to demarcate sections of the border

refugees (country of origin): 76,465 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 48,449 (Burundi) (2022) stateless persons: 9,500 (mid-year 2021)

total: 7 (2021)

total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2021)

total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2021)

9XR

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 12 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,073,528 (2018)

lake port(s): Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye (Lake Kivu)

total: 4,700 km (2012) paved: 1,207 km (2012) unpaved: 3,493 km (2012)

90 km (2022) (Lake Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft)