Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
0.60 (2024, World Bank)
Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total
62,000 (2023 est.)
Communications: Broadcast media
13 TV stations; 35 radio stations, including international broadcasters; government owns most popular TV and radio stations; regional satellite-based TV available
Communications: Internet country code
.rw
Communications: Internet users: percent of population
31.7% (2024, World Bank)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
0.06 (2024, World Bank)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions
8,000 (2023 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
93.20 (2024, World Bank)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions
12.8 million (2023 est.)
Economy: Agricultural products
bananas, cassava, sweet potatoes, plantains, potatoes, maize, beans, pumpkins/squash, taro, sorghum (2023)
Economy: Budget: expenditures
$3.996 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Budget: revenues
$3.41 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2021
-$1.209 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2022
-$1.246 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2023
-$1.654 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2024
$-1.808 billion (2024, World Bank)
Economy: Debt - external: Debt - external 2023
$13.050 billion (2024, World Bank)
Economy: Exchange rates: Currency
Rwandan francs (RWF) per US dollar -
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2020
943.278 (2020 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2021
988.625 (2021 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2022
1,030.308 (2022 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2023
1,160.099 (2023 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2024
1,318.128 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exports - commodities
gold, rare earth ores, coffee, tea, tin ores (2023)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2021
$2.11 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2022
$2.993 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2023
$3.509 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2024
$3.529 billion (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: exports of goods and services
21.6% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: government consumption
15.1% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption
64.4% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: imports of goods and services
35.1% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in fixed capital
32.2% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in inventories
-3.2% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture
20.3% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: industry
22.0% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: services
52.3% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP - per capita (PPP)
$4,164 (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP (official exchange rate)
$16.372 billion (2025, World Bank)
Economy: GDP (purchasing power parity) - real
$51.848 billion (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016
43.7 (2016 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2024
39.40 (2023, World Bank)
Economy: Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%
33.4% (2023, World Bank)
Economy: Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
3.1% (2023, World Bank)
Economy: Imports - commodities
broadcasting equipment, fish, corn, packaged medicine, plastic products (2023)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2021
$3.856 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2022
$4.978 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2023
$5.783 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2024
$5.750 billion (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Industrial production growth rate
10% (2024 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
17.7% (2022 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
19.8% (2023 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
5.9% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Labor force
5,843,274 (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Population below poverty line
27.4% (2023, World Bank)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2016
37.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2023
48.4% of GDP (1992, World Bank)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
$39.485 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
$42.743 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
$51.848 billion (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2022
8.2% (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2023
8.2% (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024
9.4% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2022
$2,900 (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2023
$3,100 (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2021
3.5% of GDP (2021 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2022
3.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2023
3.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2024
3.4% of GDP (2024, World Bank)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
$1.726 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
$1.834 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
$1.963 billion (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Taxes and other revenues
18.7% of GDP (2023, World Bank)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2022
15.1% (2022 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2023
12.4% (2023 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024
11.4% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): female
18.4% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): male
14.6% (2025, World Bank)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total
16.4% (2025, World Bank)
Energy: Coal: consumption
123,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: imports
89,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - rural areas
65.2% (2024, World Bank)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - total population
72.0% (2024, World Bank)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - urban areas
88.0% (2024, World Bank)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: biomass and waste
0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels
43.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: hydroelectricity
52.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: solar
3.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: consumption
876.401 million kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: exports
8.674 million kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: imports
32 million kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: installed generating capacity
294,000 kW (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: transmission/distribution losses
197.606 million kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023
1.808 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: consumption
63.696 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: production
63.666 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: proven reserves
56.634 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: refined petroleum consumption
9,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from coal and metallurgical coke
226,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from consumed natural gas
124,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from petroleum and other liquids
1.295 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions
1.645 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Climate
temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible
Environment: Environmental issues
deforestation; overgrazing; land degradation; soil erosion; a decline in soil fertility (soil exhaustion); wetland degradation and loss of biodiversity; widespread poaching
Environment: 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
Environment: International environmental agreements: signed, but not ratified
Law of the Sea
Environment: Land use: agricultural land
76.3% (2023, World Bank)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
47.0% (2023, World Bank)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 13.7% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 15.6% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: forest
11.3% (2023, World Bank)
Environment: Land use: other
0% (2023 est.)
Environment: Particulate matter emissions
35.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Environment: Total renewable water resources
13.3 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: agricultural
361 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: industrial
10 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: municipal
230 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
3.07% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: urban population
30.9% (2025, World Bank)
Environment: Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually
4.385 million tons (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: percent of municipal solid waste recycled
11.5% (2022 est.)
Geography: Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Maryland
Geography: Area: land
24,668 sq km
Geography: Area: water
1,670 sq km
Geography: Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Geography: Elevation: highest point
Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m
Geography: Elevation: lowest point
Rusizi River 950 m
Geography: Elevation: mean elevation
1,598 m
Geography: Geographic coordinates
2 00 S, 30 00 E
Geography: Geography - note
landlocked; most of the country is intensively cultivated and rugged, with the population predominantly rural
Geography: Irrigated land
96 sq km (2012)
Geography: Land boundaries: border countries
Burundi 315 km; Democratic Republic of the Congo 221 km; Tanzania 222 km; Uganda 172 km
Geography: Land boundaries: total
930 km
Geography: Land use: agricultural land
76.3% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 47% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 13.7% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 15.6% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: forest
24.5% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: other
0% (2023 est.)
Geography: Major lakes (area sq km): fresh water lake(s)
Lake Kivu (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo) - 2,220 sq km
Geography: 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
Geography: Major watersheds (area sq km): Atlantic Ocean drainage
Congo (3,730,881 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)
Geography: Map references
Africa
Geography: Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Geography: 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: 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
Geography: Terrain
mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east
Government: 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)
Government: Capital: 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
Government: Capital: geographic coordinates
1 57 S, 30 03 E
Government: Capital: time difference
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by birth
no
Government: Citizenship: 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
Government: Citizenship: dual citizenship recognized
no
Government: Citizenship: residency requirement for naturalization
10 years
Government: Constitution: 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
Government: Constitution: history
several previous; latest adopted by referendum 26 May 2003, effective 4 June 2003
Government: Country name: conventional short form
Rwanda
Government: Country name: etymology
the country is named for a local people, but the meaning of their own name is obscure
Government: Country name: former
Kingdom of Rwanda, Ruanda, German East Africa
Government: Country name: local long form
Republika y'u Rwanda
Government: Country name: local short form
Rwanda
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Ambassador Eric KNEEDLER (since 3 October 2023)
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: email address and website
consularkigali@state.gov https://rw.usembassy.gov/
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy
2657 Avenue de la Gendarmerie (Kaciyiru), P. O. Box 28 Kigali
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: FAX
[250] 252 580-325
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: mailing address
2210 Kigali Place, Washington DC 20521-2210
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: telephone
[250] 252 596-400
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chancery
1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Ambassador Mathilde MUKANTABANA (since 18 July 2013)
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: email address and website
info@rwandaembassy.org https://rwandaembassy.org/
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX
[1] (202) 232-4544
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: telephone
[1] (202) 232-2882
Government: Executive branch: cabinet
Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Government: Executive branch: chief of state
President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000)
Government: Executive branch: 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%
Government: Executive branch: 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
Government: Executive branch: expected date of next election
15 July 2029
Government: Executive branch: head of government
Prime Minister Justin NSENGIYUMVA (since 23 July 2025)
Government: Executive branch: most recent election date
4 August 2017
Government: 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: International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Government: 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
Government: 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)
Government: Judicial branch: 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
Government: Judicial branch: subordinate courts
High Court of the Republic; commercial courts including the High Commercial Court; intermediate courts; primary courts; and military specialized courts
Government: Legal system
mixed system of civil law, based on German and Belgian models, and customary law; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: chamber name
Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Députés)
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: electoral system
proportional representation
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: expected date of next election
July 2029
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: most recent election date
7/15/2024 to 7/16/2024
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: number of seats
80 (53 directly elected; 27 indirectly elected)
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: 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)
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: percentage of women in chamber
63.8%
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: scope of elections
full renewal
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: term in office
5 years
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: chamber name
Senate (Sénat)
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: expected date of next election
September 2029
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: most recent election date
9/16/2024 to 9/16/2024
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: number of seats
26 (18 indirectly elected; 8 appointed)
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: percentage of women in chamber
53.8%
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: scope of elections
full renewal
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: term in office
5 years
Government: Legislative branch: legislative structure
bicameral
Government: Legislative branch: legislature name
Parlement (Parliament)
Government: National anthem(s): history
adopted 2001
Government: National anthem(s): lyrics/music
Faustin MURIGO/Jean-Bosco HASHAKAIMANA
Government: National color(s)
blue, yellow, green
Government: National heritage: selected World Heritage Site locales
Memorial sites of the Genocide: Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero (c); Nyungwe National Park (n)
Government: National heritage: total World Heritage Sites
2 (1 cultural, 1 natural)
Government: National holiday
Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Government: National symbol(s)
traditional woven basket with peaked lid
Government: 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
Government: Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Introduction: 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 and 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 and Security: 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: Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 30-35,000 active Rwanda Defense Forces (2025)
Military and Security: 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 and Security: 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: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2020
1.3% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2021
1.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2022
1.4% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2023
1.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2024
1.3% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2025
1.2% of GDP (2024, World Bank)
Military and Security: 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)
People and Society: Age structure: 0-14 years
37.0% (2025, World Bank)
People and Society: Age structure: 15-64 years
59.0% (2025, World Bank)
People and Society: Age structure: 65 years and over
4.0% (2025, World Bank)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: beer
0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: other alcohols
6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: spirits
0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: total
6.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: wine
0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Birth rate
28.06 (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Child marriage: men married by age 18
0.4% (2020)
People and Society: Child marriage: women married by age 15
0.3% (2020)
People and Society: Child marriage: women married by age 18
5.5% (2020)
People and Society: Children under the age of 5 years underweight
7.7% (2020 est.)
People and Society: Contraceptive prevalence rate
64.1% (2020, World Bank)
People and Society: Current health expenditure
5.1% of GDP (2023, World Bank)
People and Society: Currently married women (ages 15-49)
49.9% (2022 est.)
People and Society: Death rate
5.89 (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: elderly dependency ratio
5.1 (2024 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: potential support ratio
19.4 (2024 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio
67.5 (2024 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: youth dependency ratio
62.3 (2024 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: rural
rural: 60.1% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: total
61.4% (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: urban
urban: 88.1% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: rural
rural: 39.9% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: total
total: 34.9% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: urban
urban: 11.9% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP)
4.7% of GDP (2024 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% national budget)
13.9% national budget (2025 est.)
People and Society: Ethnic groups
Hutu, Tutsi, Twa
People and Society: Gross reproduction rate
1.58 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
7.3% of GDP (2021)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
9.5% of national budget (2022 est.)
People and Society: Hospital bed density
0.75 (2023, World Bank)
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: female
26.20 (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: male
32.30 (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: total
29.40 (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: 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.)
People and Society: Languages: major-language sample(s)
Inkoranya nzimbuzi y'isi, isoko fatizo y'amakuru y'ibanze. (Kinyarwanda) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: female
70.14 (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: male
65.71 (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Literacy: female
76.7% (2022, World Bank)
People and Society: Literacy: male
81.0% (2022, World Bank)
People and Society: Literacy: total population
78.8% (2022, World Bank)
People and Society: Major urban areas - population
1.248 million KIGALI (capital) (2023)
People and Society: Maternal mortality ratio
229.00 (2023, World Bank)
People and Society: Median age: female
21.5 years
People and Society: Median age: male
20.1 years
People and Society: Mother's mean age at first birth
23 years (2019/20 est.)
People and Society: Nationality: adjective
Rwandan
People and Society: Net migration rate
-0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Obesity - adult prevalence rate
5.8% (2016)
People and Society: Physician density
0.09 (2022, World Bank)
People and Society: Population
14,569,341 (2025, World Bank)
People and Society: 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
People and Society: Population growth rate
2.2% (2025, World Bank)
People and Society: Population: female
7,456,953 (2025, World Bank)
People and Society: Population: male
7,112,388 (2025, World Bank)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: rural
rural: 87% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: total
81.3% (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: urban
urban: 91.4% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: rural
rural: 13% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: total
total: 12.2% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: urban
urban: 8.6% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): female
13 years (2023 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): male
13 years (2023 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total
13 years (2023 est.)
People and Society: Sex ratio: 0-14 years
1.02 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 15-64 years
0.95 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 65 years and over
0.67 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: total population
0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: female
6.3% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: male
17% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: total
11.4% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Total fertility rate
3.65 (2024, World Bank)
People and Society: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
5.6% (2025, World Bank)
People and Society: Urbanization: urban population
30.9% (2025, World Bank)
Space: 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: Space agency/agencies
Rwanda Space Agency (L’Agence Spatiale Rwandaise; RSA; established 2020 and approved by legislature in 2021) (2025)
Space: 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)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs
625,000 (1998, UNHCR)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees
115,794 (2025, UNHCR)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: stateless persons
14,500 (2025, UNHCR)
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
Transportation: Airports
8 (2025)
Transportation: Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
9XR
Warning: Some information might be outdated or incorrect, please check statistics before using(most of the economical stats are correct, its mostly the Population stats that are incorrect). Some dates are listed but some are missed, if you have any issues please report it to the Github at github.com.