Population of Rwanda
As of May 2025, the population of Rwanda is 14.7 million. The number of inhabitants has increased by 324 thousand in the last year, representing a growth of 2.24%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 18.2 years in 2015 to 19.8 years in 2025. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 67.8 years and population density is 608.7 inhabitants per square kilometer.
Population Growth
The population growth rate of Rwanda peaked in 1996, reaching around 22.45% annually, but has since declined to approximately 2.2% in 2025. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 1.5 million in 1996 to nearly 323.56 thousand in 2025.
Life Expectancy
In Rwanda, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 57.3 years in 2005 to 67.8 years in 2025, representing an increase of more than 10 years over the past 2 decades.
Most populous cities in Rwanda
The cities of Rwanda are mostly small, but 2 stand out with more than 100 thousand inhabitants. The most populous city is Kigali, con una diferencia significativa sobre las demás, alcanzando approximately 1.1 million inhabitants. It is followed by Gisenyi, Western Province with 172.4 thousand and Butare, Southern Province with 89.6 thousand.
These are the 20 most populous cities in Rwanda:
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kigali | 1,132,686 |
| 2 | Gisenyi, Western Province | 172,357 |
| 3 | Butare, Southern Province | 89,600 |
| 4 | Gitarama, Southern Province | 87,613 |
| 5 | Musanze, Northern Province | 86,685 |
| 6 | Byumba, Northern Province | 70,593 |
| 7 | Cyangugu, Western Province | 63,883 |
| 8 | Kibuye, Western Province | 48,024 |
| 9 | Rwamagana, Eastern Province | 47,203 |
| 10 | Kibungo, Eastern Province | 46,240 |
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Kirambo, Western Province | 40,341 |
| 12 | Kagano, Western Province | 39,994 |
| 13 | Nzega, Southern Province | 33,832 |
| 14 | Macuba, Western Province | 33,319 |
| 15 | Karengera, Western Province | 32,504 |
| 16 | Nyanza, Southern Province | 32,016 |
| 17 | Bugarama, Western Province | 31,086 |
| 18 | Gihombo, Western Province | 29,843 |
| 19 | Karambi, Western Province | 29,726 |
| 20 | Bushekeri, Western Province | 29,680 |