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Historical Values
Year Value
1990 Kinyarwanda, French (official); Kiswahili used in commercial centers
1991 Kinyarwanda, French (official); Kiswahili used in commercial centers
1992 Kinyarwanda, French (official); Kiswahili used in commercial centers
1993 Kinyarwanda (official), French (official), Kiswahili used in commercial centers
1994 Kinyarwanda (official), French (official), Kiswahili used in commercial centers
1995 Kinyarwanda (official), French (official), Kiswahili used in commercial centers
1996 Kinyarwanda (official), French (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
1997 Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
1998 Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
1999 Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
2000 Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
2001 Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
2002 Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
2003 Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
2004 Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
2005 Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
2006 Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
2007 Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
2008 Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
2009 Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
2010 Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
2011 Kinyarwanda (official, universal Bantu vernacular), French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili, used in commercial centers)
2012 Kinyarwanda (official, universal Bantu vernacular), French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili, used in commercial centers)
2013 Kinyarwanda (official, universal Bantu vernacular), French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili, used in commercial centers)
2014 Kinyarwanda only (official, universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%, Kinyarwanda and other language(s) 6.2%, French (official) and other language(s) 0.1%, English (official) and other language(s) 0.1%, Swahili (or Kiswahili, used in commercial centers) 0.02%, other 0.03%, unspecified 0.3% (2002 est.)
2015 Kinyarwanda only (official, universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%, Kinyarwanda and other language(s) 6.2%, French (official) and other language(s) 0.1%, English (official) and other language(s) 0.1%, Swahili (or Kiswahili, used in commercial centers) 0.02%, other 0.03%, unspecified 0.3% (2002 est.)
2016 Kinyarwanda only (official, universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%, Kinyarwanda and other language(s) 6.2%, French (official) and other language(s) 0.1%, English (official) and other language(s) 0.1%, Swahili (or Kiswahili, used in commercial centers) 0.02%, other 0.03%, unspecified 0.3% (2002 est.)
2017 Kinyarwanda (official, universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%, French (official) <.1, English (official) <.1, Swahili (or Kiswahili, used in commercial centers) <.1, more than one language, other 6.3%, unspecified 0.3% (2002 est.)
2018 Kinyarwanda (official, universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%, French (official) (2002 est.)
2019 Kinyarwanda (official, universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%, French (official) <.1, English (official) <.1, Swahili/Kiswahili (official, used in commercial centers) <.1, more than one language, other 6.3%, unspecified 0.3% (2002 est.)
2020 Kinyarwanda (official, universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%, French (official) <.1, English (official) <.1, Swahili/Kiswahili (official, used in commercial centers) <.1, more than one language, other 6.3%, unspecified 0.3% (2002 est.)
2021 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.
2022 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.
2023 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.
2024 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.
2025 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.