National Identity
- Official name
- Republic of Rwanda
- Official name (in Kinyarwanda)
- Repubulika y’u Rwanda
- Official name (in French)
- République du Rwanda
- Official name (in Swahili)
- Jamhuri ya Rwanda
- Name etymology
the country is named for a local people, but the meaning of their own name is obscure
Sources:- Official Gazette n° Special of 04/08/2023 - Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda ↗ - Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning
- The World Factbook: Rwanda - CIA
- National seal
- National flag
As published by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Rwanda The National Flag comprises the following colours: from bottom to top a green stripe, followed by a yellow stripe both of which cover half the flag. The upper half is blue and bears on its right-hand side the image of the sun with its rays of golden yellow. The sun and its rays are separated by a blue ring.
As published in EnglishSource:- minijust.gov.rw ↗ - the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Rwanda
- National anthem
- Rwanda nziza2:19
- Title (in Kinyarwanda)
- Rwanda nziza
- Title (in English, translated)
- Rwanda, Our Beautiful Country
- Lyrics
1Rwanda nziza gihugu cyacu Wuje imisozi, ibiyaga n’ibirunga Ngobyi iduhetse gahorane ishya. Rekatukurate tukuvuge ibigwi Wowe utubumbiye hamwe twese Abanyarwanda uko watubyaye Berwa, sugira, singizwa iteka.
2Horana Imana murage mwiza Ibyo tugukesha ntibishyikirwa: Umuco dusangiye uraturanga Ururimi rwacu rukaduhuza Ubwenge, umutima, amaboko yacu Nibigukungahaze bikwiye Nuko utere imbere ubutitsa.
3Abakurambere b’intwari Bitanze batizigama Baraguhanga uvamo ubukombe Utsinda ubukoroni na mpatsebihugu Byayogoje Afurika yose None uraganje mu bwigenge Tubikomeyeho uko turi twese.
4Komeza imihigo rwanda dukunda Duhagurukiye kukwitangira Ngo amahoro asabe mu bagutuye Wishyire wizane muri byose Urangwe n’ishyaka, utere imbere Uhamye umubano n’amahanga yose Maze ijabo ryawe riguhe ijambo.
Source: - Citizens
- Rwandans
- Official name:Official Gazette n° Special of 04/08/2023 - Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda ↗ - Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Rwanda - CIA
- National flag:minijust.gov.rw ↗ - the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Rwanda
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Central Africa, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, north of Burundi
- Total area
- 26,338 km²
- Land area
- 24,668 km²
- Water area
- 1,670 km²
- Land borders
- 930 km(4 countries)Source:
- The World Factbook: Rwanda - CIA
- Coastline
- 0 km(Landlocked)
- Terrain
Mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east - Mean elevation
- 1,598 m
- Highest point
- 4,519 mVolcan Karisimbi
- Lowest point
- 950 mRusizi River
- Climate
Temperate two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible - Avg. temperature
- 19.5 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 15.3 to 24.2 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 1,475 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 24.2 19.5 15.3 144 February 24.8 19.8 15.5 133 March 24.4 19.6 15.4 179 April 23.7 19.2 15.5 199 May 23.6 19.3 15.5 112 June 24 19.4 15.1 32 July 24.6 19.6 15 13 August 25.1 20.1 15.6 43 September 25 19.9 15.5 87 October 24.2 19.4 15.4 173 November 23.4 18.9 15.1 195 December 23.7 19 15 166 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Rwanda - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable47.0%Perm. crops13.7%Pasture15.6%Forest24.5%
- Arable land
- 1,159,071 hectares (47.0%)
- Permanent crops
- 338,000 hectares (13.7%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 386,060 hectares (15.6%)
- Forest
- 605,510 hectares (24.5%)
- Other land
- 0 hectares (0.0%)
Source: - Major lakes
- Lake Kivu2,220 km²
- Natural hazards2026
- Epidemics6.3High#44/191Drought4.2Medium#64/191Earthquakes4.0Medium#88/191River floods2.7Low#135/191Tsunamis0.0Very lowTropical cyclones0.0Very lowCoastal floods0.0Very low
Scores out of 10, ranks out of 191 countries.
Source:- INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Mean elevation, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate, Major rivers, Major lakes:The World Factbook: Rwanda - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
- Natural hazards:INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
Demographics
- Population change2026
- +2.20% per year+320,353 people/yearWorld Rank33rdof 237
- Birth rate
- 27.5 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 5.8 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- −0.5 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 20.2 yearsWorld Rank198thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years36.7%15-64 years59.2%65 years +4.1%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 4.1%
- Share aged under 18
- 43.1%
- Total dependency ratio
- 69
- Youth dependency ratio
- 62
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 7
- Sex ratio
- 0.96 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 0.2% 0.3% 70-79 0.7% 1.1% 60-69 1.6% 2.1% 50-59 2.4% 3.0% 40-49 4.9% 5.3% 30-39 6.5% 6.7% 20-29 8.7% 9.0% 10-19 11.1% 11.1% 0-9 12.7% 12.5% - 2026
- 1.44 above the replacement level for Rwanda ()3.54 births per womanreplacement 2.101234World Rank38thof 237
- 1.65 daughters per woman0.65 above replacement, long-run each generation larger than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.52
- 2026
- +21.7 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 21.7 more births than deaths a year
- 2026
- −0.5 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 31.9% live in cities4,755,433 urban residents
- Largest cities2012latest available
- Kigali, Gisenyi, Ruhengeri, ButareRankCity or Urban LocalityPopulation (2012 census)1Kigali859,3322Gisenyi149,2093Ruhengeri68,9304Butare50,2205Gitarama49,0386Byumba34,5447Cyangugu27,4168Nyanza25,4179Bugarama24,67910Kayonza21,482Source:
- National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (2012 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- 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.
- Ethnic groups
- Hutu, Tutsi, Twa
- Religions2022
- Catholic39.9%Pentecostal21.3%Protestant14.6%Adventist12.2%Other Christian4.2%None3.0%Muslim2.0%Other religion2.0%
Jehovah Witness, not specified, and Animist each account for less than 1%.
Source:- The World Factbook: Rwanda - CIA
- Languages
- Kinyarwanda (Ikinyarwanda), French (Français), English, Swahili (Kiswahili)
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Largest cities:National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (2012 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Rwanda - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- RepublicThe President of the Republic is elected for a five-year term and may be re-elected once; the Constitution leaves the electoral procedure to an organic law (Arts. 100, 101).
- System of government
- Semi-presidentialThe President appoints and dismisses the Prime Minister with no parliamentary investiture; a no-confidence vote can force the whole Cabinet's resignation, and the President may dissolve the Chamber of Deputies on serious national matters after consultations (Arts. 116, 130, 133).Source:
- Territorial organisation
- Unitary
- Official websites
- Capital
- Kigali1.7 million people(2022)
- National holidays
- 19 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- FriJan 2Day after New Year's Day
- SunFeb 1National Heroes' Day
- MonFeb 2National Heroes' Day (observed)
- FriMar 20Eid al-Fitr (estimated)
- FriApr 3Good Friday
- MonApr 6Easter Monday
- TueApr 7Memorial Day of Genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi in 1994
- FriMay 1Labor Day
- WedMay 27Eid al-Adha (estimated)
- WedJul 1Independence Day
- SatJul 4Liberation Day
- MonJul 6Liberation Day (observed)
- FriAug 7Umuganura Day
- SatAug 15Assumption Day
- MonAug 17Assumption Day (observed)
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
- SatDec 26Boxing Day
- MonDec 28Boxing Day (observed)
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- CATCentral Africa TimeUTC+2
- Currency
- Rwandan Franc (RWF)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information
- Calling code
- +250
- Internet TLD
- .rw
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- RW, RWA
- Infrastructure
- Passengers carried
- 1,561,562 by the country's airlines(2019)
- Aircraft departures
- 19,419 by the country's airlines(2019)
- Air freight
- 0 million tonne-km(2019)
- Aircraft registration prefix
- 9XR
Sources:- The World Factbook: Rwanda - CIA
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Flag carrier
- RwandAirState-owned
- 2025
- 58 / 100World Rank41stof 182
Significant improverUp 9 points since 2014, when it scored 49.
Confidence intervalCorruption index score by year Year Score Lower bound Upper bound 2012 53 42 63 2013 53 44 62 2014 49 44 54 2015 54 43 65 2016 54 46 62 2017 55 45 65 2018 56 46 66 2019 53 45.2 60.8 2020 54 48.4 59.6 2021 53 47.1 58.9 2022 51 46.4 55.6 2023 53 49.4 56.6 2024 57 52.7 61.3 2025 58 53.4 62.6 Source:- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation:Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda, consolidated text, Official Gazette n° Special of 04/08/2023 ↗ - Ministry of Justice of Rwanda
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Rwanda - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Corruption Perceptions Index:Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
Economy
- Low income
- GDP growth (real)2026
- +7.4% per yearWorld Rank8thof 195
- GDP per capita (PPP)2026
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $1,290 (179th in the world)
Source:- 2025
- Services52.3% of GDPIndustry22% of GDPAgriculture20.3% of GDPManufacturing8.3%part of industry
- Households
- +64.4%
- Government
- +15.1%
- Investment
- +34.1%
- Exports
- +21.6%
- Imports
- −35.1%
The shape of the economyGDP by end useSource:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Inflation2026
- 12.3%up 5.3 percentage points5.3pp from 2025
- Labor force2024
- 5.7 million (40% of population)World Rank78thof 187
- Labor force participation2024
- 63.5% of people aged 15+
- Unemployment2024
- 11.3%
- Youth unemployment2024
- 16.6% ages 15 to 24
- Labor productivity2024
- $6.1 per hour worked at PPP
- Budget balance2026
- 3.6% of GDP deficit
- Current account
- 10.5% of GDP, $2 billion deficit
Source: - Debt2024
- Central government debt67.2% of GDPInterest on debt2.4% of GDP
- Trade2024
- Goods$3.2 billion74.8%
- Services$1.1 billion25.2%
- Total exports
- $4.3 billion
- Change from 2023
- up 22 percent on the previous year22%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: Rwanda - CIA
- 2024
- −1.08World Rank120thof 145
- Projected GDP growth
- +4.3% a year over the next 10 years
Source:- Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products2024
- Bananas, Beans (dry), Sweet potatoes, and 7 more
- 1Bananas21.4×
- 2Beans (dry)19.3×
- 3Sweet potatoes18.8×
- 4Taro13.7×
- 5Squash and gourds (including pumpkins)9.5×
- 6Tea leaves6×
- 7Cassava (fresh)4.7×
- 8Sorghum3.6×
- 9Potatoes2.6×
- 10Maize (corn)0.6×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Industries
- cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes
- Income level, GDP by sector, Trade:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- GDP (nominal), GDP growth (real), GDP per capita (PPP), Inflation, Budget balance:IMF World Economic Outlook ↗
- Labor force, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Youth unemployment, Labor productivity:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Debt:IMF Global Debt Database ↗
- Debt:IMF Public Finances in Modern History ↗
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Rwanda - CIA
- Economic Complexity Index:Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products:FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Cost of Living
- Cost of living index
- Loading
- Monthly costs (excluding rent)
- Loading
- Rent
- Loading
- Buying an apartment
- Loading
- Average gross salary2024
- RWF 69,851 per month$53 (USD), $193 (PPP)
- Median
- RWF 35,000 per month($27)
- Men
- RWF 83,062 per month($63)
- Women
- RWF 53,288 per month($40)
Source:- ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- 2024
- RWF 2,600 per month, gross$2 (USD), $7 (PPP)
- Share of the average gross salary
- 4%
Source:- ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Average gross salary, Minimum wage:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
Society
- 2023
- 0.578MediumWorld Rank159thof 193RwandaWorld
Human Development Index by year Year Rwanda World 1995 0.294 0.625 1996 0.297 0.631 1997 0.295 0.636 1998 0.304 0.641 1999 0.317 0.646 2000 0.340 0.651 2001 0.370 0.657 2002 0.385 0.662 2003 0.398 0.669 2004 0.417 0.675 2005 0.433 0.681 2006 0.452 0.688 2007 0.467 0.694 2008 0.479 0.698 2009 0.493 0.701 2010 0.504 0.707 2011 0.512 0.713 2012 0.521 0.717 2013 0.499 0.721 2014 0.525 0.726 2015 0.525 0.731 2016 0.534 0.735 2017 0.539 0.739 2018 0.540 0.741 2019 0.550 0.745 2020 0.555 0.742 2021 0.562 0.742 2022 0.570 0.752 2023 0.578 0.756 Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- 2023
- 39.4
- Mean years of schooling2023
- 4.9 years
- Expected for a child today
- 12.6 years
Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Literacy2022
- 78.8% of adults
- Education expenditure2024
- 4.6% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 14.2%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users2024
- 31.7% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 45%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2024
- 13.3 million
- Fixed telephone lines
- 9,255
- Fixed broadband
- 0.6 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership2017
- 1% of adults
- Debit-card ownership
- 5%
- Account at a bank or mobile-money provider
- 50%
- Mobile-money account
- 31%
- Made or received a digital payment
- 39%
Source:- Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted2025
- 115,244 people
- Asylum seekers
- 15,020
- Stateless persons
- 14,500
- Internally displaced persons
- 81All due to disasters
- Refugees from Rwanda abroad
- 246,504
Sources:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Inbound tourists2021latest available
- 480,000 arrivalsdown 69% against 201969% below 2019Official tourism site
- Per resident
- 3.6 arrivals per 100 residents
- Same-day visitors
- 30,000 arrivals
- $710.6 million(2023)
- Share of GDP
- 0.9% tourism direct GDP(2020, latest available)
- $387.8 million(2023)
- Hotel beds
- 33,275
Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2021A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.
Source:- UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- 2 sites1 cultural1 natural
Site Type Memorial sites of the Genocide: Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero Cultural Nyungwe National Park Natural Source:- The World Factbook: Rwanda - CIA
- Human Development Index, Mean years of schooling:Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Income inequality (Gini), Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Literacy:UIS Data Browser ↗ - UNESCO Institute for Statistics
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership:Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Refugees hosted:Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Inbound tourists:UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites:The World Factbook: Rwanda - CIA
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Active humanitarian crisisAug 2026
- None - no active crisis
- Homicide rate2020
- Medium by global standards3.6 per 100,000 peopleWorld Rank43rdof 115
- Crime rates
- 5 offence categories
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Homicide (victims) 3.6 472 2020 Serious assault 29.7 3,299 2013 Sexual violence 15.6 1,734 2013 Kidnapping 0.2 21 2013 Burglary 21.8 2,365 2012 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population2022
- 620.5 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 84,710
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Active humanitarian crisis:INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Homicide rate, Crime rates, Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 68.5 years
- Health expenditure2023
- 5.1% of GDP$53 per person
- Physicians2022
- 0.09 per 1,000 population
- Hospital beds2023
- 0.8 per 1,000 population
- Infant mortality2026
- 24.6 per 1,000 live births
- Maternal mortality2023
- 229 per 100,000 live births
- Alcohol consumption2022
- 6.5 litres of pure alcohol per adult per year
- Tobacco use2020
- 13.3% of adults
- Men
- 19.3%
- Women
- 7.3%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Road traffic deaths2019
- 29.4 per 100,000 population
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Health expenditure, Physicians, Hospital beds, Road traffic deaths:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Maternal mortality:Maternal mortality estimates ↗ - UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group
- Alcohol consumption, Tobacco use:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 2.31 Mt per yearup 1 percent on the previous year1% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 0.2 t per personWorld Rank194thof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- 0.01%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 4.72 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 1.29 Mt CO₂-eq
- Fluorinated gases
- 0.03 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 8.35 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 40.4 µg/m³ of PM2.53.5 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guidelineMost polluted7thof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
- National standard
- 35 µg/m³
- Life expectancy gain if the national standard were met
- 0.5 years
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- deforestation
- overgrazing
- land degradation
- soil erosion
- a decline in soil fertility (soil exhaustion)
- wetland degradation and loss of biodiversity
- widespread poaching
Source:- The World Factbook: Rwanda - CIA
- International agreements
- 18 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 54 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement in force 2016 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in force 1998 Kyoto Protocol in force 2005 Ozone layer Montreal Protocol in force 2002 Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) in force 2002 Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity in force 1996 CITES in force 1981 Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) in force 2005 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in force 2004 Nagoya Protocol in force 2014 Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in force 2006 World Heritage Convention in force 2001 UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 1999 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention in force 2004 Rotterdam Convention (PIC) in force 2004 Stockholm Convention (POPs) in force 2004 Minamata Convention on Mercury in force 2017 Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in force 2023 High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) not a party MARPOL 73/78 not a party Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Rwanda - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- No access to safe drinking water2022
- 23.9% of the population
- Renewable water2022
- 13 billion m³ per year
- Per person
- 974 m³ per year
- Dependency ratio
- 29% originates outside the country
- Annual water withdrawal
- 0.6 billion m³ per year
- Withdrawn for agriculture
- 60%
- Water stress
- 20% of available freshwater withdrawn
Source:- AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment2022
- 33.2% of the population4.5 million people
- Obesity2024
- 5.6% of adults
- Men
- 2%
- Women
- 8.8%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children2020
- 7.7% of children under five
- No access to safe drinking water, Renewable water:AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment:Food security indicators (FAOSTAT) ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- 0.03 EJ per yeartotal primary energy
- Per capita
- 1.99 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- < 0.01%
- Supply
- Deficitproduces 20% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- Net importer, net 0.1 TWh in 2024, 9% of consumption1.1 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 1.1 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 1 TWh per year
- Imports
- 0.1 TWh per year
- Exports
- 0 TWh per year
- Net
- −0.1 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- Production endedlast produced in 2009Consumption20249,824 b/d
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal:Worldwide Oil and Gas Survey ↗ - Oil & Gas Journal
Defense
- Military expenditure2024
- 1.2% of GDP$175.9 million, 4.2% of government spending
- Military personnel2025
- approximately 30,000–35,000active Rwanda Defense Forces
- Military service2025
- Voluntaryno conscription; typically men and women 18–30, including officer candidates and those with university degrees and specialized qualifications; enlistment is either as contract, 5 years renewable twice, or career professional
- Space program2025
- Rwanda Space Agency (L’Agence Spatiale Rwandaise; RSA; established 2020 and approved by legislature in 2021)
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
- 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
Key milestones
Source:- The World Factbook: Rwanda - CIA
- Nuclear weapons2026
- None - no nuclear arsenal
- Military expenditure:SIPRI Military Expenditure Database ↗ - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
- Military expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Military personnel, Military service, Space program:The World Factbook: Rwanda - CIA
- Nuclear weapons:Status of World Nuclear Forces ↗ - Federation of American Scientists
