Population growth in Rwanda
From 1960 to 2021 the population of Rwanda increased from 2.94 million to 13.46 million people. This is a growth of 358.6 percent in 61 years. The highest increase in Rwanda was recorded in 1998 with 8.46 percent. The biggest decrease in 1993 with -6.54 percent.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 160.2 percent.
The average age in Rwanda rose by 1.65 years from 2012 to 2021 from 18.05 to 19.70 years (median value).
Around 18 percent of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 3.1 percent 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 Rwanda | Birth rate | Death rate | Population World | Change World | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.00 M | 2.14 % | 51.4 ‰ | 22.4 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
| 1962 | 3.05 M | 1.82 % | 50.8 ‰ | 22.0 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
| 1963 | 3.11 M | 1.72 % | 50.2 ‰ | 21.7 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
| 1964 | 3.16 M | 1.89 % | 49.7 ‰ | 21.3 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
| 1965 | 3.24 M | 2.25 % | 49.4 ‰ | 21.0 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
| 1966 | 3.32 M | 2.66 % | 49.1 ‰ | 20.7 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
| 1967 | 3.42 M | 2.99 % | 49.1 ‰ | 20.5 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
| 1968 | 3.53 M | 3.18 % | 49.2 ‰ | 20.3 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
| 1969 | 3.64 M | 3.21 % | 49.4 ‰ | 20.2 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
| 1970 | 3.76 M | 3.13 % | 49.7 ‰ | 20.2 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
| 1971 | 3.87 M | 3.04 % | 50.2 ‰ | 20.1 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
| 1972 | 3.99 M | 2.99 % | 50.7 ‰ | 20.1 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
| 1973 | 4.11 M | 2.99 % | 51.3 ‰ | 20.1 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
| 1974 | 4.23 M | 3.05 % | 51.8 ‰ | 20.1 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
| 1975 | 4.36 M | 3.15 % | 52.4 ‰ | 20.0 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
| 1976 | 4.51 M | 3.24 % | 52.8 ‰ | 19.7 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1977 | 4.66 M | 3.31 % | 53.2 ‰ | 19.4 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1978 | 4.81 M | 3.38 % | 53.5 ‰ | 18.9 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1979 | 4.98 M | 3.45 % | 53.7 ‰ | 18.3 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1980 | 5.15 M | 3.50 % | 53.7 ‰ | 17.6 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1981 | 5.33 M | 3.41 % | 53.6 ‰ | 16.7 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1982 | 5.50 M | 3.29 % | 53.4 ‰ | 15.7 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1983 | 5.69 M | 3.38 % | 53.0 ‰ | 14.8 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1984 | 5.90 M | 3.72 % | 52.5 ‰ | 14.0 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1985 | 6.15 M | 4.13 % | 51.8 ‰ | 14.0 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1986 | 6.44 M | 4.83 % | 51.1 ‰ | 15.5 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1987 | 6.78 M | 5.22 % | 50.2 ‰ | 18.5 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1988 | 7.09 M | 4.55 % | 49.3 ‰ | 23.0 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1989 | 7.28 M | 2.66 % | 48.3 ‰ | 28.5 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1990 | 7.29 M | 0.16 % | 47.3 ‰ | 34.2 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1991 | 7.08 M | -2.81 % | 46.3 ‰ | 38.7 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
| 1992 | 6.70 M | -5.39 % | 45.4 ‰ | 41.3 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
| 1993 | 6.26 M | -6.54 % | 44.6 ‰ | 41.4 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
| 1994 | 5.94 M | -5.23 % | 43.8 ‰ | 38.9 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
| 1995 | 5.84 M | -1.68 % | 43.1 ‰ | 34.4 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
| 1996 | 6.01 M | 3.03 % | 42.4 ‰ | 28.9 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
| 1997 | 6.42 M | 6.76 % | 41.7 ‰ | 23.4 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
| 1998 | 6.96 M | 8.46 % | 41.0 ‰ | 18.9 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
| 1999 | 7.50 M | 7.73 % | 40.4 ‰ | 15.7 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
| 2000 | 7.93 M | 5.77 % | 39.7 ‰ | 14.0 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
| 2001 | 8.23 M | 3.75 % | 39.0 ‰ | 13.4 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
| 2002 | 8.43 M | 2.38 % | 38.4 ‰ | 13.2 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
| 2003 | 8.56 M | 1.54 % | 37.9 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
| 2004 | 8.68 M | 1.44 % | 37.4 ‰ | 12.5 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2005 | 8.84 M | 1.84 % | 37.0 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2006 | 9.04 M | 2.30 % | 36.6 ‰ | 10.8 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2007 | 9.27 M | 2.55 % | 36.2 ‰ | 9.8 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2008 | 9.52 M | 2.70 % | 35.7 ‰ | 8.8 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2009 | 9.78 M | 2.71 % | 35.1 ‰ | 8.0 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2010 | 10.04 M | 2.62 % | 34.6 ‰ | 7.3 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2011 | 10.29 M | 2.53 % | 34.0 ‰ | 6.8 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2012 | 10.55 M | 2.49 % | 33.6 ‰ | 6.4 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2013 | 10.81 M | 2.48 % | 33.2 ‰ | 6.1 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2014 | 11.08 M | 2.52 % | 32.1 ‰ | 7.0 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2015 | 11.64 M | 5.05 % | 31.8 ‰ | 6.7 ‰ | 7,405 M | 1.97 % | |
| 2016 | 11.93 M | 2.47 % | 31.7 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | 7,492 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2017 | 12.23 M | 2.51 % | 31.4 ‰ | 6.4 ‰ | 7,578 M | 1.15 % | |
| 2018 | 12.53 M | 2.46 % | 31.2 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 7,662 M | 1.10 % | |
| 2019 | 12.84 M | 2.42 % | 30.8 ‰ | 6.1 ‰ | 7,743 M | 1.06 % | |
| 2020 | 13.15 M | 2.43 % | 30.3 ‰ | 6.0 ‰ | 7,821 M | 1.01 % | |
| 2021 | 13.46 M | 2.40 % | 7,888 M | 0.86 % |
Birth and death rate in Rwanda
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. For example, the year 2020 in the graph: The population in Rwanda increased by about 311,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 6.0 per 1,000 people (~ 77,000 deaths) and the birth rate was 30.3 per 1,000 people (~ 389,000 births). As a result, around 1,000 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 74,906 in Rwanda. The number of births was 373,501 annually.
The changes in births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
Birth rate Death rate
Comparison of the global population density
Quality of life 2023 in country comparison
Active volcanoes and eruptions in the United States