Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Rwanda
Rwanda: Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas was 14.0% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Rwanda, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Rwanda recorded 14.0% for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 18.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Rwanda peaked at 14.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1950.
That places Rwanda 185th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Rwanda, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 0.0% | — |
| 1955 | 0.0% | — |
| 1960 | 0.0% | — |
| 1965 | 0.0% | — |
| 1970 | 0.0% | — |
| 1975 | 0.0% | — |
| 1980 | 1.5% | — |
| 1985 | 1.7% | +9.5% |
| 1990 | 4.3% | +160.9% |
| 1995 | 5.6% | +29.8% |
| 2000 | 7.4% | +31.8% |
| 2005 | 10.4% | +40.4% |
| 2010 | 11.8% | +13.1% |
| 2015 | 12.4% | +5.4% |
| 2020 | 14.0% | +12.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1960s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.7% | 2 |
| 1990s | 5.0% | 4.3% | 5.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 8.9% | 7.4% | 10.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 12.1% | 11.8% | 12.4% | 2 |
| 2020s | 14.0% | 14.0% | 14.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More population data for Rwanda
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2755 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.2673 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.5502 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.2673 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.2% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 2.01 million people (2100)
- Population density 1,329 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.2% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4596 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.06 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Rwanda?
- Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Rwanda was 14.0% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 14.0% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1950.
- How does Rwanda rank for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- Rwanda ranks 185th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Rwanda data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.