Rwanda — a small and centralized country dominated by rugged hills and fertile volcanic soil — has exerted disproportionate influence over the African Great Lakes region for centuries. A Rwandan kingdom increasingly dominated the region from the mid-18th century onward, with the Tutsi monarchs gradually extending the power of the royal court into peripheral areas and expanding their borders through military conquest. While the current ethnic labels Hutu and Tutsi predate colonial rule, their flexibility and importance have varied significantly over time and often manifested more as a hierarchical class distinction than an ethnic or cultural distinction. The majority Hutu and minority Tutsi have long shared a common language and culture, and intermarriage was frequent.
The Rwandan royal court centered on the Tutsi king (mwami), who relied on an extensive network of political, cultural, and economic relationships. Social categories became more rigid during the reign of RWABUGIRI (1860-1895), who focused on aggressive expansion and solidifying Rwanda’s bureaucratic structures. German colonial conquest began in the late 1890s, but the territory was ceded to Belgian forces in 1916 during World War I. Both European nations quickly realized the benefits of ruling through the already centralized Rwandan Tutsi kingdom. Colonial rule reinforced existing trends toward autocratic and exclusionary rule, leading to the elimination of traditional positions of authority for Hutus. Belgian administrators significantly increased requirements for communal labor and instituted harsh taxes, which fed the population’s frustration. Changing political attitudes in Belgium contributed to colonial and Catholic officials shifting their support from Tutsi to Hutu leaders in the years leading up to independence.
Simmering resentment of minority rule exploded in 1959, three years before independence from Belgium, when Hutus overthrew the Tutsi king. Thousands of Tutsis were killed over the next several years, and some 150,000 were driven into exile in neighboring countries. Army Chief of Staff Juvenal HABYARIMANA seized power in a coup in 1973 and ruled Rwanda as a single-party state for two decades. HABYARIMANA increasingly discriminated against Tutsis, and extremist Hutu factions gained prominence after multiple parties were introduced in the early 1990s. The children of Tutsi exiles later formed a rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and began a civil war in 1990. The civil war exacerbated ethnic tensions and culminated in the shooting down of HABYARIMANA’s private jet in 1994. The event sparked a state-orchestrated genocide in which Rwandans killed more than 800,000 of their fellow citizens, including approximately three-quarters of the Tutsi population. The genocide ended later the same year when the predominantly Tutsi RPF, operating out of Uganda and northern Rwanda, defeated the national army and Hutu militias and established an RPF-led government of national unity. Rwanda held its first local elections in 1999 and its first post-genocide presidential and legislative elections in 2003, formalizing President Paul KAGAME’s de facto role as head of government. KAGAME was formally elected in 2010, and again in 2017 after changing the constitution to allow him to run for a third term.
Geography
Location
Central Africa, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, north of Burundi
Geographic coordinates
2 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references
Africa
Area
total : 26,338 sq km
land: 24,668 sq km
water: 1,670 sq km
comparison ranking: total 148
Area – comparative
slightly smaller than Maryland
Area comparison map:
Land boundaries
total: 930 km
border countries (4): Burundi 315 km; Democratic Republic of the Congo 221 km; Tanzania 222 km; Uganda 172 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible
Terrain
mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east
Elevation
highest point: Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m
lowest point: Rusizi River 950 m
mean elevation: 1,598 m
Natural resources
gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, hydropower, arable land
Land use
agricultural land: 81.3% (2022 est.)
arable land: 51.4% (2022 est.)
permanent crops: 14.2% (2022 est.)
permanent pasture: 15.6% (2022 est.)
forest: 11.3% (2022 est.)
other: 7.5% (2022 est.)
Irrigated land
96 sq km (2012)
Major lakes (area sq km)
fresh water lake(s): Lake Kivu (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo) – 2,220 sq km
Major rivers (by length in km)
Nile river source (shared with Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt [m]) – 6,650 km
note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)
Population distribution
one of Africa’s most densely populated countries; large concentrations tend to be in the central regions and along the shore of Lake Kivu in the west, as shown in this population distribution map
Natural hazards
periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga Mountains are in the northwest along the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo
volcanism: Visoke (3,711 m), located on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is the country’s only historically active volcano
Geography – note
landlocked; most of the country is intensively cultivated and rugged, with the population predominantly rural
People and Society
Population
total: 13,623,302 (2024 est.)
male: 6,684,655
female: 6,938,647
comparison rankings: total 76; female 76; male 78
Nationality
noun: Rwandan(s)
adjective: Rwandan
Ethnic groups
Hutu, Tutsi, Twa
Languages
Kinyarwanda (official, universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%, French (official) <0.1%, English (official) <0.1%, Swahili/Kiswahili (official, used in commercial centers) <0.1%, more than one language, other 6.3%, unspecified 0.3% (2002 est.)
major-language sample(s):
Inkoranya nzimbuzi y’isi, isoko fatizo y’amakuru y’ibanze. (Kinyarwanda)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
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.)
Age structure
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)
2024 population pyramid:
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 67.5 (2024 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 62.3 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 5.1 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 19.4 (2024 est.)
Median age
total: 20.8 years (2024 est.)
male: 20.1 years
female: 21.5 years
comparison ranking: total 198
Population growth rate
1.62% (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 58
Birth rate
25 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 46
Death rate
5.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 169
Net migration rate
-3.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 182
Population distribution
one of Africa’s most densely populated countries; large concentrations tend to be in the central regions and along the shore of Lake Kivu in the west, as shown in this population distribution map
Urbanization
urban population: 17.9% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 3.07% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas – population
1.248 million KIGALI (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
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
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mother’s mean age at first birth
23 years (2019/20 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49
Maternal mortality ratio
259 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: 37
Infant mortality rate
total: 24.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
male: 27.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.5 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 60
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 66.6 years (2024 est.)
male: 64.6 years
female: 68.6 years
comparison ranking: total population 200
Total fertility rate
3.14 children born/woman (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 46
Gross reproduction rate
1.54 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
64.1% (2019/20)
Drinking water source
improved:
urban: 92.3% of population
rural: 80.7% of population
total: 82.7% of population
unimproved:
urban: 7.7% of population
rural: 19.3% of population
total: 17.3% of population (2020 est.)
Health expenditure
7.3% of GDP (2021)
9.5% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density
0.09 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Hospital bed density
0.7 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved:
urban: 89.1% of population
rural: 83.2% of population
total: 84.2% of population
unimproved:
urban: 10.9% of population
rural: 16.8% of population
total: 15.8% of population (2020 est.)
Obesity – adult prevalence rate
5.8% (2016)
comparison ranking: 172
Alcohol consumption per capita
total: 6.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total 65
Tobacco use
total: 11.4% (2025 est.)
male: 17% (2025 est.)
female: 6.3% (2025 est.)
comparison ranking: total 120
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
7.7% (2019/20)
comparison ranking: 56
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
50.4% (2023 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 15: 0.3% (2020)
women married by age 18: 5.5% (2020)
men married by age 18: 0.4% (2020)
Education expenditure
4.7% of GDP (2024 est.)
13.9% national budget (2025 est.)
comparison ranking: Education expenditure (% GDP) 78
Literacy
total population: 79% (2022 est.)
male: 81% (2022 est.)
female: 77% (2022 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 11 years (2019)
Environment
Environment – current issues
deforestation; 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: 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
Climate
temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible
Land use
agricultural land: 81.3% (2022 est.)
arable land: 51.4% (2022 est.)
permanent crops: 14.2% (2022 est.)
permanent pasture: 15.6% (2022 est.)
forest: 11.3% (2022 est.)
other: 7.5% (2022 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 17.9% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 3.07% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 35.66 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 1.11 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 2.92 megatons (2020 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 4,384,969 tons (2016 est.)
Major lakes (area sq km)
fresh water lake(s): Lake Kivu (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo) – 2,220 sq km
Major rivers (by length in km)
Nile river source (shared with Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt [m]) – 6,650 km
note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 230 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 360 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources
13.3 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Rwanda
conventional short form: Rwanda
local long form: Republika y’u Rwanda
local short form: Rwanda
former: Kingdom of Rwanda, Ruanda, German East Africa
etymology: the country is named for a local people, but the meaning of their own name is obscure
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
name: Kigali
geographic coordinates: 1 57 S, 30 03 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the city takes its name from nearby Mount Kigali; the name is composed of the Bantu prefix ki- and the Rwandan word gali, meaning “broad,” which is probably meant to describe the terrain
Administrative divisions
4 provinces (provinces, singular – province (French); intara for singular and plural (Kinyarwanda)) and 1 city* (ville (French); umujyi (Kinyarwanda)); Est (Eastern), Kigali*, Nord (Northern), Ouest (Western), Sud (Southern)
Legal system
mixed system of civil law, based on German and Belgian models, and customary law; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts
Constitution
history: several previous; latest adopted by referendum 26 May 2003, effective 4 June 2003
amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic (with Council of Ministers approval) or by two-thirds majority vote of both houses of Parliament; passage requires at least three-quarters majority vote in both houses; changes to constitutional articles on national sovereignty, the presidential term, the form and system of government, and political pluralism also require approval in a referendum
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship 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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Edouard NGIRENTE (since 30 August 2017)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 4 August 2017 (next to be held on 15 July 2029); prime minister appointed by the president
election results:
2024: Paul KAGAME reelected president; Paul KAGAME (RPF) 99.2%, Frank HABINEZA (DGPR) 0.5%, Philippe MPAYIMANA (independent) 0.3%
2017: Paul KAGAME reelected president; Paul KAGAME (RPF) 98.8%, Philippe MPAYIMANA (independent), other 1.2%
note: 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
Legislative branch
legislature name: Parlement (Parliament)
legislative structure: bicameral
Legislative branch – lower chamber
chamber name: Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Députés)
number of seats: 80 (53 directly elected; 27 indirectly elected)
electoral system: proportional representation
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 7/15/2024 to 7/16/2024
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%
expected date of next election: July 2029
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: Senate (Sénat)
number of seats: 26 (18 indirectly elected; 8 appointed)
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 9/16/2024 to 9/17/2024
percentage of women in chamber: 53.8%
expected date of next election: September 2029
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices and 5 judges; normally organized into 3-judge panels); High Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and a minimum of 24 judges and organized into 5 chambers)
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
Political parties
Democratic Green Party of Rwanda or DGPR
Liberal Party or PL
Party for Progress and Concord or PPC
Rwandan Patriotic Front or RPF
Rwandan Patriotic Front Coalition (includes RPF, PPC, PSP, UDPR, PDI, PSR, PDC)
Social Democratic Party or PSD
Social Party Imberakuri or PS-Imberakuri
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Mathilde MUKANTABANA (since 18 July 2013)
chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 232-2882
FAX: [1] (202) 232-4544
email address and website:
[email protected]
https://rwandaembassy.org/
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Eric KNEEDLER (since 3 October 2023)
embassy: 2657 Avenue de la Gendarmerie (Kaciyiru), P. O. Box 28 Kigali
mailing address: 2210 Kigali Place, Washington DC 20521-2210
telephone: [250] 252 596-400
FAX: [250] 252 580-325
email address and website:
[email protected]
https://rw.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Independence
1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday
Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Flag description
three horizontal bands of sky blue (top, double-width), yellow, and green, with a golden sun with 24 rays near the fly end of the blue band; blue stands for happiness and peace, yellow for economic development and mineral wealth, and green for hope for prosperity and natural resources; the sun symbolizes unity and enlightenment
National symbol(s)
traditional woven basket with peaked lid
National colors
blue, yellow, green
National anthem
name: “Rwanda nziza” (Rwanda, Our Beautiful Country)
lyrics/music: Faustin MURIGO/Jean-Bosco HASHAKAIMANA
note: adopted 2001
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 2 (1 cultural, 1 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Memorial sites of the Genocide: Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero (c); Nyungwe National Park (n)
Economy
Economic overview
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)
$42.701 billion (2023 est.)
$39.45 billion (2022 est.)
$36.474 billion (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 136
Real GDP growth rate
8.24% (2023 est.)
8.16% (2022 est.)
10.86% (2021 est.)
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 11
Real GDP per capita
$3,100 (2023 est.)
$2,900 (2022 est.)
$2,700 (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 195
GDP (official exchange rate)
$14.098 billion (2023 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.8% (2024 est.)
19.8% (2023 est.)
17.7% (2022 est.)
note: annual % change based on consumer prices
comparison ranking: 50
GDP – composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 27.1% (2023 est.)
industry: 21.5% (2023 est.)
services: 44.3% (2023 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
comparison rankings: services 178; industry 129; agriculture 17
GDP – composition, by end use
household consumption: 75.3% (2023 est.)
government consumption: 16.6% (2023 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 27.1% (2023 est.)
investment in inventories: -3.8% (2023 est.)
exports of goods and services: 25.4% (2023 est.)
imports of goods and services: -40.6% (2023 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Agricultural products
bananas, cassava, sweet potatoes, plantains, potatoes, maize, beans, pumpkins/squash, taro, sorghum (2023)
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Industries
cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes
Industrial production growth rate
10.25% (2023 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 18
Labor force
5.671 million (2024 est.)
note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
comparison ranking: 79
Unemployment rate
12% (2024 est.)
12.4% (2023 est.)
15.1% (2022 est.)
note: % of labor force seeking employment
comparison ranking: 175
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 17.5% (2024 est.)
male: 15.8% (2024 est.)
female: 19.4% (2024 est.)
note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
comparison ranking: total 72
Population below poverty line
38.2% (2016 est.)
note: % of population with income below national poverty line
Gini Index coefficient – distribution of family income
43.7 (2016 est.)
note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
comparison ranking: 27
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.4% (2016 est.)
highest 10%: 35.6% (2016 est.)
note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Remittances
3.67% of GDP (2023 est.)
3.56% of GDP (2022 est.)
3.53% of GDP (2021 est.)
note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Budget
revenues: $2.676 billion (2020 est.)
expenditures: $2.191 billion (2020 est.)
note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Public debt
40.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
comparison ranking: 129
Taxes and other revenues
13.7% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
comparison ranking: 149
Current account balance
-$1.654 billion (2023 est.)
-$1.246 billion (2022 est.)
-$1.209 billion (2021 est.)
note: balance of payments – net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
comparison ranking: 150
Exports
$3.509 billion (2023 est.)
$2.993 billion (2022 est.)
$2.11 billion (2021 est.)
note: balance of payments – exports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 152
Exports – partners
UAE 66%, China 10%, USA 3%, Kenya 3%, Thailand 2% (2023)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Exports – commodities
gold, rare earth ores, coffee, tea, tin ores (2023)
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports
$5.783 billion (2023 est.)
$4.978 billion (2022 est.)
$3.856 billion (2021 est.)
note: balance of payments – imports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 146
Imports – partners
China 19%, Kenya 14%, Uganda 13%, Tanzania 9%, UAE 7% (2023)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Imports – commodities
broadcasting equipment, fish, corn, packaged medicine, plastic products (2023)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$2.406 billion (2024 est.)
$1.834 billion (2023 est.)
$1.726 billion (2022 est.)
note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
comparison ranking: 128
Debt – external
$5.531 billion (2023 est.)
note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
comparison ranking: 70
Exchange rates
Rwandan francs (RWF) per US dollar –
Exchange rates:
1,318.128 (2024 est.)
1,160.099 (2023 est.)
1,030.308 (2022 est.)
988.625 (2021 est.)
943.278 (2020 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification – total population: 50.6% (2022 est.)
electrification – urban areas: 98%
electrification – rural areas: 38.2%
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 294,000 kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 876.401 million kWh (2023 est.)
exports: 8.674 million kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 32 million kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 197.606 million kWh (2023 est.)
comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 64; imports 119; exports 99; consumption 162; installed generating capacity 165
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 43.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
solar: 3.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 52.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
biomass and waste: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Coal
consumption: 123,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 89,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
refined petroleum consumption: 9,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Natural gas
production: 63.666 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
consumption: 63.696 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 56.634 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
1.645 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 226,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 1.295 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 124,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 163
Energy consumption per capita
1.808 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: 188
Communications
Telephones – fixed lines
total subscriptions: 8,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2023 est.) less than 1
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 190
Telephones – mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 12.8 million (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 80 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 81
Broadcast media
13 TV stations; 35 radio stations, including international broadcasters; government owns most popular TV and radio stations; regional satellite-based TV available
Internet country code
.rw
Internet users
percent of population: 34% (2023 est.)
Broadband – fixed subscriptions
total: 62,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2023 est.) less than 1
comparison ranking: total 143
Transportation
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
9XR
Airports
8 (2025)
comparison ranking: 165
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Rwanda Defense Force (RDF; Ingabo z’u Rwanda): Rwanda Army (Rwanda Land Force), Rwanda Air Force (Force Aerienne Rwandaise, FAR), Rwanda Reserve Force, Special Units
Ministry of Internal Security: Rwanda National Police (2025)
Military expenditures
1.3% of GDP (2024 est.)
1.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
1.4% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
1.3% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 30-35,000 active Rwanda Defense Forces (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the RDF’s inventory 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
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: as of 2022, women comprised approximately 6% of the Rwanda Defense Force
Military deployments
approximately 3,200 Central African Republic (about 2,200 under MINUSCA, plus some 700 police; approximately 1,000 under a bi-lateral agreement); estimated 3,000 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
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 exercisesthe 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
Rwanda Space Agency (L’Agence Spatiale Rwandaise; RSA; established 2020 and approved by legislature in 2021) (2024)
Space program overview
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: 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): 79,720 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 48,533 (Burundi) (2024)
stateless persons: 9,500 (2022)
Trafficking in persons
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Rwanda was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/rwanda/
