Map of Rwanda | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background:


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

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.)
Agricultural land forest: 18% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land other: 7.5% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 96 km² (2012)

Major rivers
By length in km: Nile river source (shared with Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt [m]) - 6,650 km
By length in km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

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 m³ (2020 est.)

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), located on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is the country's only historically active volcano

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


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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 population distribution map
Total: 13,623,302
Male: 6,684,655
Female: 6,938,647 (2024 est.)
Growth rate: 1.62% (2024 est.)
Below poverty line: 38.2% (2016 est.)
Below poverty line note: % of population with income below national poverty line

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: Inkoranya nzimbuzi y'isi, isoko fatizo y'amakuru y'ibanze. (Kinyarwanda); Gheos World Guide, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Christian 95.9% (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

Age structure
0-14 years: 37.2% (male 2,561,884/female 2,508,218)
15-64 years: 59.7% (male 3,954,608/female 4,179,844)
65 years and over: 3.1% (2024 est.) (male 168,163/female 250,585)

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: 20.8 years (2024 est.)
Male: 20.1 years
Female: 21.5 years

Population growth rate: 1.62% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 25 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 5.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: one of Africa's most densely populated countries; large concentrations tend to be in the central regions and along the shore of Lake Kivu in the west as shown in this population distribution map

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: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 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: 24.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 27.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 22.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 66.6 years (2024 est.)
Male: 64.6 years
Female: 68.6 years

Total fertility rate: 3.14 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 64.1% (2019/20)

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

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 89.1% of population
Improved rural: 83.2% of population
Improved total: 84.2% of population
Unimproved urban: 10.9% of population
Unimproved rural: 16.8% of population
Unimproved total: 15.8% of population (2020 est.)

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

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: 22% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 20.8% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 23.3% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment


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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 on 15 July 2,029); prime minister appointed by the president
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%

Legislative branch
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 30 September 2024), Chamber of Deputies - last held on 15 July 2024 (next to be held 31 July 2,029)
Elections results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 17, women 9, percentage women 34.6%, Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FPR 37, PSD 5, PL 5, DGPR 2, PDI 2, PS 2 composition - men 36, women 44, percentage women 55%; total Parliament percentage women 50%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: 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)
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: 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

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

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: info@rwandaembassy.org; [link]
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: consularkigali@state.gov; [link]

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
Total world heritage sites: 2 (1 cultural, 1 natural)
Selected world heritage site locales:


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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: $42.701 billion (2023 est.); $39.45 billion (2022 est.); $36.474 billion (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 8.24% (2023 est.); 8.16% (2022 est.); 10.86% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: $3,000 (2023 est.); $2,900 (2022 est.); $2,700 (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 75.3% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 16.6% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 27.1% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: -3.8% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 25.4% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -40.6% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 27.1% (2023 est.)
Industry: 21.5% (2023 est.)
Services: 44.3% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Agriculture products: bananas, cassava, sweet potatoes, potatoes, plantains, maize, beans, pumpkins/squash, taro, sorghum (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

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

Industrial production growth rate: 10.25% (2023 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 5.283 million (2023 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 14.93% (2023 est.); 15.09% (2022 est.); 15.79% (2021 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 22% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 20.8% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 23.3% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Population below poverty line: 38.2% (2016 est.)
Note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $2.676 billion (2020 est.)
Expenditures: $2.191 billion (2020 est.)
Note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 15.07% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Public debt: 40.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

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

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 19.79% (2023 est.); 17.69% (2022 est.); -0.39% (2021 est.)
Note: annual % change based on 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: -$1.654 billion (2023 est.); -$1.246 billion (2022 est.); -$1.209 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Exports: $3.509 billion (2023 est.); $2.993 billion (2022 est.); $2.11 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: UAE 32%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 25%, Thailand 5%, US 3%, Ethiopia 3% (2022)
Partners note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Commodities: gold, tin ores, coffee, malt extract, rare earth ores (2022)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $5.783 billion (2023 est.); $4.978 billion (2022 est.); $3.856 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: China 19%, Tanzania 11%, Kenya 10%, UAE 10%, India 7% (2022)
Partners note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Commodities: refined petroleum, gold, palm oil, rice, raw sugar (2022)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.834 billion (2023 est.); $1.726 billion (2022 est.); $1.867 billion (2021 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Debt external: $4.254 billion (2022 est.)
Note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 50.6% (2022 est.)
Access electrification urban areas: 98%
Access electrification rural areas: 38.2%
Installed generating capacity: 273,000 kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 861.285 million kWh (2022 est.)
Exports: 9 million kWh (2022 est.)
Imports: 31 million kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 140.605 million kWh (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 45.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources solar: 1.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 52.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Coal
Consumption: 41,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
Imports: 64,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 9,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 60.145 million m³ (2022 est.)
Consumption: 59.715 million m³ (2022 est.)
Proven reserves: 56.634 billion m³ (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 1.442 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 77,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 1.249 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 116,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 1.659 million Btu/person (2022 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 10,000 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 11.002 million (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 80 (2022 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 1.4% of GDP (2023 est.); 1.4% of GDP (2022 est.); 1.4% of GDP (2021 est.); 1.3% of GDP (2020 est.); 1.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military and security forces: Rwanda Defense Force (RDF; Ingabo z’u Rwanda): Rwanda Army (Rwanda Land Force), Rwanda Air Force (Force Aerienne Rwandaise, FAR), Rwanda Reserve Force, Special Units; Ministry of Internal Security: Rwanda National Police (2024)

Military service age and obligation: 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 professional (2024)
Note: as of 2022, women comprised approximately 6% of the Rwanda Defense Force

Space program

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: 8 (2024)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 7,797 km
Paved: 2,652 km
Unpaved: 5,145 km (2024)

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

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 79,720 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 48,533 (Burundi) (2024)
Stateless persons: 9,500 (2022)

Illicit drugs