Demographics of Rwanda

This article is about the demographic features of the population of Rwanda, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Rwanda's population density, even after the 1994 genocide, is among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa at 230 inhabitants per square kilometre (600/sq mi). 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, but no more than 5% have received secondary education.

Ethnic groups

The indigenous population 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 cattleholding.

The Twa (pygmies) (1%) are thought to be the remnants of the earliest settlers of the region.

Population

A graph showing Rwanda's total population, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.

According to the 2017 revision of the World Population Prospects^[1] the total population was 11,629,553 in 2015, compared to only 2 072 000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 42.6%, 54.7% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 2.7% was 65 years or older .^[2]

Structure of the population ^[3]

Structure of the population (01.07.2012) (Estimates, Data refer to national projections) :

Structure of the population (DHS 2013) (Males 9 546, Females 10 726 = 20 272) :

Vital statistics

Registration of vital events is in Rwanda not complete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates. ^[2]

Births and deaths ^[4]

Fertility and Births

Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):^[5]

Fertility data as of 2014-2015 (DHS Program):^[6]

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Population

12,661,733
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS. This disease can result in lower life expectancy, population, and growth rates; higher infant mortality and death rates; and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2011 est.)

Population growth rate

2.792% (2011 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 47.3 years
male: 46.26 years
female: 48.38 years (2006 est.)

Nationality

noun: Rwandan(s)/Rwandese
adjective: Rwandan/Rwandese

Ethnic groups^[7]

• Hutu 84%
• Tutsi 15%
• Twa 1%

Religions^[7]

• Roman Catholic 49.5%
• Protestant 39.4% (includes Adventist 12.2% and other Protestant 27.2%)
• Other Christian 4.5%
• Islam 1.8%
• Animist 0.1%
• Other 0.6%
• None 3.6%
• Unspecified 0.5%

Languages^[7]

• Kinyarwanda only (official universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%
• Kinyarwanda and other language(s) 6.2%
• French (official) and other language(s) 0.1%
• English (official) and other language(s) 0.1%
• Swahili (or Kiswahili used in commercial centers) 0.02%
• Other 0.03%
• Unspecified 0.3% (2002 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70.4%
male: 76.3%
female: 64.7% (2003 est.)

See also

• Silas Niyibizi

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Demographics of Rwanda.

Ethnic groups in Rwanda
Great Lakes Twa Hutu Kiga Tutsi Wahinda