{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "text": "

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": { "text": "Central Africa, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, north of Burundi" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "2 00 S, 30 00 E" }, "Map references": { "text": "Africa" }, "Area": { "total ": { "text": "26,338 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "24,668 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "1,670 sq km" } }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "slightly smaller than Maryland" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "930 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "Burundi 315 km; Democratic Republic of the Congo 221 km; Tanzania 222 km; Uganda 172 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "0 km (landlocked)" }, "Maritime claims": { "text": "none (landlocked)" }, "Climate": { "text": "temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible" }, "Terrain": { "text": "mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Rusizi River 950 m" }, "mean elevation": { "text": "1,598 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, hydropower, arable land" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "74.5% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 47% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 10.1% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 17.4% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "18% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "7.5% (2018 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "96 sq km (2012)" }, "Major lakes (area sq km)": { "fresh water lake(s)": { "text": "Lake Kivu (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo) - 2,220 sq km" } }, "Major rivers (by length in km)": { "text": "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)": { "text": "Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "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": { "text": "

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": { "text": "landlocked; most of the country is intensively cultivated and rugged, with the population predominantly rural" } }, "People and Society": { "Population": { "total": { "text": "13,623,302" }, "male": { "text": "6,684,655" }, "female": { "text": "6,938,647 (2024 est.)" } }, "Nationality": { "noun": { "text": "Rwandan(s)" }, "adjective": { "text": "Rwandan" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "text": "Hutu, Tutsi, Twa" }, "Languages": { "Languages": { "text": "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 sample(s)": { "text": "
Inkoranya nzimbuzi y'isi, isoko fatizo y'amakuru y'ibanze. (Kinyarwanda)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information." } }, "Religions": { "text": "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": { "text": "

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 and 3.3 in 2022. 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.

The UNHCR recommended that effective 30 June 2013 countries invoke a cessation of refugee status for those Rwandans who fled their homeland between 1959 and 1998, including the 1994 genocide, on the grounds that the conditions that drove them to seek protection abroad no longer exist. The UNHCR’s decision is controversial because many Rwandan refugees still fear persecution if they return home, concerns that are supported by the number of Rwandans granted asylum since 1998 and by the number exempted from the cessation. Rwandan refugees can still seek an exemption or local integration, but host countries are anxious to send the refugees back to Rwanda and are likely to avoid options that enable them to stay. Conversely, Rwanda itself hosts approximately 125,000 refugees as of 2022; virtually all of them fleeing conflict in neighboring Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "37.2% (male 2,561,884/female 2,508,218)" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "59.7% (male 3,954,608/female 4,179,844)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "3.1% (2024 est.) (male 168,163/female 250,585)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "72.5" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "67.1" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "5.4" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "18.4 (2021 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "20.8 years (2024 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "20.1 years" }, "female": { "text": "21.5 years" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "1.62% (2024 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "25 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "5.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "-3.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "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": { "text": "17.9% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "3.07% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "1.248 million KIGALI (capital) (2023)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.03 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1.02 male(s)/female" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "0.95 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.67 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)" } }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "23 years (2019/20 est.)", "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "259 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)" }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "24.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "27.3 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "22.5 deaths/1,000 live births" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "66.6 years (2024 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "64.6 years" }, "female": { "text": "68.6 years" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "3.14 children born/woman (2024 est.)" }, "Gross reproduction rate": { "text": "1.54 (2024 est.)" }, "Contraceptive prevalence rate": { "text": "64.1% (2019/20)" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 92.3% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 80.7% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 82.7% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 7.7% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 19.3% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 17.3% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "Current health expenditure": { "text": "7.3% of GDP (2020)" }, "Physician density": { "text": "0.12 physicians/1,000 population (2019)" }, "Sanitation facility access": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 89.1% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 83.2% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 84.2% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 10.9% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 16.8% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 15.8% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "5.8% (2016)" }, "Alcohol consumption per capita": { "total": { "text": "6.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "beer": { "text": "0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "wine": { "text": "0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "spirits": { "text": "0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "other alcohols": { "text": "6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" } }, "Tobacco use": { "total": { "text": "13.7% (2020 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "20.1% (2020 est.)" }, "female": { "text": "7.2% (2020 est.)" } }, "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": { "text": "7.7% (2019/20)" }, "Currently married women (ages 15-49)": { "text": "50.4% (2023 est.)" }, "Child marriage": { "women married by age 18": { "text": "0.4% (2020 est.)" } }, "Education expenditures": { "text": "3.8% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "Literacy": { "definition": { "text": "age 15 and over can read and write" }, "total population": { "text": "75.9%" }, "male": { "text": "78.7%" }, "female": { "text": "73.3% (2021)" } }, "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": { "total": { "text": "11 years" }, "male": { "text": "11 years" }, "female": { "text": "11 years (2019)" } } }, "Environment": { "Environment - current issues": { "text": "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" }, "Environment - international agreements": { "party to": { "text": "Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands" }, "signed, but not ratified": { "text": "Law of the Sea" } }, "Climate": { "text": "temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "74.5% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 47% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 10.1% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 17.4% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "18% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "7.5% (2018 est.)" } }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "17.9% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "3.07% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Revenue from forest resources": { "text": "3.75% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Revenue from coal": { "text": "0% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Air pollutants": { "particulate matter emissions": { "text": "35.66 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)" }, "carbon dioxide emissions": { "text": "1.11 megatons (2016 est.)" }, "methane emissions": { "text": "2.92 megatons (2020 est.)" } }, "Waste and recycling": { "municipal solid waste generated annually": { "text": "4,384,969 tons (2016 est.)" } }, "Major lakes (area sq km)": { "fresh water lake(s)": { "text": "Lake Kivu (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo) - 2,220 sq km" } }, "Major rivers (by length in km)": { "text": "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)": { "text": "Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)" }, "Total water withdrawal": { "municipal": { "text": "230 million cubic meters (2020 est.)" }, "industrial": { "text": "10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)" }, "agricultural": { "text": "360 million cubic meters (2020 est.)" } }, "Total renewable water resources": { "text": "13.3 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)" } }, "Government": { "Country name": { "conventional long form": { "text": "Republic of Rwanda" }, "conventional short form": { "text": "Rwanda" }, "local long form": { "text": "Republika y'u Rwanda" }, "local short form": { "text": "Rwanda" }, "former": { "text": "Kingdom of Rwanda, Ruanda, German East Africa" }, "etymology": { "text": "the name translates as \"domain\" in the native Kinyarwanda language" } }, "Government type": { "text": "presidential republic" }, "Capital": { "name": { "text": "Kigali" }, "geographic coordinates": { "text": "1 57 S, 30 03 E" }, "time difference": { "text": "UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)" }, "etymology": { "text": "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": { "text": "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": { "text": "1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)" }, "National holiday": { "text": "Independence Day, 1 July (1962)" }, "Legal system": { "text": "mixed legal system of civil law, based on German and Belgian models, and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court" }, "Constitution": { "history": { "text": "several previous; latest adopted by referendum 26 May 2003, effective 4 June 2003" }, "amendments": { "text": "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" } }, "International law organization participation": { "text": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt" }, "Citizenship": { "citizenship by birth": { "text": "no" }, "citizenship by descent only": { "text": "the father must be a citizen of Rwanda; if the father is stateless or unknown, the mother must be a citizen" }, "dual citizenship recognized": { "text": "no" }, "residency requirement for naturalization": { "text": "10 years" } }, "Suffrage": { "text": "18 years of age; universal" }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { "text": "President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Prime Minister Edouard NGIRENTE (since 30 August 2017)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the president" }, "elections/appointments": { "text": "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 2029); prime minister appointed by the president" }, "election results": { "text": "
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": { "legislature name": { "text": "Parlement (Parliament)" }, "legislative structure": { "text": "bicameral" } }, "Legislative branch - lower chamber": { "chamber name": { "text": "Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Députés)" }, "number of seats": { "text": "80 (53 directly elected; 27 indirectly elected)" }, "electoral system": { "text": "proportional representation" }, "scope of elections": { "text": "full renewal" }, "term in office": { "text": "5 years" }, "most recent election date": { "text": "7/15/2024 to 7/16/2024" }, "parties elected and seats per party": { "text": "Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR) and its allies (37); Liberal Party (PL) (5); Social Democratic Party (PSD) (5); Other (6)" }, "percentage of women in chamber": { "text": "63.8%" }, "expected date of next election": { "text": "July 2029" }, "note": "note: 24 women are selected for seats by special-interest groups, and 3 members are selected by youth and disability organizations" }, "Legislative branch - upper chamber": { "chamber name": { "text": "Senate (Sénat)" }, "number of seats": { "text": "26 (18 indirectly elected; 8 appointed)" }, "scope of elections": { "text": "full renewal" }, "term in office": { "text": "5 years" }, "most recent election date": { "text": "9/16/2024 to 9/17/2024" }, "percentage of women in chamber": { "text": "53.8%" }, "expected date of next election": { "text": "September 2029" } }, "Judicial branch": { "highest court(s)": { "text": "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": { "text": "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": { "text": "High Court of the Republic; commercial courts including the High Commercial Court; intermediate courts; primary courts; and military specialized courts
" }, "note": " " }, "Political parties": { "text": "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": { "text": "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": { "text": "Ambassador Mathilde MUKANTABANA (since 18 July 2013)" }, "chancery": { "text": "1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW,  Washington, DC 20009" }, "telephone": { "text": "[1] (202) 232-2882" }, "FAX": { "text": "[1] (202) 232-4544" }, "email address and website": { "text": "
info@rwandaembassy.org

https://rwandaembassy.org/" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { "chief of mission": { "text": "Ambassador Eric KNEEDLER (since 3 October 2023)" }, "embassy": { "text": "2657 Avenue de la Gendarmerie (Kaciyiru), P. O. Box 28 Kigali" }, "mailing address": { "text": "2210 Kigali Place, Washington DC  20521-2210" }, "telephone": { "text": "[250] 252 596-400" }, "FAX": { "text": "[250] 252 580-325" }, "email address and website": { "text": "
consularkigali@state.gov

https://rw.usembassy.gov/" } }, "Flag description": { "text": "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 symbol(s)": { "text": "traditional woven basket with peaked lid; national colors: blue, yellow, green" }, "National anthem": { "name": { "text": "\"Rwanda nziza\" (Rwanda, Our Beautiful Country)" }, "lyrics/music": { "text": "Faustin MURIGO/Jean-Bosco HASHAKAIMANA" }, "note": "note: adopted 2001" }, "National heritage": { "total World Heritage Sites": { "text": "2 (1 cultural, 1 natural)" }, "selected World Heritage Site locales": { "text": "Memorial sites of the Genocide: Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero (c); Nyungwe National Park (n)" } } }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { "text": "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)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023": { "text": "$42.701 billion (2023 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { "text": "$39.45 billion (2022 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": { "text": "$36.474 billion (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: data in 2021 dollars" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2023": { "text": "8.24% (2023 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2022": { "text": "8.16% (2022 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2021": { "text": "10.86% (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency" }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2023": { "text": "$3,100 (2023 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2022": { "text": "$2,900 (2022 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2021": { "text": "$2,700 (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: data in 2021 dollars" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$14.098 billion (2023 est.)", "note": "note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023": { "text": "19.79% (2023 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022": { "text": "17.69% (2022 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021": { "text": "-0.39% (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: annual % change based on consumer prices" }, "Credit ratings": { "Fitch rating": { "text": "B+ (2014)" }, "Moody's rating": { "text": "B2 (2016)" }, "Standard & Poors rating": { "text": "B+ (2019)" }, "note": "note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained." }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "27.1% (2023 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "21.5% (2023 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "44.3% (2023 est.)" }, "note": "note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data" }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "75.3% (2023 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "16.6% (2023 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "27.1% (2023 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "-3.8% (2023 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "25.4% (2023 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-40.6% (2023 est.)" }, "note": "note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection" }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "bananas, cassava, sweet potatoes, potatoes, plantains, maize, beans, pumpkins/squash, taro, sorghum (2022)", "note": "note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage" }, "Industries": { "text": "cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "10.25% (2023 est.)", "note": "note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency" }, "Labor force": { "text": "5.259 million (2023 est.)", "note": "note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work" }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2023": { "text": "14.93% (2023 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2022": { "text": "15.09% (2022 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2021": { "text": "15.79% (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: % of labor force seeking employment" }, "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": { "total": { "text": "22% (2023 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "20.8% (2023 est.)" }, "female": { "text": "23.3% (2023 est.)" }, "note": "note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment" }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "38.2% (2016 est.)", "note": "note: % of population with income below national poverty line" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": { "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016": { "text": "43.7 (2016 est.)" }, "note": "note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality" }, "Household income or consumption by percentage share": { "lowest 10%": { "text": "2.4% (2016 est.)" }, "highest 10%": { "text": "35.6% (2016 est.)" }, "note": "note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population" }, "Remittances": { "Remittances 2023": { "text": "3.67% of GDP (2023 est.)" }, "Remittances 2022": { "text": "3.56% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, "Remittances 2021": { "text": "3.53% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities" }, "Budget": { "revenues": { "text": "$2.676 billion (2020 est.)" }, "expenditures": { "text": "$2.191 billion (2020 est.)" }, "note": "note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated" }, "Public debt": { "Public debt 2017": { "text": "40.5% of GDP (2017 est.)" } }, "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "15.07% (of GDP) (2020 est.)", "note": "note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP" }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2023": { "text": "-$1.654 billion (2023 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2022": { "text": "-$1.246 billion (2022 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2021": { "text": "-$1.209 billion (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars" }, "Exports": { "Exports 2023": { "text": "$3.509 billion (2023 est.)" }, "Exports 2022": { "text": "$2.993 billion (2022 est.)" }, "Exports 2021": { "text": "$2.11 billion (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars" }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "UAE 32%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 25%, Thailand 5%, US 3%, Ethiopia 3% (2022)", "note": "note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "gold, tin ores, coffee, malt extract, rare earth ores (2022)", "note": "note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2023": { "text": "$5.783 billion (2023 est.)" }, "Imports 2022": { "text": "$4.978 billion (2022 est.)" }, "Imports 2021": { "text": "$3.856 billion (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars" }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "China 19%, Tanzania 11%, Kenya 10%, UAE 10%, India 7% (2022)", "note": "note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "refined petroleum, gold, palm oil, rice, raw sugar (2022)", "note": "note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023": { "text": "$1.834 billion (2023 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022": { "text": "$1.726 billion (2022 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021": { "text": "$1.867 billion (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars" }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 2023": { "text": "$6.087 billion (2023 est.)" }, "note": "note: present value of external debt in current US dollars" }, "Exchange rates": { "Currency": { "text": "Rwandan francs (RWF) per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2023": { "text": "1,160.099 (2023 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2022": { "text": "1,030.308 (2022 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2021": { "text": "988.625 (2021 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2020": { "text": "943.278 (2020 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2019": { "text": "899.351 (2019 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "electrification - total population": { "text": "50.6% (2022 est.)" }, "electrification - urban areas": { "text": "98%" }, "electrification - rural areas": { "text": "38.2%" } }, "Electricity": { "installed generating capacity": { "text": "273,000 kW (2022 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "861.285 million kWh (2022 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "9 million kWh (2022 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "31 million kWh (2022 est.)" }, "transmission/distribution losses": { "text": "140.605 million kWh (2022 est.)" } }, "Electricity generation sources": { "fossil fuels": { "text": "45.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)" }, "solar": { "text": "1.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)" }, "hydroelectricity": { "text": "52.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)" }, "biomass and waste": { "text": "0.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)" } }, "Coal": { "consumption": { "text": "41,000 metric tons (2022 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "64,000 metric tons (2022 est.)" } }, "Petroleum": { "refined petroleum consumption": { "text": "9,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)" } }, "Natural gas": { "production": { "text": "60.145 million cubic meters (2022 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "59.715 million cubic meters (2022 est.)" }, "proven reserves": { "text": "56.634 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)" } }, "Carbon dioxide emissions": { "total emissions": { "text": "1.442 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)" }, "from coal and metallurgical coke": { "text": "77,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)" }, "from petroleum and other liquids": { "text": "1.249 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)" }, "from consumed natural gas": { "text": "116,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)" } }, "Energy consumption per capita": { "Total energy consumption per capita 2022": { "text": "1.659 million Btu/person (2022 est.)" } } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "8,000 (2023 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "(2023 est.) less than 1" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "12.8 million (2023 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "80 (2022 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { "text": "Rwanda was slow to liberalize the mobile sector; there was effective competition among three operators; the fixed broadband sector has suffered from limited fixed-line infrastructure and high prices; operators are rolling out national backbone networks which also allow them to connect to the international submarine cables on Africa’s east coast; these cables gave the entire region greater internet bandwidth and ended the dependency on satellites; while the country also has a new cable link with Tanzania, and via Tanzania’s national broadband backbone it has gained connectivity to the networks of several other countries in the region; the number of subscribers on LTE infrastructure has increased sharply, helped by national LTE coverage achieved in mid-2018; mobile remains the dominant platform for voice and data services; the regulator noted that the number of mobile subscribers increased 2.7% in 2021, year-on-year; there was a slight fall in the beginning of 2022 (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line less than 1 per 100 and mobile-cellular telephone density is 81 telephones per 100 persons (2021)" }, "international": { "text": "country code - 250; international connections employ microwave radio relay to neighboring countries and satellite communications to more distant countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefax service); international submarine fiber-optic cables on the African east coast has brought international bandwidth and lessened the dependency on satellites" } }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "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": { "text": ".rw" }, "Internet users": { "percent of population": { "text": "34% (2022 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "62,000 (2023 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "(2023 est.) less than 1" } } }, "Transportation": { "National air transport system": { "number of registered air carriers": { "text": "1 (2020)" }, "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": { "text": "12" }, "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "1,073,528 (2018)" } }, "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "9XR" }, "Airports": { "text": "8 (2024)" }, "Roadways": { "total": { "text": "7,797 km" }, "paved": { "text": "2,652 km" }, "unpaved": { "text": "5,145 km (2024)" } }, "Waterways": { "text": "90 km (2022) (Lake Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft)" } }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "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 expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2023": { "text": "1.4% of GDP (2023 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2022": { "text": "1.4% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2021": { "text": "1.4% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2020": { "text": "1.3% of GDP (2020 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "1.2% of GDP (2019 est.)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { "text": "approximately 33,000 active RDF personnel (32,000 Army; 1,000 Air Force) (2023)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the RDF's inventory includes a mix of older and some modern equipment from suppliers such as China, France, Israel, Russia and the former Soviet Union, South Africa, and Turkey (2024)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "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": "note: as of 2022, women comprised approximately 6% of the Rwanda Defense Force" }, "Military deployments": { "text": "approximately 3,200 Central African Republic (about 2,200 under MINUSCA, plus some 700 police; approximately 1,000 under a bi-lateral agreement); approximately 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) (2024)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "

the RDF is widely regarded as one of East Africa’s best trained and most experienced militaries; its principle responsibilities 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 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; the RDF has been accused by the DRC, the UN, and the US of making incursions into the DRC and providing material support to the March 23 Movement (M23, aka Congolese Revolutionary Army) rebel group, which has been fighting with DRC troops and UN peacekeeping forces; the RDF also participates in UN and regional military operations, as well as multinational exercises

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 (2024)" } }, "Space": { "Space agency/agencies": { "text": "Rwanda Space Agency (L’Agence Spatiale Rwandaise; RSA; established 2020 and approved by legislature in 2021) (2024)" }, "Space program overview": { "text": "has a small program focused on developing and utilizing space technologies, such as satellite imagery for socioeconomic development and security purposes; operates communications and remote sensing (RS) satellites; the RSA is responsible for regulating and coordinating the country’s space activities and encouraging commercial and industrial development; has established ties with the space agencies or industries of several countries, including France, Israel, Japan, the UAE, and the US (2024)", "note": "note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide" } }, "Transnational Issues": { "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { "text": "79,720 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 48,533 (Burundi) (2024)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "9,500 (2022)" } }, "Trafficking in persons": { "tier rating": { "text": "Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Rwanda was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/rwanda/" } } } }