Rwanda (Republic of Rwanda)

https://www.humantruth.info/rwanda.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Rwanda Republic of Rwanda
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	138th best
Capital	Kigali
Land Area	24 670km²₁
Location	Africa
Population	12.3m₂
Life Expectancy	66.07yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$2 210 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	RW, RWA, 646₅
Internet Domain	.rw₆
Currency	Franc (RWF)₇
Telephone	+250₈

1. Overview

“In 1959, three years before independence from Belgium, the majority ethnic group, the Hutus, overthrew the ruling Tutsi king. Over the next several years, thousands of Tutsis were killed, and some 150,000 driven into exile in neighboring countries. The children of these exiles later formed a rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), and began a civil war in 1990. The war, along with several political and economic upheavals, exacerbated ethnic tensions, culminating in April 1994 in a state-orchestrated genocide, in which Rwandans killed up to a million of their fellow citizens, including approximately three-quarters of the Tutsi population. The genocide ended later that same year when the predominantly Tutsi RPF, operating out of Uganda and northern Rwanda, defeated the national army and Hutu militias, and established an RPF-led government of national unity. Approximately 2 million Hutu refugees - many fearing Tutsi retribution - fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and former Zaire. Since then, most of the refugees have returned to Rwanda, but several thousand remained in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, the former Zaire) and formed an extremist insurgency bent on retaking Rwanda, much as the RPF did in 1990. Rwanda held its first local elections in 1999 and its first post-genocide presidential and legislative elections in 2003. Rwanda in 2009 staged a joint military operation with the Congolese Army in DRC to rout out the Hutu extremist insurgency there, and Kigali and Kinshasa restored diplomatic relations. Rwanda also joined the Commonwealth in late 2009. In January 2013, Rwanda assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2013-14 term.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“While the scars still run deep, Rwanda has done a remarkable job of healing its wounds and turning towards the future with a surprising measure of optimism. Mention Rwanda to anyone with a small measure of geopolitical conscience, and they´ll no doubt recall images of the horrific genocide that brutalised this tiny country in 1994 when, in the span of just three months, nearly one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were systematically butchered. But since those dark days a miraculous transformation has been wrought and today the country is one of ethnic unity and relative political stability, and a new-found air of optimism pervades the country.
Tourism is once again a key contributor to the economy and the industry´s brightest star is the chance to track rare mountain gorillas through bamboo forests in the shadow of the Virunga volcanoes. Of course, `Le Pays des Mille Collines´ (the Land of a Thousand Hills) isn´t all monkey business: Rwanda is a lush country of endless mountains and stunning scenery. The shores of Lake Kivu conceal some of Africa´s best inland beaches, while Parc National Nyungwe Forest protects extensive tracts of montane rainforest.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Rwanda National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
162	Togo	0.539
163=	Haiti	0.535
163=	Nigeria	0.535
165	Rwanda	0.534
166=	Benin	0.525
166=	Uganda	0.525
168	Lesotho	0.514
169	Malawi	0.512
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
169	Solomon Islands	$2 482
170	Guinea	$2 481
171	Ethiopia	$2 361
172	Rwanda	$2 210
173	Uganda	$2 181
174	Gambia	$2 172
175	Togo	$2 167
176	Mali	$2 133
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
135	Lesotho	103.8
136	Samoa	106.2
137	Vanuatu	107.2
138	Rwanda	107.5
139	Uganda	108.0
140	Madagascar	108.2
141	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	108.3
142	Burkina Faso	108.5
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.6
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Rwanda's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population:

Rwanda's population is predicted to rise to 17.58 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 3.75. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
72	Somalia	15.0m
73	Zimbabwe	14.4m
74	Guinea	12.4m
75	Rwanda	12.3m
76	Tunisia	11.6m
77	Benin	11.5m
78	Belgium	11.5m
79	Bolivia	11.4m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
140	Eritrea	66.5
141	Tanzania	66.2
142	Pakistan	66.1
143	Rwanda	66.1
144	Palau	66.0
145	Gabon	65.8
146	Guyana	65.7
147	Myanmar (Burma)	65.7
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
167	Ghana	3.51
168	Vanuatu	3.70
169	Yemen	3.72
170	Rwanda	3.75
171	Sao Tome & Principe	3.75
172	Eritrea	3.79
173	Madagascar	3.79
174	Malawi	3.85
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₅
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
45	Kuwait	06.8
46	Congo, (Brazzaville)	07.0
47=	Solomon Islands	07.0
47=	Rwanda	07.0
49	Namibia	07.4
50=	Botswana	07.7
50=	UAE	07.7
52	Oman	07.8
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants₁₆
Pos.		2017 %₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
97	Trinidad & Tobago	3.7%
98	Togo	3.6%
99	Uzbekistan	3.6%
100	Rwanda	3.6%
101	Moldova	3.5%
102	Slovakia	3.4%
103	Turkmenistan	3.4%
104	Iran	3.3%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₇
Pos.		2010 %₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
143	Angola	2.8%
144	France	2.8%
145	Costa Rica	2.7%
146	Rwanda	2.6%
147	Pakistan	2.5%
148	Vietnam	2.5%
149	Niger	2.4%
150	Argentina	2.4%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #rwanda #rwanda_human_rights #tolerance #UK

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
152	Bhutan	115.8
153	Nigeria	117.1
154	Niger	117.3
155	Rwanda	117.3
156	Egypt	118.4
157	Cuba	119.1
	Africa Avg	110.04
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

Rwanda is very poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world, and it has cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Rwanda does worse than average in terms of supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₁₉ (still good for Africa), commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₀, opposing gender inequality₂₁ (still low for Africa), LGBT equality₂₂ (still high for Africa), supporting press freedom₂₃, freethought₂₄ and in its average Freedom in the World rating. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 for the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₅ and in eliminating modern slavery₂₆. After many years of state "intimidation and interference", human rights and civil organisations in Rwanda are unable to operate and unable to document human rights abuses₂₇. Likewise, political opponents to President Paul Kagame are intimidated and presented with enough barriers to make them unable to operate or campaign₂₇. The police have been arresting and executing people even for minor crimes, and holding many people in unofficial detention centres where some prisoners are tortured, leading to human-rights aware countries such as the UK to deny extradition of wanted people to Rwanda.₂₇.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Rwanda

5. Rwanda's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #marshall_islands #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #rwanda #smoking #south_sudan #vaccines #yemen

Compared to Africa (2025)₂₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₈
1	Tunisia	69.2
2	Mauritius	69.2
3	Seychelles	84.8
	...
11	Botswana	129.6
12	Eritrea	130.2
13	Lesotho	131.8
14	Rwanda	134.4
15	Sao Tome & Principe	134.9
16	Ghana	135.9
17	Mauritania	140.8
18	Comoros	141.5
19	Namibia	141.7
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)₂₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₈
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
164	Lesotho	131.8
165	Nauru	133.3
166	Papua New Guinea	133.4
167	Rwanda	134.4
168	Sao Tome & Principe	134.9
169	Laos	135.6
170	Ghana	135.9
171	Iraq	139.7
	World Avg	96.74
q=212.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₂₉. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₂₉.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₂₉, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₂₉.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Rwanda has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Rwanda comes in the best 20 when it comes to its smoking rate₃₀ (one of the lowest in Africa). It does better than average in terms of its immunizations take-up₃₁ and in its adolescent birth rate₃₂. Rwanda still has work to do. Rwanda does worse than average in its alcohol consumption rate₃₃, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₄, its average life expectancy₁₁ (still good for Africa) and in its fertility rate₁₄ (still good for Africa). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years.

Life expectancy in Rwanda in 1990 was 48.4yrs, much lower than the global average of 64.6, and in 1995-8 it had the second-lowest in the world (after South Sudan). But it improved greatly, by +18yrs, in the 30 years from then (especially in the 2010s), well over double the global average improvement of +7.9yrs.

Rwanda had the 2nd-highest average fertility rate in the world in the 1960s and 1970s (after the Marshall Islands and then after Yemen), but it declined to 7.7 in the 1980s, the 3rd-highest average of all countries in that decade. Its peak fertility rate was 8.25 in 1978. Overall, it is amongst only 41 countries who have seen their fertility rate drop by more than 4 since the 1960s.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
140	Eritrea	66.5
141	Tanzania	66.2
142	Pakistan	66.1
143	Rwanda	66.1
144	Palau	66.0
145	Gabon	65.8
146	Guyana	65.7
147	Myanmar (Burma)	65.7
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₃
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
132=	Croatia	8.9
132=	Cameroon	8.9
132=	Canada	8.9
135	Rwanda	9.0
136	Iceland	9.1
137	Sweden	9.2
138=	Chile	9.3
138=	Grenada	9.3
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
167	Ghana	3.51
168	Vanuatu	3.70
169	Yemen	3.72
170	Rwanda	3.75
171	Sao Tome & Principe	3.75
172	Eritrea	3.79
173	Madagascar	3.79
174	Malawi	3.85
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better₃₀
Pos.		2014₃₀
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
4	Uganda	41
5	Rwanda	53
6	Samoa	54
7	Congo, DR	74
8	Ethiopia	76
9	Vanuatu	76
10	Guyana	77
11	Suriname	79
12	Malawi	80
	Africa Avg	340
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
138	Albania	138
139	Ghana	139
140	Chad	140
141	Rwanda	141
142	Mali	142
143	Niger	143
144	Marshall Islands	144
145	Botswana	145
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2016 %₃₅
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
16	Malawi	23.4
17	Madagascar	23.9
18	Myanmar (Burma)	24.8
19	Rwanda	25.1
20	Congo, DR	25.3
21	Laos	25.4
22	Kenya	25.5
23	Central African Rep.	26.2
	Africa Avg	33.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₂
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
87	Tuvalu	31.7
88	Jamaica	32.0
89	Grenada	32.1
90	Rwanda	32.2
91	Antigua & Barbuda	32.3
92	Myanmar (Burma)	32.8
93	Indonesia	32.9
94	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	33.3
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₃₁
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₁
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
45	Bahamas	96.2
46	Maldives	96.2
47	Tajikistan	96.1
48	Rwanda	96.1
49	Sao Tome & Principe	96.0
50	Malaysia	96.0
51	Croatia	95.9
52	Nicaragua	95.9
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Rwanda's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #rwanda #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)₃₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₆
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
4	Madagascar	52.4
5	Nigeria	55.8
6	Rwanda	56.4
7	Uganda	57.8
8	Kenya	57.9
9	Mauritius	58.1
10	Ghana	58.6
11	Tunisia	60.1
12	Niger	61.3
13	Tanzania	61.6
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₃₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₆
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
12	Mali	51.0
13	Madagascar	52.4
14	Nigeria	55.8
15	Rwanda	56.4
16	Chile	56.4
17	Peru	56.7
18	Liechtenstein	56.8
19	Japan	57.4
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

" Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Rwanda ranks 15th-best in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is calculated from 6 data sets. Rwanda performs the best in energy to GDP efficiency₃₇. It comes in the best 20 in reducing annual meat consumption per person₃₈. But unfortunately Rwanda gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₃₉, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, its environmental performance₄₀ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₁.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₁
Pos.		Total₄₁
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
161	S. Korea	-2.9%
162	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	-3.0%
163	American Samoa	-3.4%
164	Rwanda	-3.5%
165	Trinidad & Tobago	-3.6%
166	Mexico	-4.0%
167	Peru	-4.0%
168	S. Africa	-4.1%
	Africa Avg	-8.7%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₀
Pos.		2018₄₀
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
145	Uganda	44.3
146	Comoros	44.2
147	Mali	43.7
148	Rwanda	43.7
149	Zimbabwe	43.4
150	Cambodia	43.2
151	Solomon Islands	43.2
152	Iraq	43.2
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₃₇
Pos.		2022 Avg₃₇
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
4	Uganda	0.37
5	Sierra Leone	0.37
6	Malawi	0.37
7	Madagascar	0.38
8	Sri Lanka	0.39
9	Burundi	0.41
10	Central African Rep.	0.41
11	Ethiopia	0.42
12	Afghanistan	0.43
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
113	Israel	55%
114	Vietnam	55%
115	Malta	55%
116	Rwanda	55%
117	Mongolia	55%
118	Liberia	55%
119	Chad	55%
120	Ethiopia	55%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₃₉
Pos.		2011 %₃₉
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
78	Namibia	36.6%
79	Germany	36.1%
80	Montenegro	35.9%
81	Rwanda	35.8%
82	Romania	33.4%
83	Luxembourg	33.3%
84	Togo	33.3%
85	Benin	32.6%
	Africa Avg	38.3%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₃₈
Pos.		2021 kg₃₈
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
4	Madagascar	05.4
5	India	05.7
6	Nigeria	07.0
7	Ethiopia	07.1
8	Rwanda	07.6
9	Mali	07.8
10	Niger	08.1
11	Afghanistan	08.7
12	Uganda	09.4
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

In the 2010s, Rwanda had the 9th-lowest meat consumption per person in the world.₃₈

7. Rwanda's Modernity and Learning

#capitalism #corruption #economics #education #extremism #health #human_development #inequality #intelligence #it_security #life_expectancy #modernity #peace #politics #poverty #religion #religiosity #religious_violence #rwanda #secularisation #social_development #technology #terrorism #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)₄₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₂
1	S. Africa	56.9
2	Tunisia	70.8
3=	Mauritius	79.6
	...
18	Cameroon	114.2
19	Swaziland	115.9
20	Zambia	116.3
21	Rwanda	123.0
22	Guinea-Bissau	124.4
23	Malawi	125.4
24	Togo	125.8
25	Sao Tome & Principe	126.0
26	Ethiopia	128.3
	Africa Avg	120.19
q=53.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₄₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₂
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
138	Nicaragua	121.4
139	Guatemala	121.5
140	Guyana	122.5
141	Rwanda	123.0
142	Bhutan	123.9
143	Guinea-Bissau	124.4
144	Laos	124.4
145	Iraq	124.6
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₃. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₃. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₄.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₄₅

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₃, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₃.

For more, see:

" Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education:

Secondary Education Higher is better₄₆
Pos.		2018₄₆
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
157	Senegal	17.6%
158	Sudan	17.5%
159	Ethiopia	17.1%
160	Rwanda	16.3%
161	Tanzania	14.3%
162	Mali	13.1%
163	Papua New Guinea	12.5%
164	Bhutan	12.0%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₄₇
Pos.		2021 Years₄₇
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
146	Vanuatu	11.5
147	Cambodia	11.5
148	Lebanon	11.3
149	Rwanda	11.2
150	Zambia	10.9
151	Myanmar (Burma)	10.9
152	N. Korea	10.8
153	Benin	10.8
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
115	Bahrain	115
116	Kazakhstan	116
117	Sri Lanka	117
118	Rwanda	118
119	Guatemala	119
120	Niger	120
121	El Salvador	121
122	Dominican Rep.	122
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Religiosity Lower is better₄₈
Pos.		2018 %₄₈
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
90=	Guatemala	89
91	Honduras	90
92=	Cameroon	90
92=	Rwanda	90
92=	Liberia	90
95	Morocco	91
96=	Guinea-Bissau	91
96=	Philippines	91
	Africa Avg	87.0
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better₄₉
Pos.		2006₄₉
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
112=	Namibia	70
112=	Togo	70
112=	Botswana	70
112=	Rwanda	70
112=	Benin	70
117	Ivory Coast	69
118=	Malawi	69
118=	Niger	69
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better₅₀
Pos.		2016₅₀
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
167	Bangladesh	13%
168	Iraq	13%
169	Kiribati	13%
170	Rwanda	12%
171	Mali	12%
172	Haiti	12%
173=	Papua New Guinea	12%
173=	Djibouti	12%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Freedom On The Internet Lower is better₅₁
Pos.		2012₅₁
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
26=	Tunisia	46
27	Venezuela	48
28	Azerbaijan	50
29	Rwanda	51
30	Russia	52
31	Zimbabwe	54
32	Sri Lanka	55
33	Kazakhstan	58
	Africa Avg	45.0
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

IT Security Lower is better₅₂
Pos.		2013₅₂
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
66	Afghanistan	1.45
67	Germany	1.46
68	Netherlands	1.47
69	Rwanda	1.50
70	Tanzania	1.50
71	Maldives	1.57
72	China	1.59
73	Angola	1.61
	Africa Avg	1.07
	World Avg	0.98

8. Rwanda's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #rwanda #social_development #terrorism

Compared to Africa (2020)₅₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₃
1	Mauritius	48.3
2	Sao Tome & Principe	67.7
3	Tunisia	74.9
	...
24	Kenya	97.8
25	Uganda	97.9
26	Gabon	100.3
27	Rwanda	100.8
28	Benin	100.8
29	Nigeria	101.0
30	Ivory Coast	101.3
31	Madagascar	101.7
32	Swaziland	103.2
	Africa Avg	101.84
q=53.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)₅₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₃
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
138	Azerbaijan	99.5
139	Palestine	99.9
140	Gabon	100.3
141	Rwanda	100.8
142	Benin	100.8
143	Nigeria	101.0
144	Ivory Coast	101.3
145	Madagascar	101.7
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

"Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture:

Rwanda has an adequate long-term record on corruption.

Corruption Higher is better₅₄
Pos.		2022 Points₅₄
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
51	Grenada	52.0
52=	Cyprus	52.0
52=	Greece	52.0
54	Rwanda	51.0
55=	Malta	51.0
55=	Saudi Arabia	51.0
57	Croatia	50.0
58=	Mauritius	50.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
156	Iraq	156
157	Iran	157
158	Gabon	158
159	Central African Rep.	159
160	Burundi	160
161	Rwanda	161
162	Congo, DR	162
163	Libya	163
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
51	Niger	51
52	Sri Lanka	52
53	Haiti	53
54	Rwanda	54
55	Swaziland	55
56	Luxembourg	56
57	Mali	57
58	El Salvador	58
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

There are signs that Rwanda can turn things around; "globally, Rwanda has the highest proportion of people who feel safer today than they did five years ago"₅₅, but regional strife is a feature that will be hard to repel and reverse at least in the short and medium term.

Global Peace Index Lower is better₅₆
Pos.		2023 Score₅₆
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
86	Uzbekistan	2.03
87	Guinea-Bissau	2.05
88=	Bangladesh	2.05
88=	Rwanda	2.05
90	Ivory Coast	2.05
91	Tanzania	2.06
92	Thailand	2.06
93	Gabon	2.07
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
26	Sri Lanka	26
27	Netherlands	27
28	Mongolia	28
29	Rwanda	29
30	Paraguay	30
31	Jordan	31
32	India	32
33	New Zealand	33
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
141	Mongolia	141
142	Syria	142
143	Mauritania	143
144	Rwanda	144
145	Chad	145
146	Central African Rep.	146
147	El Salvador	147
148	Bahamas	148
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₅₇
Pos.		2019 Score₅₇
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
82	Ireland	2.69
83	Zimbabwe	2.83
84	Peru	2.84
85	Rwanda	2.95
86	Nicaragua	2.95
87	Jordan	3.09
88	Italy	3.11
89	Paraguay	3.12
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₅₈
Pos.		2019₅₈
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
127	Guyana	19.00
128	S. Africa	19.20
129	Botswana	19.40
130	Rwanda	19.50
131	India	19.70
132	Madagascar	21.10
133	Senegal	21.20
134	Eritrea	21.40
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₅₉
Pos.		2023 %₅₉
1	Slovakia	24.1%₆₀
2	Slovenia	24.3%₆₀
3	Belarus	24.4%₆₁
	...
138=	Ghana	43.5%₆₂
138=	Mexico	43.5%₆₃
140	St Lucia	43.7%₆₄
141=	Rwanda	43.7%₆₂
142	Grenada	43.8%₆₅
143	S. Sudan	44.1%₆₂
144	Turkey	44.4%₆₀
145	Ecuador	44.6%₆₆
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Rwanda - only for 5 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₆₇
Pos.		2018 Severity₆₇
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
72	Cameroon	.243
73	Malawi	.243
74	Togo	.249
75	Rwanda	.259
76	Mauritania	.261
77	Zambia	.261
78	Uganda	.269
79	Afghanistan	.272
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)₄₈
Pos.		Lower is better %₄₈
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
90=	Guatemala	89
91	Honduras	90
92=	Cameroon	90
92=	Rwanda	90
92=	Liberia	90
95	Morocco	91
96=	Guinea-Bissau	91
96=	Philippines	91
96=	Zambia	91
99	Afghanistan	92
100=	Burkina Faso	93
100=	Tanzania	93
100=	Indonesia	93
103	Mali	94
104=	Pakistan	94
105	Ethiopia	98
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)₆₈
Pos.		Higher is better %₆₈
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
121=	Pakistan	0
121=	Niger	0
121=	Saudi Arabia	0
121=	Rwanda	0
121=	Cameroon	0
121=	Philippines	0
121=	Kuwait	0
121=	Madagascar	0
121=	Nigeria	0
121=	Malawi	0
121=	Chad	0
121=	Nepal	0
121=	Morocco	0
121=	Mauritania	0
121=	Mali	0
121=	Senegal	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₆₉:

Christian	93.4%
Muslim	1.8%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	1%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	3.6%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim 4.6%, indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7% (2001)₇₀.

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