Demographic features of the population of Rwanda include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects.
Rwanda's population density is among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa at . This country has few villages, and nearly every family lives in a self-contained compound on a hillside. The urban concentrations are grouped around administrative centers.
Over half of the adult population is literate, and approximately 48% have received secondary education.
Population
In 1950, Rwanda had a very narrow population pyramid, with less than 250,000 males and females between 0–10 years old. The graph only gets narrower as it goes up with virtually no-one living past 50 years of age. In 2017, the population of Rwanda increased dramatically from 1950 with about 750,000 people between 0–20 years old; the graph remains very narrow in the older ages section but has improved from 1950. By 2050, it is predicted that more people will be living longer and the structure will broaden overall. By 2100, it is predicted that there will be more people aged between 30 and 60 than between 0–20, as previous years have shown.
According to the total population was in , compared to only 2,072,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 42.6%, 54.7% were between 15 and 65 years of age, and 2.7% was 65 years or older.Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision
+ PopulationTotal population (in thousands)Population aged 0–14 (%)Population aged 15–64 (%)Population aged 65+ (%) 19502,07245.152.32.6 19552,38646.350.82.9 19602,77148.149.12.8 19653,22147.849.52.7 19703,74947.849.72.5 19754,39047.749.92.4 19805,17948.149.72.2 19856,08148.949.12.0 19907,11049.148.72.2 19955,57048.449.32.3 20008,09845.452.02.6 20059,20242.455.02.7 201010,62442.654.72.7 201210,51641.1655.653.19
Structure of the population
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2012) (Data refer to national projections.): Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 5,342,112 5,691,029 11,033,141 100 0–4 973,447 957,104 1,930,551 17.50 5–9 770,292 763,709 1,534,001 13.90 10–14 608,836 621,378 1,230,213 11.15 15–19 552,629 568,101 1,120,730 10.16 20–24 525,485 550,486 1,075,971 9.75 25–29 508,839 540,872 1,049,712 9.51 30–34 366,700 416,072 782,772 7.09 35–39 241,362 291,340 532,702 4.83 40–44 197,005 228,728 425,733 3.86 45–49 165,096 193,402 358,499 3.25 50–54 153,080 180,759 333,839 3.03 55–59 107,200 132,234 239,433 2.17 60–64 71,924 92,299 164,223 1.49 65–69 38,125 58,585 96,710 0.88 70–74 29,285 46,236 75,521 0.68 75–79 17,736 27,557 45,293 0.41 80+ 15,071 22,178 37,239 0.34 Age group Male Female Total Percent 0–14 2,352,575 2,342,191 4,694,766 42.55 15–64 2,889,320 3,194,282 6,083,602 55.14 65+ 100,217 154,556 254,773 2.31
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2019) (Projections based on the 2012 Population Census.): Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 6 008 384 6 366 013 12 374 397 100 0–4 844 359 828 304 1 672 663 13.52 5–9 764 098 763 070 1 527 168 12.34 10–14 757 029 764 727 1 521 756 12.30 15–19 669 226 685 385 1 354 611 10.95 20–24 559 045 580 570 1 139 615 9.21 25–29 502 947 533 613 1 036 560 8.38 30–34 464 011 487 289 951 301 7.69 35–39 399 641 420 377 820 018 6.63 40–44 272 423 311 994 584 417 4.72 45–49 193 490 233 052 426 542 3.45 50–54 158 153 188 719 346 872 2.80 55–59 143 753 177 803 321 557 2.60 60–64 113 795 145 306 259 101 2.09 65-69 75 204 99 427 174 630 1.41 70-74 41 032 60 933 101 965 0.82 75-79 24 110 41 408 65 519 0.53 80+ 26 067 44 035 70 102 0.57Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 2 365 486 2 356 101 4 721 587 38.16 15–64 3 476 485 3 764 109 7 240 594 58.51 65+ 166 413 245 803 412 216 3.33
Vital statistics
Registration of vital events is in Rwanda not complete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates: Mid-year populationLive birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000)Total fertility rate (TFR)Infant mortality (per 1000)Life expectancy (in years)19502 154 000 119 000 48 000 71 00055.422.433.17.92147.243.341951 2 227 000 123 000 50 000 73 00055.322.532.87.94146.743.441952 2 302 000 127 000 52 000 76 00055.322.532.87.98145.743.671953 2 379 000 131 000 53 000 78 00055.222.432.88.02144.743.881954 2 457 000 135 000 55 000 80 00054.922.232.78.06143.744.041955 2 538 000 138 000 56 000 83 00054.522.032.58.09142.644.251956 2 621 000 142 000 57 000 85 00054.121.832.38.12141.644.431957 2 706 000 145 000 57 000 88 00053.621.132.58.14138.145.161958 2 793 000 148 000 57 000 91 00053.020.532.68.16134.545.861959 2 881 000 151 000 57 000 94 00052.419.832.68.18131.146.621960 2 966 000 154 000 57 000 97 00051.719.232.58.19128.147.181961 3 047 000 155 000 57 000 98 00050.818.732.18.19125.847.661962 3 122 000 156 000 57 000 99 00049.818.331.58.20124.147.991963 3 191 000 157 000 66 000 91 00048.920.628.38.20124.944.071964 3 264 000 157 000 58 000 99 00048.017.830.38.20122.648.241965 3 349 000 159 000 59 000 100 00047.517.629.98.20122.648.281966 3 444 000 163 000 61 000 102 00047.317.629.78.20123.148.171967 3 549 000 168 000 62 000 106 00047.417.629.88.20123.948.091968 3 662 000 175 000 65 000 110 00047.817.830.08.21125.347.751969 3 778 000 183 000 68 000 114 00048.318.130.28.22126.947.401970 3 896 000190 000 72 000 119 00048.818.430.48.23128.447.151971 4 015 000 197 000 75 000 122 00049.118.630.58.23129.946.831972 4 136 000 205 000 78 000 126 00049.418.930.58.23131.846.501973 4 259 000 212 000 83 000 130 00049.819.430.48.23134.345.911974 4 386 000 220 000 87 000 133 00050.119.930.28.23137.445.301975 4 516 000 228 000 92 000 136 00050.420.430.08.22140.344.701976 4 648 000 237 000 96 000 141 00050.920.630.38.24142.344.651977 4 783 000 245 000 98 000 147 00051.220.530.78.24142.344.801978 4 922 000 254 000 99 000 155 00051.620.131.58.25139.645.481979 5 074 000 264 000 98 000 167 00052.119.232.98.23134.246.661980 5 248 000 274 000 95 000 178 00052.218.234.08.19127.047.961981 5 442 000 285 000 93 000 192 00052.317.135.38.16118.949.421982 5 653 000 294 000 91 000 203 00052.116.136.08.09111.350.691983 5 859 000 302 000 91 000 212 00051.515.436.17.99105.551.321984 6 057 000 307 000 91 000 216 00050.615.035.77.87101.251.641985 6 267 000 310 000 92 000 218 00049.514.634.97.7397.951.731986 6 498 000 315 000 94 000 222 00048.614.434.27.5695.251.641987 6 736 000 322 000 96 000 226 00047.814.333.57.3993.051.481988 6 954 000 326 000 100 000 227 00046.814.332.57.2391.350.981989 7 142 000 327 000 104 000 223 00045.714.631.17.0691.250.221990 7 320 000 325 000 113 000 212 00044.315.428.86.8793.248.431991 7 486 000 323 000 124 000 200 00043.016.526.66.7197.746.521992 7 657 000 325 000 137 000 188 00042.417.924.66.61104.844.321993 7 905 000 330 000 152 000 177 00042.119.422.66.51113.242.171994 6 733 000 324 000 809 000 −485 00041.5103.5 −62.16.41178.514.101995 5 687 000 224 000 111 000 113 00041.020.420.66.32129.439.971996 6 716 000 248 000 119 000 129 00041.119.721.46.25129.840.701997 7 667 000 310 000 148 000 162 00041.119.621.46.18129.140.641998 7 915 000 328 000 149 000 178 00041.218.822.46.12124.441.681999 8 010 000 331 000 138 000 193 00041.117.124.06.01118.344.622000 8 110 000 334 000 129 000 205 00040.915.825.15.92110.647.132001 8 224 000 330 007 123 000 214 00040.814.825.95.84101.749.022002 8 372 000 339 000 117 000 222 00040.413.926.55.7592.751.032003 8 568 000 344 000 110 000 235 00040.112.827.45.6784.253.372004 8 790 002 351 000 102 000 249 00039.911.528.35.5776.355.492005 9 026 000 357 000 95 000 261 00039.510.528.95.4469.057.322006 9 270 000 360 000 91 000 269 00038.89.829.05.2862.658.712007 9 523 000 362 000 88 000 275 00038.09.228.85.1057.259.972008 9 782 000 362 000 85 000 278 00037.08.628.34.9052.461.132009 10 044 000 361 000 83 000 278 00035.98.327.74.7248.461.962010 10 309 000 359 000 83 000 276 00034.88.126.84.5344.962.542011 10 577 000 356 000 83 000 273 00033.77.825.84.3641.763.262012 10 840 000 356 000 82 000 274 00032.87.625.24.2339.464.012013 11 101 000 360 000 81 000 279 00032.47.325.14.1637.664.432014 11 368 000 365 000 79 000 286 00032.17.025.14.1136.164.942015 11 643 000 371 000 78 000 293 00031.86.725.14.0834.865.302016 11 931 000 378 000 77 000 300 00031.76.525.24.0633.765.742017 12 230 000 384 000 78 000 306 00031.46.425.04.0332.765.942018 12 532 000 391 000 78 000 313 00031.26.224.93.9932.066.252019 12 835 000 395 000 79 000 316 00030.86.124.63.9431.066.442020 13 146 000 399 000 79 000 320 00030.36.024.33.8730.166.772021 13 355 000 392 000 83 000 310 000 29.46.223.2 3.8429.266.92022 13 651 000 394 000 82 000 312 000 28.3 6.022.93.7828.367.52023 13 954 000 396 000 83 000 313 00028.35.922.43.7027.567.8202428.15.922.23.64202527.75.921.93.59
Demographic and Health Surveys Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):
Year Total Urban Rural 1992 40.0 6.23 4.2 38.0 4.51 3.3 41.0 6.33 4.3 2000 5.8 4.7 5.2 4.1 5.9 4.8 2005 43.2 6.1 4.6 39.8 4.9 3.6 43.8 6.3 4.8 2007–08 39.2 5.5 3.7 37.4 4.7 3.3 39.6 5.7 3.8 2010 34.4 4.6 3.1 30.6 3.4 2.6 35.0 4.8 3.2 2014–15 32.6 4.2 3.1 34.3 3.6 2.7 32.3 4.3 3.2 2019-2020 31.8 4.1 3.1 32.4 3.4 2.8 31.6 4.3 3.2 2025 27.7 3.7 2.8 29.9 3.4 2.6 26.9 3.9 2.9
Fertility data as of 2014–15 (DHS Program):
Province Total fertility rate Percentage of women age 15–49 currently pregnant Mean number of children ever born to women age 40–49Kigali 3.6 6.9 4.6South 4.0 6.9 5.0West 4.6 7.4 5.9North 3.7 6.3 5.6East 4.6 8.4 5.9
Life expectancy
PeriodLife expectancy inYearsPeriodLife expectancy inYears1950–195540.01985–199048.11955–196041.51990–199523.71960–196543.01995–200044.71965–197044.12000–200550.61970–197544.62005–201060.11975–198045.82010–202065.21980–198549.8 Source: UN
Ethnic groups
The Rwandan population largely consists of three ethnic groups. The Hutus, who comprise the majority of the population (85%), are farmers of Bantu origin. The Tutsis (14% before the Genocide, probably less than 10% now) are a pastoral people who arrived in the area in the 15th century. Until 1959, they formed the dominant caste under a feudal system based on cattle-holding, and ruled in the pre-colonial Kingdom of Rwanda.
The Twa (pygmies) (1%) are thought to be the remnants of the earliest settlers of the region.
Languages
Kinyarwanda is the national language of Rwanda and the first language of almost the entire population. Because many Rwandans are multilingual, the total literacy percentages exceed 100%. According to the 2022 Census, the general language literacy among the resident population aged 15 and above is as follows:
Kinyarwanda (official universal Bantu vernacular) 78.3% English (official) 21.2% French (official) 8.2% Swahili (or Kiswahili used in commercial centres) 4.0% Other 0.07%
Language Breakdown Distribution To illustrate how these languages intersect across the population, the detailed multilingual breakdown of exclusive and mixed language literacy is distributed as follows:
+ Language Literacy Breakdown Distribution Language(s) of Literacy Percentage Kinyarwanda 54.0% Kinyarwanda & English 14.1% Kinyarwanda, English & French 4.1% Kinyarwanda & French 1.9% Kinyarwanda, English, French & Swahili 1.5% Kinyarwanda, English & Swahili 1.0% Kinyarwanda & Swahili 0.7% Kinyarwanda, French & Swahili 0.4% Kinyarwanda, English, French & Swahili & Other 0.2% Kinyarwanda & Other 0.1% Kinyarwanda, English & Other 0.1% Kinyarwanda, English, French & Other 0.1% Kinyarwanda, English, Swahili & Other 0.1% Other 0.1% None 21.2% Total 100%