Map of Rwanda | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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 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 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 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 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.


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

Geographic coordinates: 2 00 S, 30 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 26,338 km²
Land: 24,668 km²
Water: 1,670 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries
Total: 930 km
Border countries: (4) Burundi 315 km; Democratic Republic of the Congo 221 km; Tanzania 222 km; Uganda 172 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

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

Elevation
Highest point: Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m
Lowest point: Rusizi River 950 m
Mean elevation: 1,598 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 74.5% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 47% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 10.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 17.4% (2018 est.)
Forest: 18% (2018 est.)
Other: 7.5% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 96 km² (2012)

Major rivers
By length in km:

Major watersheds area km²: Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 km²), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 km²)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 230 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 360 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 13.3 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga Mountains are in the northwest along the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo

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


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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 [link]: 13,400,541 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 1.68% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 38.2% (2016 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Rwandan(s)
Adjective: Rwandan

Ethnic groups: Hutu, Tutsi, Twa

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 samples:

Religions: 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.)

Demographic profile: 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 and 3.3 in 2022. 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.

Age structure
0-14 years: 37.95% (male 2,569,106/female 2,515,849)
15-64 years: 59.1% (male 3,844,259/female 4,075,978)
65 years and over: 2.95% (2023 est.) (male 158,647/female 236,702)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 72.5
Youth dependency ratio: 67.1
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.4
Potential support ratio: 18.4 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 20.5 years (2023 est.)
Male: 19.8 years
Female: 21.2 years

Population growth rate: 1.68% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 25.7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 5.8 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 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 [link]

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

Major urban areas
Population: 1.248 million KIGALI (capital) (2023)

Environment
Current issues: 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
International 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
International agreements signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 35.66 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 1.11 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 2.92 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

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

Maternal mortality ratio: 259 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 25.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 28.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 23.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 66.2 years (2023 est.)
Male: 64.2 years
Female: 68.2 years

Total fertility rate: 3.23 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 64.1% (2019/20)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 92.3% of population
Improved rural: 80.7% of population
Improved total: 82.7% of population
Unimproved urban: 7.7% of population
Unimproved rural: 19.3% of population
Unimproved total: 17.3% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure: 7.3% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 0.12 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Animal contact diseases: rabies

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 5.8% (2016)

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

Tobacco use
Total: 13.7% (2020 est.)
Male: 20.1% (2020 est.)
Female: 7.2% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 7.7% (2019/20)

Education expenditures: 3.8% of GDP (2021 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 75.9%
Male: 78.7%
Female: 73.3% (2021)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years
Male: 11 years
Female: 11 years (2019)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 2.9% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 2.2%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 3.6%


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Rwanda
Conventional short form: Rwanda
Local long form: Republika y'u Rwanda
Local short form: Rwanda
Former: Kingdom of Rwanda, Ruanda, German East Africa
Etymology: the name translates as "domain" in the native Kinyarwanda language

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Kigali
Geographic coordinates: 1 57 S, 30 03 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the city takes its name from nearby Mount Kigali; the name "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"

Administrative divisions: 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)

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

Constitution
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

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

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
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 popular -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 15 July 2024); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results:

Legislative branch
Description:
Elections:
Election results:

Judicial branch
Highest courts: 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

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: 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, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mathilde MUKANTABANA (since 18 July 2013)
In the us chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 232-2,882
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 232-4,544
In the us email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Eric KNEEDLER (since 3 October 2023)
From the us embassy: 2,657 Avenue de la Gendarmerie (Kaciyiru), P. O. Box 28 Kigali
From the us mailing address: 2,210 Kigali Place, Washington DC 20,521-2,210
From the us telephone: [250] 252 596-400
From the us FAX: [250] 252 580-325
From the us email address and website:

Flag description: 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

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

National anthem
Name: "Rwanda nziza" (Rwanda, Our Beautiful Country)
Lyrics/music: Faustin MURIGO/Jean-Bosco HASHAKAIMANA
Note: adopted 2001

National heritage


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Economy overview: fast-growing Sub-Saharan economy; major public investments; trade and tourism hit hard by COVID-19; increasing poverty after 2 decades of declines; Ugandan competition for regional influence; major coffee exporter; contested GDP figures

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
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.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 30.9% (2017 est.)
Industry: 17.6% (2017 est.)
Services: 51.5% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: bananas, sweet potatoes, cassava, potatoes, plantains, beans, maize, gourds, milk, taro

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

Industrial production growth rate: 13.4% (2021 est.)

Labor force: 6.776 million (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 2.9% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 2.2%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 3.6%

Population below poverty line: 38.2% (2016 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 43.7 (2016 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10%: 2.1%
Highest 10%: 43.2% (2011 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $2.393 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $2.919 billion (2019 est.)
Surplus  or deficit: -4.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 15.06% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Public debt:

Revenue
From forest resources: 3.75% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:

Exports:
Partners: United Arab Emirates 35%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 28%, Uganda 5% (2019)
Commodities: gold, refined petroleum, coffee, tea, tin (2019)

Imports:
Partners: China 17%, Kenya 10%, Tanzania 9%, United Arab Emirates 9%, India 7%, Saudi Arabia 5% (2019)
Commodities: refined petroleum, gold, raw sugar, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 5.8 million (2020)
Access electrification-total population: 48.7% (2021)
Access electrification-urban areas: 97.9% (2021)
Access electrification-rural areas: 38.1% (2021)
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.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 39% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 6.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 53.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
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.)

Petroleum
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.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 6,628 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
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.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 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.)

Energy consumption per capita: 1.704 million Btu/person (2019 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 10,327 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2021 est.) less than 1
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 10,902,989 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 81 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

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

Internet
Country code: .rw
Users total: 3.9 million (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 30% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 17,685 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.1 (2020 est.)


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Military expenditures:

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 (2023)

Military service age and obligation:

Space program
Overview: has a small program focused on developing and utilizing space technologies, such as satellite imagery for socioeconomic development and security purposes; operates communications and remote sensing (RS) satellites; the RSA is responsible for regulating and coordinating the country’s space activities and encouraging commercial and industrial development; has established ties with the space agencies or industries of several countries, including France, Israel, Japan, the UAE, and the US (2023)
Overview note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in space programs

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
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)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 9XR

Airports: 7 (2021)
With paved runways: 4
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
With unpaved runways: 3
With unpaved runways note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 4,700 km (2012)
Paved: 1,207 km (2012)
Unpaved: 3,493 km (2012)

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

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals
Lake ports: Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye (Lake Kivu)


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Disputes international:

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 79,606 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 48,300 (Burundi) (2023)
Stateless persons: 9,500 (2022)

Illicit drugs