Rwanda Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Rwanda is 14,975,051 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 14,256,567 in 2024.

Since 2006, population has increased from 9.3M people to 15M (61% growth in 20 years).
Rwanda is ranked 77/197 by population and was ranked 86th in 2006.
Rwanda is projected to reach 33.1M people in 2100.
For the last 20 years, Rwanda has had an average growth rate of 3.05% per year.
Rwanda accounts for 0.18% of the world's population.

Rwanda population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	33,092,520	0.32%
2099	32,987,847	0.24%
2098	32,907,335	0.23%
2097	32,832,706	0.26%
2096	32,747,490	0.41%
2095	32,615,044	0.26%
2094	32,529,590	0.41%
2093	32,396,544	0.38%
2092	32,274,083	0.32%
2091	32,171,077	0.32%
2090	32,068,626	0.62%
2089	31,872,593	0.46%
2088	31,726,882	0.61%
2087	31,533,364	0.49%
2086	31,379,315	0.46%
2085	31,235,000	0.46%
2084	31,092,940	0.57%
2083	30,917,707	0.6%
2082	30,733,578	0.58%
2081	30,557,819	0.63%
2080	30,367,298	0.63%
2079	30,176,627	0.6%
2078	29,997,866	0.66%
2077	29,800,561	0.59%
2076	29,627,021	0.69%
2075	29,423,503	0.68%
2074	29,225,643	0.75%
2073	29,007,777	0.79%
2072	28,780,763	0.77%
2071	28,560,382	0.86%
2070	28,316,533	0.76%
2069	28,103,541	0.89%
2068	27,854,906	0.95%
2067	27,591,747	0.86%
2066	27,355,659	1%
2065	27,084,704	0.98%
2064	26,821,315	1.05%
2063	26,543,184	0.94%
2062	26,296,132	1.2%
2061	25,985,356	1.06%
2060	25,712,904	1.08%
2059	25,437,446	1.32%
2058	25,106,242	1.08%
2057	24,837,928	1.1%
2056	24,566,784	1.24%
2055	24,266,669	1.21%
2054	23,976,914	1.21%
2053	23,690,426	1.21%
2052	23,406,346	1.33%
2051	23,099,207	1.31%
2050	22,800,250	1.4%
2049	22,484,698	1.47%
2048	22,157,938	1.48%
2047	21,834,786	1.37%
2046	21,540,566	1.53%
2045	21,215,262	1.5%
2044	20,902,695	1.79%
2043	20,535,605	1.65%
2042	20,201,608	1.86%
2041	19,832,577	1.9%
2040	19,463,015	1.92%
2039	19,096,860	1.79%
2038	18,761,626	1.84%
2037	18,421,864	1.68%
2036	18,116,691	2.04%
2035	17,753,910	1.91%
2034	17,421,234	1.94%
2033	17,089,349	1.65%
2032	16,811,505	1.98%
2031	16,485,559	1.96%
2030	16,167,916	1.95%
2029	15,858,862	2.02%
2028	15,544,959	2.22%
2027	15,207,733	2.14%
2026	14,888,776	2.26%
2025	14,560,205	2.13%
2024	14,256,567	2.16%
2023	13,954,471	2.22%
2022	13,651,030	2.21%
2021	13,355,260	2.22%
2020	13,065,837	2.27%
2019	12,776,103	2.31%
2018	12,487,996	2.34%
2017	12,202,060	2.37%
2016	11,919,183	2.4%
2015	11,640,022	2.42%
2014	11,364,757	2.45%
2013	11,093,340	2.43%
2012	10,829,901	2.42%
2011	10,573,733	2.48%
2010	10,317,553	2.56%
2009	10,060,432	2.61%
2008	9,804,269	2.66%
2007	9,549,933	2.7%
2006	9,299,246	2.7%
2005	9,054,528	2.7%
2004	8,816,844	2.68%
2003	8,586,875	2.22%
2002	8,400,180	1.36%
2001	8,287,094	0.89%
2000	8,213,931	0.81%
1999	8,147,912	0.82%
1998	8,081,681	4.21%
1997	7,755,238	15.6%
1996	6,708,764	18.2%
1995	5,674,118	-16.5%
1994	6,792,352	-14.9%
1993	7,981,132	3.88%
1992	7,683,266	2.08%
1991	7,526,966	2.06%
1990	7,375,307	2.65%
1989	7,184,706	3.11%
1988	6,968,071	3.24%
1987	6,749,493	3.33%
1986	6,531,881	3.4%
1985	6,317,228	3.43%
1984	6,107,627	3.43%
1983	5,905,311	3.39%
1982	5,711,549	3.33%
1981	5,527,230	3.25%
1980	5,353,259	3.15%
1979	5,189,541	3.07%
1978	5,035,171	3.01%
1977	4,888,240	3%
1976	4,745,954	3%
1975	4,607,728	2.98%
1974	4,474,228	2.97%
1973	4,345,047	2.96%
1972	4,220,335	2.93%
1971	4,100,044	3%
1970	3,980,669	3.09%
1969	3,861,271	3.13%
1968	3,744,010	3.15%
1967	3,629,577	3.07%
1966	3,521,626	2.87%
1965	3,423,210	2.65%
1964	3,334,834	2.33%
1963	3,258,890	2.29%
1962	3,186,025	2.55%
1961	3,106,779	2.8%
1960	3,022,294	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/rwanda | CC BY

Rwanda has a population of 15M as of 2026, compared to 11.9M in 2016, 9.3M in 2006, and 6.71M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 2.56% per year. Rwanda is ranked 46th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Rwanda will have 21,540,566 people (43.8% growth) with a rank change from 77th to 72nd.

By the year 2100, Rwanda's population is projected to grow by 121% from its current level to 33.1M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	6,282
2024	-	-	-15,582
2023	303,761	312,762	-9,001
2022	303,144	312,145	-9,001
2021	288,403	309,895	-21,492
2020	290,441	312,692	-22,251
2019	289,033	313,525	-24,492
2018	287,189	312,512	-25,323
2017	284,689	310,323	-25,634
2016	281,075	305,549	-24,474
2015	277,252	299,114	-21,862
2014	273,274	292,779	-19,505
2013	269,552	286,331	-16,779
2012	257,324	282,584	-25,260
2011	255,007	282,922	-27,915
2010	257,347	286,848	-29,501
2009	256,906	287,034	-30,128
2008	255,421	287,334	-31,913
2007	253,254	285,791	-32,537
2006	248,141	282,149	-34,008
2005	241,291	275,121	-33,830
2004	234,059	265,273	-31,214
2003	225,888	251,243	-25,355
2002	147,518	239,036	-91,518
2001	78,648	230,845	-152,197
2000	67,688	221,276	-153,588
1999	64,356	210,518	-146,162
1998	68,096	197,185	-129,089
1997	584,793	174,687	410,106
1996	1,508,155	140,455	1,367,700
1995	561,132	121,137	439,995
1994	-2,797,590	-719,479	-2,078,111
1993	420,036	183,926	236,110
1992	175,691	188,025	-12,334
1991	136,912	196,431	-59,519
1990	166,412	207,895	-41,483
1989	214,806	217,632	-2,826
1988	218,474	223,759	-5,285
1987	218,682	225,744	-7,062
1986	216,544	225,526	-8,982
1985	212,763	223,794	-11,031
1984	206,438	219,337	-12,899
1983	198,190	212,750	-14,560
1982	189,329	205,147	-15,818
1981	179,316	195,769	-16,453
1980	168,629	184,988	-16,359
1979	158,808	174,477	-15,669
1978	149,941	163,779	-13,838
1977	143,927	155,011	-11,084
1976	140,638	147,665	-7,027
1975	135,805	140,596	-4,791
1974	131,208	135,743	-4,535
1973	127,159	131,021	-3,862
1972	122,247	126,403	-4,156
1971	118,337	122,567	-4,230
1970	120,422	119,273	1,149
1969	118,377	115,394	2,983
1968	116,150	111,422	4,728
1967	112,708	108,053	4,655
1966	103,198	105,128	-1,930
1965	93,648	103,422	-9,774
1964	83,104	102,562	-19,458
1963	68,772	94,296	-25,524
1962	76,954	102,548	-25,594
1961	81,543	102,051	-20,508
1960	87,429	100,627	-13,198

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/rwanda | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 93.8% of the population change in Rwanda is from natural causes (a gain of 3,081,296 people) and 6.18% is from migration (a loss of 203,035 people).

As of 2024, 513,316 residents or 3.6% of the population were not native-born in Rwanda, compared to 426,901 and 4.1% in 2010.

Rwanda population clock

	Rwanda	Rank
Current population	14975051	77/197
Percent of world population	0.18%	77/197
One net population change	1.74 minutes	55/197
One birth every	1.33 minutes	62/196
One death every	6.35 minutes	91/196
Daily growth/decline	+828	55/197
Annual growth/decline	+302,096	55/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+2.16%	45/197
One migration net change every	1.4 hours	48/196
Annual migration change	+6,282	48/196
Foreign-born residents	513,316	80/195
Foreign-born share of population	3.6%	109/195

Largest cities by population

Rwanda
City	Population
Kigali	1.75M
Ruhengeri	153K
Gisenyi	53.6K

Rwanda population statistics

	Rwanda	World
Life expectancy	68.5 years	73.8 years
Average age	24.9 years	33.8 years
Median age	20.8 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	48.8:51.2	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	3.7 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	1,563 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Rwanda.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/rwanda | CC BY