Demographics of Rwanda

Demographic features of the population of Rwanda include population density, ethnicity, education higher level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects.

Rwanda's population density, even after the 1994 genocide, is among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa at 500 PD/km2. This country has few villages, and nearly every family lives in a self-contained compound on a hillside. The urban concentrations are grouped around administrative centers.

Over half of the adult population is literate, but no more than 5% have received secondary education.

Ethnic groups
The Rwandan population largely consists of three ethnic groups. The Hutus, who comprise the majority of the population (85%), are farmers of Bantu origin. The Tutsis (14% before the Genocide, probably less than 10% now) are a pastoral people who arrived in the area in the 15th century. Until 1959, they formed the dominant caste under a feudal system based on cattleholding.

The Twa (pygmies) (1%) are thought to be the remnants of the earliest settlers of the region.

Population
In 1950, Rwanda had a very narrow population pyramid, with less than 250,000 males and females between 0–10 years old. The graph only gets narrower as it goes up with virtually no-one living past 50 years of age. In 2017, we see the population of Rwanda increase dramatically from 1950 with about 750,000 people between 0–20 years old, the graph remains very narrow in the older ages section but has improved from 1950. By 2050, it is predicted that more people will be living longer and the structure will broaden overall. By 2100, it is predicted that there will be more people aged between 30 and 60 than between 0–20 as previous years have shown.

According to the total population was  in, compared to only 2,072,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 42.6%, 54.7% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 2.7% was 65 years or older .

Structure of the population
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2012) (Data refer to national projections.):

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2019) (Projections based on the 2012 Population Census.):

Vital statistics
Registration of vital events is in Rwanda not complete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates.

Fertility and Births
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):

Fertility data as of 2014–15 (DHS Program):

Life expectancy
Source: UN

Other demographic statistics
Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2024.


 * One birth every 1.27 minutes
 * One death every 6.37 minutes
 * One net migrant every 57.6 minutes
 * Net gain of one person every 1.63 minutes

The following demographics are from the CIA World Factbook unless otherwise indicated.

Population

 * 13,173,730 (2022 est.)
 * 12,187,400 (July 2018 est.)
 * 11,901,484 (July 2017 est.)

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.)

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% (2020 est.) (male 134,648/female 201,710)


 * 0–14 years: 40.98% (male 2,521,169 / female 2,473,055)
 * 15–24 years: 19.45% (male 1,187,249 / female 1,183,278)
 * 25–54 years: 32.93% (male 1,903,087 / female 2,109,839)
 * 55–64 years: 4.15% (male 225,273 / female 280,545)
 * 65 years and over: 2.49% (male 120,952 / female 182,953) (2018 est.)

Birth rate

 * 26.44 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 42nd
 * 29.8 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 39th

Death rate

 * 5.86 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 166th
 * 6.3 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 154th

Total fertility rate

 * 3.33 children born/woman (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 42nd
 * 3.75 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 41st

Population growth rate

 * 1.74% (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 53rd
 * 2.3% (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 34th
 * 2.45% (2017 est.)

Median age

 * Total: 19.7 years. Country comparison to the world: 199th
 * Male: 18.9 years
 * Female: 20.4 years (2020 est.)


 * Total: 19.2 years. Country comparison to the world: 200th
 * Male: 18.5 years
 * Female: 20 years (2018 est.)


 * Total: 19 years
 * Male: 18.3 years
 * Female: 19.8 years (2017 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

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

Contraceptive prevalence rate

 * 53.2% (2014/15)

Net migration rate

 * -3.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 182nd
 * 0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) Country comparison to the world: 68th

Dependency ratios

 * total dependency ratio: 77.3 (2015 est.)
 * youth dependency ratio: 72.4 (2015 est.)
 * elderly dependency ratio: 5 (2015 est.)
 * potential support ratio: 20.1 (2015 est.)

Urbanization

 * urban population: 17.7% of total population (2022)
 * rate of urbanization: 3.07% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)


 * urban population: 17.2% of total population (2018)
 * rate of urbanization: 2.86% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 65.85 years. Country comparison to the world: 199th male: 63.89 years female: 67.86 years (2022 est.)


 * total population: 64.5 years (2018 est.)
 * male: 62.6 years (2018 est.)
 * female: 66.5 years (2018 est.)


 * total population: 64.3 years
 * male: 62.3 years
 * female: 66.3 years (2017 est.)

Major infectious diseases

 * degree of risk: very high (2020)
 * food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
 * vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
 * animal contact diseases: rabies

Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15–64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.70 male(s)/female

total population: 1.00 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Nationality
noun: Rwandan(s)/Rwandese

adjective: Rwandan/Rwandese

85% Hutu, 14% Tutsi, 1% Twa.

Languages

 * Kinyarwanda only (official universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%
 * Kinyarwanda and other language(s) 6.2%
 * French (official) and other language(s) 0.1%
 * English (official) and other language(s) 0.1%
 * Swahili (or Kiswahili used in commercial centers) 0.02%
 * Other 0.03%
 * Unspecified 0.3% (2002 est.)

Education expenditure
3.4% of GDP (2020) Country comparison to the world: 133rd

Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
 * total population: 73.2%
 * male: 77.6%
 * female: 69.4% (2018)


 * total population: 70.5%
 * male: 73.2%
 * female: 68% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

 * total: 11 years (2017)
 * male: 11 years (2017)
 * female: 11 years (2017)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

 * total: 1.9% (2014 est.)
 * male: 1.4% (2014 est.)
 * female: 2.5% (2014 est.)