Population growth in Rwanda
From 1960 to 2020 the population of Rwanda increased from 2.93 m to 12.95 m people. This is a growth by 341.5 percent in 60 years. The highest increase in Rwanda was recorded in 1998 with 8.46%. The biggest decrease in 1993 with -6.54%.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 155.5 percent.
The average age in Rwanda rose by 0.15 years from 2012 to 2013 from 18.05 to 18.20 years (median value).
Around 17% of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 3.2% annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Rwanda
Population development in Rwanda since 1960
(Data in millions of inhabitants)| Year | Population Rwanda | Change | Birthrate | Deathrate | Population World | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.00 M | 2.14 % | 3,075 M | 1.35 % | |||
| 1962 | 3.05 M | 1.82 % | 3,128 M | 1.72 % | |||
| 1963 | 3.10 M | 1.72 % | 3,193 M | 2.07 % | |||
| 1964 | 3.16 M | 1.89 % | 3,258 M | 2.05 % | |||
| 1965 | 3.23 M | 2.25 % | 3,325 M | 2.05 % | |||
| 1966 | 3.32 M | 2.66 % | 3,395 M | 2.10 % | |||
| 1967 | 3.42 M | 2.99 % | 3,464 M | 2.05 % | |||
| 1968 | 3.53 M | 3.19 % | 3,535 M | 2.03 % | |||
| 1969 | 3.64 M | 3.21 % | 3,609 M | 2.11 % | |||
| 1970 | 3.75 M | 3.13 % | 3,685 M | 2.09 % | |||
| 1971 | 3.87 M | 3.03 % | 3,762 M | 2.10 % | |||
| 1972 | 3.98 M | 2.98 % | 3,839 M | 2.04 % | |||
| 1973 | 4.10 M | 2.98 % | 3,915 M | 1.98 % | |||
| 1974 | 4.23 M | 3.03 % | 3,991 M | 1.96 % | |||
| 1975 | 4.36 M | 3.13 % | 4,066 M | 1.87 % | |||
| 1976 | 4.50 M | 3.22 % | 4,139 M | 1.79 % | |||
| 1977 | 4.65 M | 3.29 % | 4,212 M | 1.75 % | |||
| 1978 | 4.80 M | 3.36 % | 4,286 M | 1.75 % | |||
| 1979 | 4.98 M | 3.64 % | 53.7 ‰ | 18.6 ‰ | 4,358 M | 1.68 % | |
| 1980 | 5.15 M | 3.50 % | 53.7 ‰ | 17.9 ‰ | 4,434 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1981 | 5.33 M | 3.41 % | 53.6 ‰ | 17.1 ‰ | 4,512 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1982 | 5.50 M | 3.29 % | 53.3 ‰ | 16.2 ‰ | 4,593 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1983 | 5.69 M | 3.38 % | 52.9 ‰ | 15.3 ‰ | 4,675 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1984 | 5.90 M | 3.72 % | 52.4 ‰ | 14.7 ‰ | 4,757 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1985 | 6.15 M | 4.13 % | 51.8 ‰ | 14.8 ‰ | 4,840 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1986 | 6.44 M | 4.83 % | 51.0 ‰ | 16.1 ‰ | 4,926 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1987 | 6.78 M | 5.22 % | 50.1 ‰ | 18.8 ‰ | 5,014 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1988 | 7.09 M | 4.55 % | 49.2 ‰ | 22.7 ‰ | 5,102 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1989 | 7.28 M | 2.66 % | 48.2 ‰ | 27.5 ‰ | 5,191 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1990 | 7.29 M | 0.16 % | 47.2 ‰ | 32.4 ‰ | 5,281 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1991 | 7.08 M | -2.81 % | 46.3 ‰ | 36.4 ‰ | 5,369 M | 1.66 % | |
| 1992 | 6.70 M | -5.39 % | 45.4 ‰ | 38.5 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
| 1993 | 6.26 M | -6.54 % | 44.6 ‰ | 38.4 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
| 1994 | 5.94 M | -5.23 % | 43.9 ‰ | 36.1 ‰ | 5,623 M | 1.52 % | |
| 1995 | 5.84 M | -1.68 % | 43.2 ‰ | 32.1 ‰ | 5,708 M | 1.51 % | |
| 1996 | 6.01 M | 3.03 % | 42.6 ‰ | 27.1 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
| 1997 | 6.42 M | 6.77 % | 41.9 ‰ | 22.2 ‰ | 5,873 M | 1.43 % | |
| 1998 | 6.96 M | 8.46 % | 41.3 ‰ | 18.1 ‰ | 5,955 M | 1.39 % | |
| 1999 | 7.50 M | 7.73 % | 40.7 ‰ | 15.3 ‰ | 6,035 M | 1.35 % | |
| 2000 | 7.93 M | 5.77 % | 40.1 ‰ | 13.7 ‰ | 6,115 M | 1.32 % | |
| 2001 | 8.23 M | 3.75 % | 39.5 ‰ | 13.1 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
| 2002 | 8.43 M | 2.38 % | 39.0 ‰ | 12.9 ‰ | 6,274 M | 1.28 % | |
| 2003 | 8.56 M | 1.54 % | 38.5 ‰ | 12.7 ‰ | 6,353 M | 1.26 % | |
| 2004 | 8.68 M | 1.44 % | 38.1 ‰ | 12.3 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2005 | 8.84 M | 1.84 % | 37.7 ‰ | 11.6 ‰ | 6,513 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2006 | 9.04 M | 2.30 % | 37.4 ‰ | 10.7 ‰ | 6,594 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2007 | 9.27 M | 2.55 % | 37.0 ‰ | 9.8 ‰ | 6,675 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2008 | 9.52 M | 2.70 % | 36.5 ‰ | 8.9 ‰ | 6,758 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2009 | 9.78 M | 2.71 % | 35.1 ‰ | 8.0 ‰ | 6,841 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2010 | 10.04 M | 2.62 % | 34.6 ‰ | 7.3 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.19 % | |
| 2011 | 10.29 M | 2.53 % | 34.0 ‰ | 6.8 ‰ | 7,003 M | 1.17 % | |
| 2012 | 10.55 M | 2.49 % | 33.6 ‰ | 6.4 ‰ | 7,086 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2013 | 10.81 M | 2.48 % | 33.2 ‰ | 6.1 ‰ | 7,170 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2014 | 11.08 M | 2.52 % | 32.9 ‰ | 5.8 ‰ | 7,254 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2015 | 11.37 M | 2.58 % | 32.6 ‰ | 5.6 ‰ | 7,339 M | 1.17 % | |
| 2016 | 11.67 M | 2.64 % | 32.4 ‰ | 5.4 ‰ | 7,424 M | 1.16 % | |
| 2017 | 11.98 M | 2.67 % | 32.1 ‰ | 5.3 ‰ | 7,509 M | 1.14 % | |
| 2018 | 12.30 M | 2.68 % | 31.7 ‰ | 5.2 ‰ | 7,592 M | 1.11 % | |
| 2019 | 12.63 M | 2.64 % | 31.2 ‰ | 5.1 ‰ | 7,673 M | 1.07 % | |
| 2020 | 12.95 M | 2.58 % | 7,753 M | 1.04 % |
Birth- and deathrate in Rwanda
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. The example of the year 2019 in the graph: The population in Rwanda increased by about 325,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 5.1 per 1000 people (~ 63,000 deaths) and the birth rate was 31.2 per 1000 people (~ 384,000 births). As a result, around 4,000 inhabitants have to be added by migration from other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 65,984 in Rwanda. The number of births was 369,129 annually.
The development of births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1000 inhabitants.
Birthrate Deathrate