Rwanda Facts, Map, Population, GDP

Capital

Kigali

Population

13,623,302 (2024 est.)

Area

26,338 sq km

Location

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

🧭 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.

🗺️ Geography

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

2 00 S, 30 00 E

Map references

Africa

Area — total

26,338 sq km

Area — land

24,668 sq km

Area — water

1,670 sq km

Area - comparative

Slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries — total

930 km

Land boundaries — border countries

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

Elevation — lowest point

Rusizi River 950 m

Elevation — mean elevation

1,598 m

Natural resources

Gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, hydropower, arable land

Land use — agricultural land

76.3% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 47% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 13.7% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 15.6% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

24.5% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

0% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

96 sq km (2012)

Major lakes (area sq km) — fresh water lake(s)

Lake Kivu (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo) - 2,220 sq km

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

Major watersheds (area sq km) — Atlantic Ocean drainage

Congo (3,730,881 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)

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

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 - note

Landlocked; most of the country is intensively cultivated and rugged, with the population predominantly rural

👥 People and Society⬆️ Top

Population — total

13,623,302 (2024 est.)

Population — male

6,684,655

Population — female

6,938,647

Nationality — noun

Rwandan(s)

Nationality — adjective

Rwandan

Ethnic groups

Hutu, Tutsi, Twa

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.)

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.

Religions

Catholic 39.9%, Pentecostal 21.3%, Protestant 14.6%, Adventist 12.2%, other Christians 4.2%, no religion 3.0%, Muslim 2.0%, other religions 2.0%; less than 1%: Jehovah Witness, not specified, Animist (2022 est.)

Age structure — 0-14 years

37.2% (male 2,561,884/female 2,508,218)

Age structure — 15-64 years

59.7% (male 3,954,608/female 4,179,844)

Age structure — 65 years and over

3.1% (2024 est.) (male 168,163/female 250,585)

Dependency ratios — total dependency ratio

67.5 (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios — youth dependency ratio

62.3 (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios — elderly dependency ratio

5.1 (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios — potential support ratio

19.4 (2024 est.)

Median age — total

21.3 years (2025 est.)

Median age — male

20.1 years

Median age — female

21.5 years

Population growth rate

2% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

25.05 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

4.87 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

-0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 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)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

3.07% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.248 million KIGALI (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio — at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 15-64 years

0.95 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 65 years and over

0.67 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

23 years (2019/20 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

229 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate — total

27.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate — male

27.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Infant mortality rate — female

22.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth — total population

66.6 years (2024 est.)

Life expectancy at birth — male

64.6 years

Life expectancy at birth — female

68.6 years

Total fertility rate

3.2 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.58 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: urban

Urban: 88.1% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: rural

Rural: 60.1% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: total

Total: 65.1% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: urban

Urban: 11.9% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: rural

Rural: 39.9% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: total

Total: 34.9% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

7.3% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

9.5% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

0.09 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Hospital bed density

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: urban

Urban: 91.4% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: rural

Rural: 87% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: total

Total: 87.8% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: urban

Urban: 8.6% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: rural

Rural: 13% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: total

Total: 12.2% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

5.8% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita — total

6.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — beer

0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — wine

0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — spirits

0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — other alcohols

6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use — total

11.4% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — male

17% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — female

6.3% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

7.7% (2020 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

49.9% (2022 est.)

Child marriage — women married by age 15

0.3% (2020)

Child marriage — women married by age 18

5.5% (2020)

Child marriage — men married by age 18

0.4% (2020)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% GDP)

4.7% of GDP (2024 est.)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% national budget)

13.9% national budget (2025 est.)

Literacy — total population

78.8% (2022 est.)

Literacy — male

81% (2022 est.)

Literacy — female

76.7% (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — total

13 years (2023 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — male

13 years (2023 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — female

13 years (2023 est.)

🌿 Environment⬆️ Top

Environmental issues

Deforestation; overgrazing; land degradation; soil erosion; a decline in soil fertility (soil exhaustion); wetland degradation and loss of biodiversity; widespread poaching

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

International environmental agreements — signed, but not ratified

Law of the Sea

Climate

Temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible

Land use — agricultural land

76.3% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 47% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 13.7% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 15.6% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

24.5% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

0% (2023 est.)

Urbanization — urban population

17.9% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

3.07% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — total emissions

1.645 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from coal and metallurgical coke

226,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from petroleum and other liquids

1.295 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from consumed natural gas

124,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

35.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Waste and recycling — municipal solid waste generated annually

4.385 million tons (2024 est.)

Waste and recycling — percent of municipal solid waste recycled

11.5% (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — municipal

230 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — industrial

10 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — agricultural

361 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total renewable water resources

13.3 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

🏛️ Government⬆️ Top

Country name — conventional long form

Republic of Rwanda

Country name — conventional short form

Rwanda

Country name — local long form

Republika y'u Rwanda

Country name — local short form

Rwanda

Country name — former

Kingdom of Rwanda, Ruanda, German East Africa

Country name — etymology

The country is named for a local people, but the meaning of their own name is obscure

Government type

Presidential republic

Capital — name

Kigali

Capital — geographic coordinates

1 57 S, 30 03 E

Capital — time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

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)

Legal system

Mixed system of civil law, based on German and Belgian models, and customary law; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts

Constitution — history

Several previous; latest adopted by referendum 26 May 2003, effective 4 June 2003

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

International law organization participation

Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship — citizenship by birth

No

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

Citizenship — dual citizenship recognized

No

Citizenship — residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch — chief of state

President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000)

Executive branch — head of government

Prime Minister Justin NSENGIYUMVA (since 23 July 2025)

Executive branch — cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

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

Executive branch — most recent election date

4 August 2017

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%

Executive branch — expected date of next election

15 July 2029

Legislative branch — legislature name

Parlement (Parliament)

Legislative branch — legislative structure

Bicameral

Legislative branch - lower chamber — chamber name

Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Députés)

Legislative branch - lower chamber — number of seats

80 (53 directly elected; 27 indirectly elected)

Legislative branch - lower chamber — electoral system

Proportional representation

Legislative branch - lower chamber — scope of elections

Full renewal

Legislative branch - lower chamber — term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - lower chamber — most recent election date

7/15/2024 to 7/16/2024

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)

Legislative branch - lower chamber — percentage of women in chamber

63.8%

Legislative branch - lower chamber — expected date of next election

July 2029

Legislative branch - upper chamber — chamber name

Senate (Sénat)

Legislative branch - upper chamber — number of seats

26 (18 indirectly elected; 8 appointed)

Legislative branch - upper chamber — scope of elections

Full renewal

Legislative branch - upper chamber — term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber — most recent election date

9/16/2024 to 9/16/2024

Legislative branch - upper chamber — percentage of women in chamber

53.8%

Legislative branch - upper chamber — expected date of next election

September 2029

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)

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

Judicial branch — subordinate courts

High Court of the Republic; commercial courts including the High Commercial Court; intermediate courts; primary courts; and military specialized courts

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

Diplomatic representation in the US — chief of mission

Ambassador Mathilde MUKANTABANA (since 18 July 2013)

Diplomatic representation in the US — chancery

1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

Diplomatic representation in the US — telephone

[1] (202) 232-2882

Diplomatic representation in the US — FAX

[1] (202) 232-4544

Diplomatic representation in the US — email address and website

Info@rwandaembassy.org https://rwandaembassy.org/

Diplomatic representation from the US — chief of mission

Ambassador Eric KNEEDLER (since 3 October 2023)

Diplomatic representation from the US — embassy

2657 Avenue de la Gendarmerie (Kaciyiru), P. O. Box 28 Kigali

Diplomatic representation from the US — mailing address

2210 Kigali Place, Washington DC 20521-2210

Diplomatic representation from the US — telephone

[250] 252 596-400

Diplomatic representation from the US — FAX

[250] 252 580-325

Diplomatic representation from the US — email address and website

Consularkigali@state.gov https://rw.usembassy.gov/

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

Independence

1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

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

National symbol(s)

Traditional woven basket with peaked lid

National color(s)

Blue, yellow, green

National anthem(s) — title

"Rwanda nziza" (Rwanda, Our Beautiful Country)

National anthem(s) — lyrics/music

Faustin MURIGO/Jean-Bosco HASHAKAIMANA

National anthem(s) — history

Adopted 2001

National heritage — total World Heritage Sites

2 (1 cultural, 1 natural)

National heritage — selected World Heritage Site locales

Memorial sites of the Genocide: Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero (c); Nyungwe National Park (n)

💹 Economy⬆️ Top

Economic overview

Low-income Sub-Saharan economy; services, industry, and agriculture sectors driving growth; increased government spending on human capital, energy, and healthcare; major infrastructure projects including the Bugesera Airport intended to support long-term growth; challenges include lack of economic diversification, high inflation, and wide current account deficit

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$46.543 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$42.743 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$39.485 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2024

8.9% (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2023

8.2% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2022

8.2% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2024

$3,300 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2023

$3,100 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2022

$2,900 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$14.252 billion (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

1.8% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

19.8% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

17.7% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — agriculture

24.6% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — industry

21% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — services

47.6% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — household consumption

64.9% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — government consumption

17.1% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in fixed capital

29.1% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in inventories

-3.2% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — exports of goods and services

30.8% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — imports of goods and services

-39.1% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products

Bananas, cassava, sweet potatoes, plantains, potatoes, maize, beans, pumpkins/squash, taro, sorghum (2023)

Industries

Cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes

Industrial production growth rate

10% (2024 est.)

Labor force

5.671 million (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2024

12% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2023

12.4% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2022

15.1% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — total

17.5% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — male

15.8% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — female

19.4% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

38.2% (2016 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income — Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016

43.7 (2016 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share — lowest 10%

2.4% (2016 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share — highest 10%

35.6% (2016 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2023

3.6% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2022

3.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2021

3.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Budget — revenues

$3.41 billion (2023 est.)

Budget — expenditures

$3.996 billion (2023 est.)

Public debt — Public debt 2016

37.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

13.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2023

-$1.654 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2022

-$1.246 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2021

-$1.209 billion (2021 est.)

Exports — Exports 2023

$3.509 billion (2023 est.)

Exports — Exports 2022

$2.993 billion (2022 est.)

Exports — Exports 2021

$2.11 billion (2021 est.)

Exports - partners

UAE 66%, China 10%, USA 3%, Kenya 3%, Thailand 2% (2023)

Exports - commodities

Gold, rare earth ores, coffee, tea, tin ores (2023)

Imports — Imports 2023

$5.783 billion (2023 est.)

Imports — Imports 2022

$4.978 billion (2022 est.)

Imports — Imports 2021

$3.856 billion (2021 est.)

Imports - partners

China 19%, Kenya 14%, Uganda 13%, Tanzania 9%, UAE 7% (2023)

Imports - commodities

Broadcasting equipment, fish, corn, packaged medicine, plastic products (2023)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$2.406 billion (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$1.834 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$1.726 billion (2022 est.)

Debt - external — Debt - external 2023

$5.531 billion (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Currency

Rwandan francs (RWF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2024

1,318.128 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2023

1,160.099 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2022

1,030.308 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2021

988.625 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2020

943.278 (2020 est.)

⚡ Energy⬆️ Top

Electricity access — electrification - total population

50.6% (2022 est.)

Electricity access — electrification - urban areas

98%

Electricity access — electrification - rural areas

38.2%

Electricity — installed generating capacity

294,000 kW (2023 est.)

Electricity — consumption

876.401 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — exports

8.674 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — imports

32 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — transmission/distribution losses

197.606 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — fossil fuels

43.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — solar

3.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — hydroelectricity

52.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — biomass and waste

0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal — consumption

123,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Coal — imports

89,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum — refined petroleum consumption

9,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Natural gas — production

63.666 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — consumption

63.696 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — proven reserves

56.634 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Energy consumption per capita — Total energy consumption per capita 2023

1.808 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

📡 Communications⬆️ Top

Telephones - fixed lines — total subscriptions

8,000 (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

Telephones - mobile cellular — total subscriptions

12.8 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

80 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

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

Internet country code

.rw

Internet users — percent of population

34% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — total

62,000 (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

🚚 Transportation⬆️ Top

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

9XR

Airports

8 (2025)

🛡️ Military and Security⬆️ Top

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 expenditures — Military Expenditures 2024

1.3% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2023

1.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2022

1.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2021

1.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2020

1.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

Approximately 30-35,000 active Rwanda Defense Forces (2025)

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 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)

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 - 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)

🛰️ Space⬆️ Top

Space agency/agencies

Rwanda Space Agency (L’Agence Spatiale Rwandaise; RSA; established 2020 and approved by legislature in 2021) (2025)

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)

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

🌐 Transnational Issues⬆️ Top

Refugees and internally displaced persons — refugees

128,561 (2024 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons — IDPs

21,948 (2024 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons — stateless persons

14,500 (2024 est.)

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