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 500 PD/km2. 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 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. The Twa (pygmies) (1%) are thought to be the remnants of the earliest settlers of the region.

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 .

Structure of the population

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2012) (Data refer to national projections.): Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2019) (Projections based on the 2012 Population Census.):

Vital statistics

Registration of vital events is in Rwanda not complete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates:

Fertility and Births

Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR): Fertility data as of 2014–15 (DHS Program):

Life expectancy

Source: UN

Other demographic statistics

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2024. The following demographics are from the CIA World Factbook unless otherwise indicated.

Population

Religions

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

Birth rate

Death rate

Total fertility rate

Population growth rate

Median age

Mother's mean age at first birth

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Net migration rate

Dependency ratios

Urbanization

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 65.85 years. Country comparison to the world: 199th male: 63.89 years female: 67.86 years (2022 est.)

Major infectious diseases

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: 0.70 male(s)/female total population: 1.00 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Nationality

noun: Rwandan(s)/Rwandese adjective: Rwandan/Rwandese 85% Hutu, 14% Tutsi, 1% Twa.

Languages

Education expenditure

3.4% of GDP (2020) Country comparison to the world: 133rd

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write https://liveprod.worldbank.org/en/economies/rwanda#:~:text=Adult%20literacy%20in%20Rwanda%20is%20lower%20among,74.2%%2061.4%%20*%20Low%20income.%2069.6%%2054.3%

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24