Rwanda

<p>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. <br><br>The Rwandan royal court centered on the Tutsi king (<em>mwami</em>), 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.</p> <p>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.</p>

Land

24,668 sq km

Total

26,338 sq km

Water

1,670 sq km

slightly smaller than Maryland

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

0 km (landlocked)

Africa

Highest point

Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m

Lowest point

Rusizi River 950 m

Mean elevation

1,598 m

2 00 S, 30 00 E

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

96 sq km (2012)

Border countries

Burundi 315 km; Democratic Republic of the Congo 221 km; Tanzania 222 km; Uganda 172 km

number of neighbors

4

Total

930 km

Agricultural land

76.3% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 47% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 13.7% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 15.6% (2023 est.)

arable land

46.98%

Forest

24.5% (2023 est.)

Other

0% (2023 est.)

permanent crops

13.7%

Yes

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

Fresh water lake(s)

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

Nile river source (shared with Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt [m]) - 6,650 km<br><br><strong>note:</strong> [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Atlantic Ocean drainage

Congo (3,730,881 sq km), <em>(Mediterranean Sea)</em> Nile (3,254,853 sq km)

Google Maps

https://goo.gl/maps/j5xb5r7CLqjYbyP86

OpenStreetMap

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/171496

Africa

none (landlocked)

periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga Mountains are in the northwest along the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo <br><br><strong>volcanism:</strong> Visoke (3,711 m), on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is the country's only historically active volcano

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

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

Eastern Africa

mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east

UTC+02:00

number of time zones

1

0-14 years

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

15-64 years

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

65 years and over

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

Beer

0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Other alcohols

6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Spirits

0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Total

6.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Wine

0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

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

Men married by age 18

0.4% (2020)

Women married by age 15

0.3% (2020)

Women married by age 18

5.5% (2020)

7.7% (2020 est.)

49.9% (2022 est.)

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

adult female

173 per 1,000

adult male

251 per 1,000

Elderly dependency ratio

5.1 (2024 est.)

Potential support ratio

19.4 (2024 est.)

Total dependency ratio

67.5 (2024 est.)

Youth dependency ratio

62.3 (2024 est.)

Improved: rural

rural: 60.1% of population (2022 est.)

Improved: total

total: 65.1% of population (2022 est.)

Improved: urban

urban: 88.1% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: rural

rural: 39.9% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: total

total: 34.9% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: urban

urban: 11.9% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure (% GDP)

4.7% of GDP (2024 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

13.9% national budget (2025 est.)

5 % of GDP

Hutu, Tutsi, Twa

1.58 (2025 est.)

5 % of GDP

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

7.3% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

9.5% of national budget (2022 est.)

0.29%

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

Female

22.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

27.3 deaths/1,000 live births

neonatal

18 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

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

Languages

Kinyarwanda (official, universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%, French (official) &lt;0.1%, English (official) &lt;0.1%, Swahili/Kiswahili (official, used in commercial centers) &lt;0.1%, more than one language, other 6.3%, unspecified 0.3% (2002 est.)

Major-language sample(s)

<br>Inkoranya nzimbuzi y'isi, isoko fatizo y'amakuru y'ibanze. (Kinyarwanda)<br><br>The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

number of languages

3

Female

68.6 years

Male

64.6 years

Total population

66.6 years (2024 est.)

Female

76.7% (2022 est.)

Male

81% (2022 est.)

Total population

78.8% (2022 est.)

1.248 million KIGALI (capital) (2023)

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

Female

21.5 years

Male

20.1 years

Total

21.3 years (2025 est.)

23 years (2019/20 est.)

note

<strong>note:</strong> data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Adjective

Rwandan

Noun

Rwandan(s)

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

5.8% (2016)

0.09 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Female

6,938,647

Male

6,684,655

Total

13,623,302 (2024 est.)

2% (2025 est.)

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&nbsp; (2022 est.)

Improved: rural

rural: 87% of population (2022 est.)

Improved: total

total: 87.8% of population (2022 est.)

Improved: urban

urban: 91.4% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: rural

rural: 13% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: total

total: 12.2% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: urban

urban: 8.6% of population (2022 est.)

Female

13 years (2023 est.)

Male

13 years (2023 est.)

Total

13 years (2023 est.)

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.67 male(s)/female

At birth

1.03 male(s)/female

Total population

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

Female

6.3% (2025 est.)

Male

17% (2025 est.)

Total

11.4% (2025 est.)

3.2 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Rate of urbanization

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

Urban population

17.9% of total population (2023)

measles

97%

4 provinces (<em>provinces</em>, singular - <em>province </em>(French); <em>intara </em>for singular and plural (Kinyarwanda)) and 1 city* (<em>ville </em>(French); <em>umujyi </em>(Kinyarwanda)); Est (Eastern), Kigali*, Nord (Northern), Ouest (Western), Sud (Southern)

Etymology

the city takes its name from nearby Mount Kigali; the name is composed of the Bantu prefix <em>ki-</em> and the Rwandan word <em>gali</em>, meaning "broad," which is probably meant to describe the terrain

Geographic coordinates

1 57 S, 30 03 E

Name

Kigali

Time difference

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

Citizenship by birth

no

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

Dual citizenship recognized

no

Residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

svg

https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/rw.svg

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

History

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

alternative spellings

RW, Republic of Rwanda, Repubulika y'u Rwanda, République du Rwanda

Conventional long form

Republic of Rwanda

Conventional short form

Rwanda

Etymology

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

FIFA code

RWA

Former

Kingdom of Rwanda, Ruanda, German East Africa

Local long form

Republika y'u Rwanda

local long form (eng)

Republic of Rwanda

Local short form

Rwanda

Chief of mission

Ambassador Eric KNEEDLER (since 3 October 2023)

Email address and website

<br>consularkigali@state.gov<br><br>https://rw.usembassy.gov/

Embassy

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

FAX

[250] 252 580-325

Mailing address

2210 Kigali Place, Washington DC&nbsp; 20521-2210

Telephone

[250] 252 596-400

Chancery

1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW,&nbsp; Washington, DC 20009

Chief of mission

Ambassador Mathilde MUKANTABANA (since 18 July 2013)

Email address and website

<br>info@rwandaembassy.org<br><br>https://rwandaembassy.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 232-4544

Telephone

[1] (202) 232-2882

Cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

Chief of state

President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000)

Election results

<em><br>2024: </em>Paul KAGAME reelected president; Paul KAGAME (RPF) 99.2%, Frank HABINEZA (DGPR) 0.5%, Philippe MPAYIMANA (independent) 0.3%<br><br><em>2017:</em> Paul KAGAME reelected president; Paul KAGAME (RPF) 98.8%, Philippe MPAYIMANA (independent), other 1.2%

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

Expected date of next election

15 July 2029

Head of government

Prime Minister Justin NSENGIYUMVA (since 23 July 2025)

Most recent election date

4 August 2017

Note

<strong>note:</strong> a constitutional amendment in 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

<strong>description:</strong> 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<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> 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

The flag of Rwanda is composed of three horizontal bands of light blue, yellow and green. The light blue band is twice the height of the other two bands and bears a yellow sun with twenty-four rays on its fly side.

svg

https://flagcdn.com/rw.svg

presidential republic

1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)

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

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

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)

Judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges nominated by the president after consultation with the Cabinet and the Superior Council of the Judiciary (SCJ), a 27-member body of judges, other judicial officials, and legal professionals, and approved by the Senate; chief and deputy chief justices appointed for 8-year nonrenewable terms; tenure of judges NA; High Court president and vice president appointed by the president of the republic upon approval by the Senate; judges appointed by the Supreme Court chief justice upon approval of the SCJ; judge tenure NA

Subordinate courts

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

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

Legislative structure

bicameral

Legislature name

Parlement (Parliament)

Chamber name

Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Députés)

Electoral system

proportional representation

Expected date of next election

July 2029

Most recent election date

7/15/2024 to 7/16/2024

Note

<strong>note:</strong> 24 women are selected for seats by special-interest groups, and 3 members are selected by youth and disability organizations

Number of seats

80 (53 directly elected; 27 indirectly elected)

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)

Percentage of women in chamber

63.8%

Scope of elections

full renewal

Term in office

5 years

Chamber name

Senate (Sénat)

Expected date of next election

September 2029

Most recent election date

9/16/2024 to 9/16/2024

Number of seats

26 (18 indirectly elected; 8 appointed)

Percentage of women in chamber

53.8%

Scope of elections

full renewal

Term in office

5 years

blue, yellow, green

Selected World Heritage Site locales

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

Total World Heritage Sites

2 (1 cultural, 1 natural)

Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

traditional woven basket with peaked lid

Democratic Green Party of Rwanda or DGPR <br>Liberal Party or PL <br>Party for Progress and Concord or PPC <br>Rwandan Patriotic Front or RPF <br>Rwandan Patriotic Front Coalition (includes RPF, PPC, PSP, UDPR, PDI, PSR, PDC) <br>Social Democratic Party or PSD <br>Social Party Imberakuri or PS-Imberakuri 

Monday

18 years of age; universal

Yes

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

note

<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Expenditures

$3.996 billion (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Revenues

$3.41 billion (2023 est.)

code

RWF

name

Rwandan franc (RWF) [Fr]

$-1,807,568,338

Current account balance 2021

-$1.209 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$1.246 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$1.654 billion (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$13.05 billion

Debt - external 2023

$5.531 billion (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> present value of external debt in current US dollars

<p>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</p>

Currency

Rwandan francs (RWF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

943.278 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

988.625 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

1,030.308 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

1,160.099 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

1,318.128 (2024 est.)

$4.39 billion

Exports 2021

$2.11 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$2.993 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$3.509 billion (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

net inflows

$572.93 million

Exports of goods and services

30.8% (2024 est.)

Government consumption

17.1% (2024 est.)

Household consumption

64.9% (2024 est.)

Imports of goods and services

-39.1% (2024 est.)

Investment in fixed capital

29.1% (2024 est.)

Investment in inventories

-3.2% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Agriculture

24.6% (2024 est.)

Industry

21% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Services

47.6% (2024 est.)

$14.252 billion (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

$1,000

43.7 (2016)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016

43.7 (2016 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

$13.9 billion

$1,040

26 % of GDP

Highest 10%

35.6% (2016 est.)

Lowest 10%

2.4% (2016 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

$5.58 billion

Imports 2021

$3.856 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$4.978 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$5.783 billion (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

10% (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

1.77%

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

17.7% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

19.8% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

1.8% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

5.671 million (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total

5.84 million persons

agriculture

35.05%

industry

18.41%

services

46.54%

38.2% (2016 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt 2016

37.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

$52.9 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$39.485 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$42.743 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$46.543 billion (2024 est.)

8.89%

Note

<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2022

8.2% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

8.2% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

8.9% (2024 est.)

$3,711

Note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2022

$2,900 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$3,100 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$3,300 (2024 est.)

$517.04 million

Note

<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

3.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

3.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

3.6% of GDP (2023 est.)

$2.41 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$1.726 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$1.834 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$2.406 billion (2024 est.)

19 % of GDP

14 % of GDP

13.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

11.36%

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2022

15.1% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

12.4% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

12% (2024 est.)

Female

19.4% (2024 est.)

Male

15.8% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Total

17.5% (2024 est.)

Consumption

123,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Imports

89,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Consumption

876.401 million kWh (2023 est.)

consumption per capita

68 kWh

Exports

8.674 million kWh (2023 est.)

Imports

32 million kWh (2023 est.)

Installed generating capacity

294,000 kW (2023 est.)

Transmission/distribution losses

197.606 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electrification - rural areas

38.2%

Electrification - total population

50.6% (2022 est.)

Electrification - urban areas

98%

Biomass and waste

0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Fossil fuels

43.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectric

50.32%

Hydroelectricity

52.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear

0%

renewable

61%

Solar

3.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

373 kg of oil equivalent

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

1.808 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Consumption

63.696 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Production

63.666 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Proven reserves

56.634 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum consumption

9,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

79.9%

per 100 inhabitants

0 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

Total

62,000 (2023 est.)

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

.rw

Percent of population

34% (2023 est.)

+250

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

Total subscriptions

8,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100

91 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

80 (2022 est.)

Total subscriptions

12.8 million (2023 est.)

passengers carried

1.54 million passengers

registered carrier departures

14,403 departures

8 (2025)

9XR

Right

RWA

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 <br><br>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)

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<br><br>Ministry of Internal Security: Rwanda National Police (2025)

active duty personnel

35,000

percent of total labor force

0.70 %

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

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)

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 T&uuml;rkiye (2025)

1 % of GDP

current USD

$175,924,381

Military Expenditures 2020

1.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

1.3% of GDP (2024 est.)

percent of central government expenditure

4.24 %

percent of GDP

1.25 % of GDP

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)

IDPs

21,948 (2024 est.)

Refugees

128,561 (2024 est.)

Stateless persons

14,500 (2024 est.)

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

2018 - signed cooperation agreement with Japan for training in designing and producing mini-satellites<br><br>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<br><br>2022 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for space exploration<br><br>2025 - joined newly formed African Space Agency

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

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)

From coal and metallurgical coke

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

From consumed natural gas

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

From petroleum and other liquids

1.295 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Total emissions

1.645 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

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

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

Signed, but not ratified

Law of the Sea

35.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

9 % of total land area

5 % of total

13.3 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

6 % of internal resources

Agricultural

361 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Industrial

10 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal

230 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal solid waste generated annually

4.385 million tons (2024 est.)

Percent of municipal solid waste recycled

11.5% (2022 est.)