Total population (thousands), per square kilometre in Rwanda

Rwanda: Total population (thousands), per square kilometre was 0.5595 thousands per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
0.5595 thousands per square kilometre
Change on year
up 2.2%
World rank
20th
of 215 countries
All-time high
0.5595 thousands per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
0.1589 thousands per square kilometre
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023

Total population (thousands), per square kilometre in Rwanda, 1970–2023

0.20.30.40.50.6197019962023

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in thousands per square kilometre.

Analysis

In 2023, total population (thousands), per square kilometre in Rwanda stood at 0.5595 thousands per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.

That represents a change of up 2.2% on the previous year and up 26.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total population (thousands), per square kilometre in Rwanda peaked at 0.5595 thousands per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.1589 thousands per square kilometre, in 1970.

Rwanda ranks 20th of 215 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.

Total population (thousands), per square kilometre in Rwanda, year by year

Annual values for Total population (thousands), per square kilometre in Rwanda, 1970 to 2023.
Year thousands per square kilometre Change
1970 0.1589 thousands per square kilometre
1971 0.1638 thousands per square kilometre +3.1%
1972 0.1686 thousands per square kilometre +2.9%
1973 0.1735 thousands per square kilometre +2.9%
1974 0.1787 thousands per square kilometre +3.0%
1975 0.184 thousands per square kilometre +3.0%
1976 0.1895 thousands per square kilometre +3.0%
1977 0.1952 thousands per square kilometre +3.0%
1978 0.2011 thousands per square kilometre +3.0%
1979 0.2071 thousands per square kilometre +3.0%
1980 0.2136 thousands per square kilometre +3.1%
1981 0.2204 thousands per square kilometre +3.2%
1982 0.2277 thousands per square kilometre +3.3%
1983 0.2354 thousands per square kilometre +3.4%
1984 0.2434 thousands per square kilometre +3.4%
1985 0.2518 thousands per square kilometre +3.4%
1986 0.2604 thousands per square kilometre +3.4%
1987 0.2692 thousands per square kilometre +3.4%
1988 0.278 thousands per square kilometre +3.3%
1989 0.2869 thousands per square kilometre +3.2%
1990 0.2956 thousands per square kilometre +3.0%
1991 0.3023 thousands per square kilometre +2.3%
1992 0.3079 thousands per square kilometre +1.8%
1993 0.315 thousands per square kilometre +2.3%
1994 0.332 thousands per square kilometre +5.4%
1995 0.2186 thousands per square kilometre -34.2%
1996 0.2414 thousands per square kilometre +10.4%
1997 0.3025 thousands per square kilometre +25.3%
1998 0.3262 thousands per square kilometre +7.8%
1999 0.329 thousands per square kilometre +0.8%
2000 0.3316 thousands per square kilometre +0.8%
2001 0.3343 thousands per square kilometre +0.8%
2002 0.3375 thousands per square kilometre +1.0%
2003 0.3435 thousands per square kilometre +1.8%
2004 0.3526 thousands per square kilometre +2.7%
2005 0.3621 thousands per square kilometre +2.7%
2006 0.3719 thousands per square kilometre +2.7%
2007 0.382 thousands per square kilometre +2.7%
2008 0.3922 thousands per square kilometre +2.7%
2009 0.4026 thousands per square kilometre +2.6%
2010 0.413 thousands per square kilometre +2.6%
2011 0.4234 thousands per square kilometre +2.5%
2012 0.4338 thousands per square kilometre +2.4%
2013 0.4442 thousands per square kilometre +2.4%
2014 0.4551 thousands per square kilometre +2.5%
2015 0.4662 thousands per square kilometre +2.4%
2016 0.4774 thousands per square kilometre +2.4%
2017 0.4888 thousands per square kilometre +2.4%
2018 0.5004 thousands per square kilometre +2.4%
2019 0.512 thousands per square kilometre +2.3%
2020 0.5237 thousands per square kilometre +2.3%
2021 0.5355 thousands per square kilometre +2.2%
2022 0.5472 thousands per square kilometre +2.2%
2023 0.5595 thousands per square kilometre +2.2%

Rwanda compared with similar countries

  • Rwanda's 0.5595 thousands per square kilometre is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.0627 thousands per square kilometre, 8.9× the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • Rwanda's 0.5595 thousands per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0681 thousands per square kilometre, 8.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Total population (thousands), per square kilometre 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
1995 -34.2% 0.332 thousands per square kilometre 0.2186 thousands per square kilometre
1997 +25.3% 0.2414 thousands per square kilometre 0.3025 thousands per square kilometre

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 0.1821 thousands per square kilometre 0.1589 thousands per square kilometre 0.2071 thousands per square kilometre 10
1980s 0.2487 thousands per square kilometre 0.2136 thousands per square kilometre 0.2869 thousands per square kilometre 10
1990s 0.2971 thousands per square kilometre 0.2186 thousands per square kilometre 0.332 thousands per square kilometre 10
2000s 0.361 thousands per square kilometre 0.3316 thousands per square kilometre 0.4026 thousands per square kilometre 10
2010s 0.4614 thousands per square kilometre 0.413 thousands per square kilometre 0.512 thousands per square kilometre 10
2020s 0.5415 thousands per square kilometre 0.5237 thousands per square kilometre 0.5595 thousands per square kilometre 4

Countries ranked near Rwanda

  1. 17 Saint Martin (French part) 0.5651 thousands per square kilometre compare
  2. 18 San Marino 0.5643 thousands per square kilometre compare
  3. 19 Lebanon 0.5632 thousands per square kilometre compare
  4. 21 Netherlands 0.5352 thousands per square kilometre compare
  5. 22 South Korea 0.5303 thousands per square kilometre compare
  6. 23 Burundi 0.5259 thousands per square kilometre compare

See the full ranking of 215 places →

More population data for Rwanda

All data for Rwanda →

Frequently asked questions

What is total population (thousands), per square kilometre in Rwanda?
Total population (thousands), per square kilometre in Rwanda was 0.5595 thousands per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest total population (thousands), per square kilometre recorded in Rwanda?
The highest recorded value was 0.5595 thousands per square kilometre in 2023.
What is the lowest total population (thousands), per square kilometre recorded in Rwanda?
The lowest recorded value was 0.1589 thousands per square kilometre in 1970.
How does Rwanda rank for total population (thousands), per square kilometre?
Rwanda ranks 20th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
Is total population (thousands), per square kilometre rising or falling in Rwanda?
Over the last ten years it is up 26.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Rwanda data come from?
The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Total population (thousands), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Total population (thousands), per square kilometre in Rwanda. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 21 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/total-population-thousands-per-square-kilometre/rwanda/

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How this figure is calculated

Total population (thousands) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.

Total population (thousands) ÷ Land area (sq. km)

Computed from

Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.

About this data

Indicator
Total population (thousands), per square kilometre
Unit
thousands per square kilometre
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
215 places, 10,529 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

Total population (thousands) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.