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. The majority Hutu and minority Tutsi have long shared a common language and culture, and intermarriage was not rare. The Rwandan royal court centered on the Tutsi king (mwami), who relied on an extensive hierarchy of political, cultural, and economic relationships that intertwined Rwanda’s ethnic and social groups. Social categories became more rigid during the reign of RWABUGIRI (1860-1895), who focused on aggressive expansion and solidifying Rwanda’s bureaucratic structures. German colonial rule began in 1898, but Belgian forces captured Rwanda in 1916 during World War I. Both European nations quickly realized the benefits of ruling through the already centralized Rwandan kingdom. Colonial rule reinforced existing trends toward autocratic and exclusionary rule, leading to the elimination of traditional positions of authority for Hutus and a calcification of ethnic identities. Belgian administrators significantly increased requirements for communal labor and instituted harsh taxes, increasing frustration and inequality. Changing political attitudes in Belgium contributed to colonial and Catholic officials shifting their support from Tutsi to Hutu leaders in the years leading up to independence.

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: Nile river source (shared with Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt [m]) - 6,650 km

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

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 61.4 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Industrial: 20.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 102 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 13.3 billion cubic meters (2017 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

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 : 12,943,132 (July 2021 est.)
Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
Growth rate: 1.8% (2021 est.)
Below poverty line: 38.2% (2016 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Rwandan(s)
Adjective: Rwandan

Ethnic groups: Hutu, Tutsi, Twa (Pygmy)

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

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 74.2
Youth dependency ratio: 68.8
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.4
Potential support ratio: 18.4 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 19.7 years
Male: 18.9 years
Female: 20.4 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.8% (2021 est.)

Birth rate: 27.18 births/1000 population (2021 est.)

Death rate: 5.95 deaths/1000 population (2021 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.27 migrant(s)/1000 population (2021 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

Urbanization
Urban population: 17.6% of total population (2021)
Rate of urbanization: 3.07% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 1.170 million KIGALI (capital) (2021)

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: 40.75 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 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
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.81 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 22.7 years (2014/15 est.)
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-49

Maternal mortality ratio: 248 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 27.16 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 29.73 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 24.52 deaths/1000 live births (2021 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 65.48 years
Male: 63.55 years
Female: 67.47 years (2021 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.42 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 53.2% (2014/15)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 92% of population
Improved rural: 76.9% of population
Improved total: 79.5% of population
Unimproved urban: 8% of population
Unimproved rural: 23.1% of population
Unimproved total: 20.5% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 7.5% (2018)

Physicians density: 0.13 physicians/1000 population (2018)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 88.4% of population
Improved rural: 79.4% of population
Improved total: 80.9% of population
Unimproved urban: 11.6% of population
Unimproved rural: 20.6% of population
Unimproved total: 19.1% of population (2017 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 2.5% (2020 est.)
People living with hivaids: 220,000 (2020 est.)
Deaths: 2,500 (2020 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2020)
Food or water borne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vector borne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Animalcontactdiseases: rabies

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 5.8% (2016)

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

Education expenditures: 3.4% of GDP (2020)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 73.2%
Male: 77.6%
Female: 69.4% (2018)

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

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 20.5%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 18.8%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 22.4% (2019 est.)

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

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)

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 descentonly: 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 and appointments: president directly elected by simple majority vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); note - a constitutional amendment approved in December 2016 reduced the presidential term from 7 to 5 years but included an exception that allowed President KAGAME to serve another 7-year term in 2017, potentially followed by two additional 5-year terms; election last held on 4 August 2017 (next to be held in August 2024); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Paul KAGAME reelected president; Paul KAGAME (RPF) 98.8%, Philippe MPAYIMANA (independent) 0.7%, Frank HABINEZA (DGPR)0.5%

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 in 2,027)
Chamber of Deputies - last held on 3 September 2018 (next to be held in September 2023)
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: Democratic Green Party of Rwanda or DGPR [Frank HABINEZA]
Liberal Party or PL [Donatille MUKABALISA]
Party for Progress and Concord or PPC [Dr. Alivera MUKABARAMBA]
Party Imberakuri or PS-Imberakuri [Christine MUKABUNANI]
Rwandan Patriotic Front or RPF [Paul KAGAME]
Rwandan Patriotic Front Coalition (includes RPF, PPC) [Paul KAGAME]
Social Democratic Party or PSD [Vincent BIRUTA]

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, UNAMID, 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 Peter H. VROOMAN (since 5 April 2018)
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 and music: Faustin MURIGO/Jean-Bosco HASHAKAIMANA
Note: adopted 2001

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

Real gdp growth rate: 6.1% (2017 est.)

6% (2016 est.)

8.9% (2015 est.)

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

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: 4.2% (2017 est.)

Labor force: 6.227 million (2017 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 75.3%
By occupation industry: 6.7%
By occupation services: 18% (2012 est.)

Unemployment rate: 2.7% (2014 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 20.5%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 18.8%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 22.4% (2019 est.)

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

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

51.3 (2010 est.)

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

Budget
Revenues: $1.943 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $2.337 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: $-4.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 21.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt: 40.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

37.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

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

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.3% (2019 est.)

-0.3% (2018 est.)

8.4% (2017 est.)

Current account balance: -$622 million (2017 est.)

-$1.336 billion (2016 est.)

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

$2.04 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Partners: United Arab Emirates 35%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 28%, Uganda 5% (2019)
Commodities: gold, refined petroleum, coffee, tea, tin (2019)

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

$3.34 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
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: $997.6 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.104 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt external: $3.258 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$2.611 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 53% (2019)
Access electrification urban areas: 76% (2019)
Access electrification rural areas: 48% (2019)
Production: 525 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption: 527.3 million kWh (2016 est.)
Exports: 4 million kWh (2015 est.)
Imports: 42 million kWh (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 191,000 kW (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 42% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 51% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources: 7% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products consumption: 6,700 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 6,628 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Proven reserves: 56.63 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 11,671 (2020)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 10,614,408 (2020)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 81.95 (2020 est.)

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: 4.12 million (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 21.77% (2019 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 17,685 (2020)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2020 est.)

Military expenditures: 1.3% of GDP (2020)

1.2% of GDP (2019)

1.2% of GDP (2018)

1.2% of GDP (2017)

1.2% of GDP (2016)

Military and security forces: Rwanda Defense Force (RDF): Rwanda Army (Rwanda Land Force), Rwanda Air Force (Force Aerienne Rwandaise, FAR), Rwanda Reserve Force (2021)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; Rwandan citizenship is required; enlistment is either as contract (5-years, renewable twice) or career (2019)

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
Total: 7 (2013)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2019)
With unpaved runways total: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2013)

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

Waterways: (Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft) (2011)

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

Disputes international: Burundi and Rwanda dispute two km² (0.8 sq mi) of Sabanerwa, a farmed area in the Rukurazi Valley where the Akanyaru/Kanyaru River shifted its course southward after heavy rains in 1965; fighting among ethnic groups - loosely associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces in Great Lakes region transcending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC), Rwanda, and Uganda - abated substantially from a decade ago due largely to UN peacekeeping, international mediation, and efforts by local governments to create civil societies; nonetheless, 57,000 Rwandan refugees still reside in 21 African states, including Zambia, Gabon, and 20,000 who fled to Burundi in 2005 and 2006 to escape drought and recriminations from traditional courts investigating the 1994 massacres; the 2005 DROC and Rwanda border verification mechanism to stem rebel actions on both sides of the border remains in place

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 77,252 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 47,905 (Burundi) (2021)