🇷🇼 Rwanda Population 2026

As of 2026, the population of Rwanda is 14,889,693, ranking #77 in the world (0.18% of the global population), based on UN World Population Prospects 2024. The population is growing at 2.12% per year. The biggest city is Kigali with 1,132,686 inhabitants.

Live estimate

14,897,255

Growth rate

2.12%

Density

615

people / km² (1593 / mi²)

Median age

20.2

Fertility rate

3.54

births per woman

Life expectancy

68.5

years

Rwanda population 1950–2100

Population of Rwanda, 1950–2100 — solid: UN estimates, dashed: UN medium-variant projection.

By 2050, the population of Rwanda is projected to reach 22,707,910, and 32,779,346 by 2100.

Rwanda population by year

Year	Population	Growth	Density /km²	Median age
2026	14,889,693	2.12%	615.0	20.2
2025	14,569,340	2.23%	601.8	19.9
2024	14,256,567	2.11%	588.9	19.7
2023	13,954,472	2.18%	576.4	19.4
2022	13,651,030	2.22%	563.9	19.2
2021	13,355,260	2.16%	551.6	19.0
2020	13,065,837	2.22%	539.7	18.9
2019	12,776,103	2.26%	527.7	18.7
2018	12,487,996	2.30%	515.8	18.6
2017	12,202,060	2.33%	504.0	18.5
2016	11,919,183	2.36%	492.3	18.4
2015	11,640,022	2.38%	480.8	18.3
2014	11,364,757	2.40%	469.4	18.1
2013	11,093,340	2.43%	458.2	17.9
2012	10,829,901	2.38%	447.3	17.8
2011	10,573,733	2.41%	436.8	17.6
2010	10,317,554	2.49%	426.2	17.5
2009	10,060,432	2.55%	415.5	17.4
2008	9,804,268	2.60%	405.0	17.3
2007	9,549,933	2.65%	394.5	17.1
2006	9,299,246	2.67%	384.1	17.0
2005	9,054,528	2.67%	374.0	16.8
2004	8,816,844	2.65%	364.2	16.6
2003	8,586,875	2.63%	354.7	16.3
2002	8,400,180	1.76%	347.0	16.1
2001	8,287,094	0.95%	342.3	15.7
2000	8,213,930	0.82%	339.3	15.2
1999	8,147,912	0.79%	336.6	14.7
1998	8,081,681	0.84%	333.8	14.2
1997	7,755,238	7.54%	320.3	13.8
1996	6,708,764	22.58%	277.1	13.5
1995	5,674,118	9.90%	234.4	13.2
1994	6,792,352	-41.78%	280.6	14.0
1993	7,981,132	5.26%	329.7	14.6
1992	7,683,266	2.29%	317.4	14.5
1991	7,526,966	1.82%	310.9	14.5
1990	7,375,307	2.26%	304.6	14.5
1989	7,184,706	2.99%	296.8	14.5
1988	6,968,071	3.14%	287.8	14.5
1987	6,749,492	3.24%	278.8	14.6
1986	6,531,881	3.31%	269.8	14.7
1985	6,317,228	3.37%	260.9	14.8
1984	6,107,627	3.38%	252.3	14.9
1983	5,905,312	3.36%	243.9	15.0
1982	5,711,549	3.31%	235.9	15.2
1981	5,527,230	3.24%	228.3	15.3
1980	5,353,259	3.15%	221.1	15.4
1979	5,189,540	3.06%	214.4	15.5
1978	5,035,170	2.98%	208.0	15.5
1977	4,888,240	2.94%	201.9	15.5
1976	4,745,954	2.96%	196.0	15.4
1975	4,607,728	2.95%	190.3	15.3
1974	4,474,228	2.93%	184.8	15.2
1973	4,345,047	2.93%	179.5	15.1
1972	4,220,335	2.90%	174.3	15.0
1971	4,100,044	2.89%	169.4	14.8
1970	3,980,669	3.02%	164.4	14.7
1969	3,861,271	3.07%	159.5	14.5
1968	3,744,010	3.10%	154.6	14.3
1967	3,629,577	3.11%	149.9	14.1
1966	3,521,626	2.93%	145.5	13.9
1965	3,423,210	2.74%	141.4	13.8
1964	3,334,834	2.49%	137.7	13.7
1963	3,258,890	2.11%	134.6	13.7
1962	3,186,025	2.42%	131.6	13.9
1961	3,106,779	2.63%	128.3	14.1
1960	3,022,294	2.89%	124.8	14.4
1959	2,932,394	3.15%	121.1	14.7
1958	2,840,129	3.25%	117.3	15.1
1957	2,747,874	3.36%	113.5	15.4
1956	2,656,809	3.38%	109.7	15.8
1955	2,568,298	3.40%	106.1	16.1
1954	2,482,122	3.43%	102.5	16.4
1953	2,398,360	3.44%	99.1	16.7
1952	2,316,510	3.51%	95.7	16.9
1951	2,236,031	3.56%	92.4	17.1
1950	2,157,096	3.63%	89.1	17.2

Year	Population	Growth	Density /km²	Median age
2027	15,214,328	2.19%	628.4	20.5
2028	15,536,462	2.00%	641.7	20.8
2029	15,844,658	1.93%	654.5	21.0
2030	16,154,705	1.95%	667.3	21.2
2031	16,473,108	1.96%	680.4	21.5
2032	16,771,822	1.64%	692.8	21.7
2033	17,073,475	1.92%	705.2	21.9
2034	17,402,254	1.89%	718.8	22.1
2035	17,746,319	2.02%	733.0	22.3
2036	18,076,776	1.67%	746.7	22.5
2037	18,395,846	1.83%	759.8	22.7
2038	18,729,788	1.77%	773.6	22.9
2039	19,076,787	1.90%	788.0	23.2
2040	19,440,770	1.88%	803.0	23.4
2041	19,806,175	1.84%	818.1	23.7
2042	20,153,985	1.64%	832.5	23.9
2043	20,500,835	1.77%	846.8	24.1
2044	20,837,083	1.48%	860.7	24.4
2045	21,152,658	1.52%	873.7	24.6
2046	21,459,156	1.36%	886.4	24.8
2047	21,764,589	1.47%	899.0	25.1
2048	22,086,122	1.46%	912.3	25.3
2049	22,403,893	1.39%	925.4	25.6
2050	22,707,910	1.30%	938.0	25.8
2051	23,007,765	1.32%	950.3	26.0
2052	23,300,260	1.21%	962.4	26.3
2053	23,582,537	1.20%	974.1	26.5
2054	23,867,623	1.20%	985.9	26.8
2055	24,159,450	1.23%	997.9	27.0
2056	24,442,071	1.10%	1009.6	27.3
2057	24,708,958	1.07%	1020.6	27.5
2058	25,005,558	1.31%	1032.9	27.8
2059	25,305,693	1.08%	1045.3	28.1
2060	25,576,761	1.05%	1056.5	28.3
2061	25,865,302	1.19%	1068.4	28.6
2062	26,141,278	0.94%	1079.8	28.8
2063	26,401,102	1.04%	1090.5	29.1
2064	26,669,009	0.98%	1101.6	29.3
2065	26,933,366	0.99%	1112.5	29.6
2066	27,184,216	0.86%	1122.9	29.9
2067	27,431,209	0.95%	1133.1	30.1
2068	27,684,410	0.89%	1143.5	30.4
2069	27,912,791	0.76%	1152.9	30.6
2070	28,138,805	0.86%	1162.3	30.9
2071	28,368,475	0.77%	1171.8	31.2
2072	28,589,815	0.79%	1180.9	31.4
2073	28,809,911	0.75%	1190.0	31.7
2074	29,015,584	0.68%	1198.5	32.0
2075	29,214,158	0.69%	1206.7	32.2
2076	29,400,700	0.58%	1214.4	32.5
2077	29,584,169	0.66%	1222.0	32.8
2078	29,770,220	0.59%	1229.7	33.0
2079	29,952,990	0.63%	1237.2	33.3
2080	30,141,578	0.63%	1245.0	33.5
2081	30,322,788	0.57%	1252.5	33.8
2082	30,500,837	0.60%	1259.8	34.0
2083	30,678,624	0.56%	1267.2	34.3
2084	30,835,598	0.46%	1273.7	34.5
2085	30,977,278	0.46%	1279.5	34.8
2086	31,124,888	0.49%	1285.6	35.0
2087	31,296,840	0.61%	1292.7	35.2
2088	31,464,667	0.46%	1299.7	35.4
2089	31,633,739	0.61%	1306.6	35.6
2090	31,781,409	0.32%	1312.7	35.9
2091	31,883,054	0.32%	1316.9	36.1
2092	31,994,600	0.38%	1321.5	36.3
2093	32,121,007	0.41%	1326.8	36.5
2094	32,229,107	0.26%	1331.2	36.8
2095	32,336,909	0.41%	1335.7	37.0
2096	32,444,593	0.26%	1340.1	37.2
2097	32,523,673	0.23%	1343.4	37.4
2098	32,600,426	0.24%	1346.6	37.7
2099	32,692,043	0.32%	1350.4	37.9
2100	32,779,346	0.22%	1354.0	38.1

States & provinces of Rwanda by population

#	State / province	Population	Share
1	Eastern	3,563,145	23.9%
2	Southern	3,002,699	20.2%
3	Western	2,896,484	19.5%
4	Northern	2,038,511	13.7%
5	Kigali City	1,745,555	11.7%

State populations: GeoNames (latest official figures, reference dates vary by country).

Biggest cities in Rwanda

#	City	Region	Population
1	Kigali capital	Kigali	1,132,686
2	Gisenyi	Western Province	172,357
3	Musanze	Northern Province	153,368
4	Nyagatare	Eastern Province	100,000
5	Gitarama	Southern Province	87,613
6	Muhanga	Southern Province	82,797
7	Butare	Southern Province	62,823
8	Kibuye	Western Province	48,024
9	Rwamagana	Eastern Province	47,203
10	Kibungo	Eastern Province	46,240
11	Cyangugu	Western Province	43,866
12	Shyorongi	Northern Province	43,744
13	Byumba	Northern Province	43,134
14	Ndera	Kigali	41,764
15	Kirambo	Western Province	40,341

FAQ

What is the population of Rwanda in 2026?

The population of Rwanda is 14,889,693 in 2026, according to UN World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant).

What is the biggest city in Rwanda?

Kigali is the biggest city in Rwanda with 1,132,686 inhabitants and it is also the capital.

Is the population of Rwanda growing or shrinking?

The population of Rwanda is growing at 2.12% per year.

Neighboring countries

Sources

Country data: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant (CC BY 3.0 IGO). Retrieved 2026-07-07.
City and state data: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Retrieved 2026-07-07.

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