Population growth in Rwanda
Rwanda: Population growth was 2.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Population growth in Rwanda, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population growth in Rwanda is 2.2%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and down 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Rwanda peaked at 16.8% in 1996 and was at its lowest, -18.0%, in 1995.
Rwanda ranks 40th of 218 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth in Rwanda, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.8% | — |
| 1962 | 2.5% | -8.6% |
| 1963 | 2.3% | -10.2% |
| 1964 | 2.3% | +1.9% |
| 1965 | 2.6% | +13.5% |
| 1966 | 2.8% | +8.4% |
| 1967 | 3.0% | +6.5% |
| 1968 | 3.1% | +2.8% |
| 1969 | 3.1% | -0.7% |
| 1970 | 3.0% | -1.3% |
| 1971 | 3.0% | -3.0% |
| 1972 | 2.9% | -2.1% |
| 1973 | 2.9% | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 2.9% | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 2.9% | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 3.0% | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 3.0% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 3.0% | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 3.0% | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 3.1% | +2.9% |
| 1981 | 3.2% | +3.0% |
| 1982 | 3.3% | +2.6% |
| 1983 | 3.3% | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 3.4% | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 3.4% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 3.3% | -1.0% |
| 1987 | 3.3% | -1.9% |
| 1988 | 3.2% | -2.8% |
| 1989 | 3.1% | -3.9% |
| 1990 | 2.6% | -14.5% |
| 1991 | 2.0% | -22.3% |
| 1992 | 2.1% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 3.8% | +85.1% |
| 1994 | -16.1% | -524.0% |
| 1995 | -18.0% | +11.5% |
| 1996 | 16.8% | -193.1% |
| 1997 | 14.5% | -13.5% |
| 1998 | 4.1% | -71.6% |
| 1999 | 0.8% | -80.2% |
| 2000 | 0.8% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 0.9% | +9.9% |
| 2002 | 1.4% | +52.8% |
| 2003 | 2.2% | +62.2% |
| 2004 | 2.6% | +20.2% |
| 2005 | 2.7% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 2.7% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 2.7% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 2.6% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 2.6% | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 2.5% | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 2.5% | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 2.4% | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 2.4% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 2.4% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 2.4% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 2.4% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 2.3% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 2.3% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 2.3% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 2.2% | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 2.2% | -2.3% |
| 2022 | 2.2% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 2.2% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 2.1% | -2.6% |
| 2025 | 2.2% | +1.3% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 2.2% is below the median for low income countries, which is 2.6%, 85% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 2.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.3%, 96% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth in Rwanda changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | -524.0% | 3.8% | -16.1% |
| 1996 | +193.1% | -18.0% | 16.8% |
| 1993 | +85.1% | 2.1% | 3.8% |
| 1999 | -80.2% | 4.1% | 0.8% |
| 1998 | -71.6% | 14.5% | 4.1% |
| 2003 | +62.2% | 1.4% | 2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.7% | 2.3% | 3.1% | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.0% | 2.9% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.3% | 3.1% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.3% | -18.0% | 16.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.1% | 0.8% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More climate change data for Rwanda
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 14.59 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,059 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,586 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,473 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 5.98 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 88.33 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 388.82 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 261.95 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 126.86 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.9885 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Rwanda?
- Population growth in Rwanda was 2.2% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 16.8% in 1996.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was -18.0% in 1995.
- How does Rwanda rank for population growth?
- Rwanda ranks 40th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Rwanda data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.