Population growth rates in Rwanda

Rwanda: Population growth rates was 2.18 in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
2.18
Change on year
down 2.0%
World rank
48th
of 236 countries
All-time high
22.58
in 1996
All-time low
-41.78
in 1994
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Population growth rates in Rwanda, 1950–2023

-40-20020195019862023

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2023, population growth rates in Rwanda stood at 2.18.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 10.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population growth rates in Rwanda peaked at 22.58 in 1996 and was at its lowest, -41.78, in 1994.

Rwanda ranks 48th of 236 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 rates in Rwanda, year by year

Annual values for Population growth rates in Rwanda, 1950 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1950 3.63 —
1951 3.56 -1.7%
1952 3.51 -1.5%
1953 3.44 -2.1%
1954 3.43 -0.2%
1955 3.4 -0.9%
1956 3.38 -0.5%
1957 3.36 -0.6%
1958 3.25 -3.5%
1959 3.15 -2.9%
1960 2.89 -8.2%
1961 2.62 -9.3%
1962 2.42 -8.0%
1963 2.11 -12.7%
1964 2.49 +18.1%
1965 2.74 +9.8%
1966 2.93 +7.1%
1967 3.11 +6.0%
1968 3.1 -0.1%
1969 3.07 -1.2%
1970 3.02 -1.3%
1971 2.89 -4.6%
1972 2.9 +0.4%
1973 2.93 +1.0%
1974 2.93 +0.2%
1975 2.95 +0.5%
1976 2.96 +0.5%
1977 2.94 -0.7%
1978 2.98 +1.2%
1979 3.06 +2.8%
1980 3.15 +2.9%
1981 3.24 +3.0%
1982 3.31 +2.2%
1983 3.36 +1.3%
1984 3.38 +0.7%
1985 3.37 -0.4%
1986 3.31 -1.6%
1987 3.24 -2.3%
1988 3.14 -3.2%
1989 2.99 -4.7%
1990 2.26 -24.5%
1991 1.82 -19.4%
1992 2.29 +25.7%
1993 5.26 +130.2%
1994 -41.78 -893.8%
1995 9.9 -123.7%
1996 22.58 +128.1%
1997 7.54 -66.6%
1998 0.843 -88.8%
1999 0.79 -6.3%
2000 0.824 +4.3%
2001 0.949 +15.2%
2002 1.76 +85.0%
2003 2.63 +49.8%
2004 2.65 +0.9%
2005 2.67 +0.4%
2006 2.67 +0.1%
2007 2.65 -0.6%
2008 2.6 -1.8%
2009 2.55 -2.0%
2010 2.49 -2.3%
2011 2.41 -3.3%
2012 2.38 -1.5%
2013 2.43 +2.3%
2014 2.4 -1.0%
2015 2.38 -1.0%
2016 2.36 -1.0%
2017 2.33 -1.1%
2018 2.3 -1.4%
2019 2.26 -1.7%
2020 2.22 -1.7%
2021 2.16 -2.8%
2022 2.22 +2.8%
2023 2.18 -2.0%

Rwanda compared with similar countries

  • Rwanda's 2.18 is below the median for low income countries, which is 2.71, 80% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • Rwanda's 2.18 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.35, 93% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Population growth rates 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.

YearChange FromTo
1994 -893.8% 5.26 -41.78
1993 +130.2% 2.29 5.26
1996 +128.1% 9.9 22.58
1995 +123.7% -41.78 9.9
1998 -88.8% 7.54 0.843
2002 +85.0% 0.949 1.76

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 3.41 3.15 3.63 10
1960s 2.75 2.11 3.11 10
1970s 2.96 2.89 3.06 10
1980s 3.25 2.99 3.38 10
1990s 1.15 -41.78 22.58 10
2000s 2.2 0.824 2.67 10
2010s 2.38 2.26 2.49 10
2020s 2.2 2.16 2.22 4

Countries ranked near Rwanda

  1. 45 Liberia 2.2 compare
  2. 46 Sierra Leone 2.18 compare
  3. 47 Gabon 2.18 compare
  4. 49 Iraq 2.15 compare
  5. 50 Nigeria 2.1 compare
  6. 51 Uzbekistan 2.01 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Rwanda

All data for Rwanda →

Frequently asked questions

What is population growth rates in Rwanda?
Population growth rates in Rwanda was 2.18 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest population growth rates recorded in Rwanda?
The highest recorded value was 22.58 in 1996.
What is the lowest population growth rates recorded in Rwanda?
The lowest recorded value was -41.78 in 1994.
How does Rwanda rank for population growth rates?
Rwanda ranks 48th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is population growth rates rising or falling in Rwanda?
Over the last ten years it is down 10.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Rwanda data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Population growth rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Population growth rates in Rwanda. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 12 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/population-growth-rates/rwanda/

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About this data

Indicator
Population growth rates
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed