Rwanda (Republic of Rwanda)

Rwanda Republic of Rwanda
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	136th 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. 1959-1994 Period of Civil Wars and Genocide
2. Rwanda National and Social Development
3. Rwanda's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Rwanda's Health
   1. Health Datasets
   2. Children's Health Datasets
6. Rwanda's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Rwanda's Modernity and Learning
   1. Modernity Datasets
   2. Education Datasets
   3. Technology and Information Datasets
8. Rwanda's Culture, Peace and Inequality
   1. National Culture Datasets
   2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets
   3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

---

1. 1959-1994 Period of Civil Wars and Genocide ₉

#burundi #congo,_dr #rwanda #tanzania #uganda

In 1994, Rwanda imploded. In a three-month period, a million people were killed - one in ten people; across every city, town and village. 11% of the whole population died_10,11. It "produced the third largest body count among the world's genocides since 1950, topped only by the killings of the 1970s in Cambodia and of 1971 in Bangladesh"₁₂. Doctors killed their patients, students killed their teachers. Joining en masse into militias with competing aims, work colleagues, villagers, townspeople, locals and street-neighbours all killed each other.

There were two main divides: the Tutsi and the Hutu, which are loosely called ethnic groups, and an economic divide between those who were desperate for food and resources, and some who were comfortable, had resources, and who could hire militias and bodyguards either at the behest of the murderous government, or for their own purposes.

The Ethnic Causes of Genocide are emphasized by the CIA World Factbook, starting with the 1959 revolution by the majority Hutus, who overthrew the 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 in 2009 staged a joint military operation with the Congolese Army in DRC to rout out the Hutu extremist insurgency there.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₁₃

Overpopulation and Economic Inequality are highlighted by Jared Diamond as the most overlooked driver of war. There were too many people for the resources that Rwanda had, especially food production; the economic woes were apparent especially from 1988.₁₀.

A great number of Rwandans are difficult to designate into either main group; 1 in 4 "have both Hutu and Tutsi among their great-grandparents"; they are intermarried, and share villages, churches, chiefs, doctors and teachers. Before the Belgians introduced identity cards, many in both groups would sometimes simply switch ethnic identity. Many Tutsi died while protecting Hutu friends; many Hutu died fighting other Hutu, many Tutsi died fighting other Tutsi. Violence occurred even in places where there were no ethnic divides. 5% died - 1 in 20 - in northwestern Rwanda, where almost everybody was Hutu. Mass killings took place in villages where there was just one Tutsi.

“The Twa or pygmies [...] numbered only 1% of the population, were at the bottom of the social scale and power structure, and did not constitute a threat to anybody - yet most of them, too, were massacred in the 1994 killings.”

"Collapse" by Jared Diamond (2005)₁₄

From 1988, most people who produced food could not provide for themselves, especially the small farms. Some people, a few, were faring adequately, and owned the farms that had bought up all the remaining profitable land, mediocre though it was. In the buildup to 1994, rising crime and violence correlated with population density. Come 1994, those who owned more land were disproportionately killed. Many young men died, especially poor ones, as they joined militias as the only choice that could possibly provide some income for their families, even though militia leaders were the ones encouraging the bloodshed. Aside from direct violence, in the general population, many died of starvation.₁₀

“The people whose children had to walk barefoot to school killed the people who could buy shoes for theirs.”

A Tutsi teacher who survived because he happened to be away from home when killers arrived and murdered his wife and four of his five children₁₅.

Even today, after the massacres, some Rwandans still argue that the occasional war is required to thin numbers₁₆.

Normalisation: With power consolidated, 75% of their enemies killed, the Tutsi government settled back into the role of governing. With defeat, revenge and violent justice is demanded by many armed gangs as part of the neverending cycle of ethnic war, but, the winners get to write the history and corral the political support of neighbours.

“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)₁₃

“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. [...] 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)₁₁

Lonley Planet's rhetoric is a little on the optimistic side. Yet, although the statistics on this page reflect the violence in every metric, since the 1990s things are improving. To learn from its past, Rwanda must control its population, ensure resources are divded fairly, and engage in a long, urgent, meaningful and heartful series of apologies to the victims of war and genocide, to dampen the echoes of violence.

2. Rwanda National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)17
Pos.		Higher is better Value17
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)17
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $17
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 Index18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Denmark	26.9
2	Norway	29.1
3	Sweden	29.9
	...
133	Tajikistan	104.6
134	Namibia	105.6
135	Lesotho	105.7
136	Rwanda	106.3
137	Turkmenistan	106.4
138	Bangladesh	106.6
139	N. Korea	106.9
140	Samoa	107.9
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	89.0
q=200.

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 Datasets:

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, once you take mortality into account₁₉. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₂₀

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 better17
Pos.		2021 Years17
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	65.7
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best21
Pos.		202221
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. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better22
Pos.		2016 Per 10022
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
45=	Kuwait	06.8
46=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	07.0
46=	Solomon Islands	07.0
46=	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.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants23
Pos.		2017 %23
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.

Emigrants24
Pos.		2010 %24
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)25
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank25
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
112	Indonesia	100.4
113	Tonga	101.0
114	Kyrgyzstan	102.0
115	Rwanda	102.5
116	Haiti	102.6
117	Marshall Islands	102.9
	Africa Avg	110.04
	World Avg	89.80
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 for supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₆ (still low for Africa), commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₇, opposing gender inequality₂₈ (still good for Africa), supporting press freedom₂₉, freethought₃₀ and in its average Freedom in the World rating. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 when it comes to the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₃₁. 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 abuses₃₂. Likewise, political opponents to President Paul Kagame are intimidated and presented with enough barriers to make them unable to operate or campaign₃₂. 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.₃₂.

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)33
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank33
1	Mauritius	71.1
2	Tunisia	75.3
3	Seychelles	77.4
	...
8	Botswana	108.2
9	Sao Tome & Principe	111.4
10	Egypt	116.2
11	Rwanda	117.7
12	Ghana	119.3
13	Eritrea	120.2
14	Kenya	121.3
15	S. Africa	122.3
16	Gambia	122.7
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)33
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank33
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	37.3
	...
141	Suriname	116.2
142	Egypt	116.2
143	Guatemala	116.8
144	Rwanda	117.7
145	Tuvalu	118.6
146	Ghana	119.3
147	Eritrea	120.2
148	Kenya	121.3
	World Avg	97.57
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₃₄. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₄.

42 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, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₄, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₄.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

5.1. Health Datasets

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

Rwanda has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Rwanda comes in the best 20 in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₅. It does better than average in delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₆, its smoking rate₃₇, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₈ and in its adolescent birth rate₃₉. Rwanda doesn't do so well in other areas. Rwanda does worse than average in terms of its alcohol consumption rate₄₀, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₄₁, its average life expectancy₁₇ (still high for Africa), childhood mortality in the 2020s₄₂ and in its fertility rate₂₁ (still good for Africa). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years.

Life expectancy in Rwanda in 1990 was 48.4yrs, much lower than the global average of 64.6. After the awful genocide of 1994, from 1995 to 1998 it had the second-lowest life expectancy 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 better17
Pos.		2021 Years17
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	65.7
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better40
Pos.		2016 Per Capita40
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 best21
Pos.		202221
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. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better37
Pos.		Total %37
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
57=	Burkina Faso	14.3%
57=	Norway	14.3%
57=	UK	14.3%
60	Rwanda	14.3%
61	Zambia	14.6%
62	Saudi Arabia	14.9%
63	Mexico	14.9%
64	Bahrain	15.0%
	Africa Avg	12.4%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better41
Pos.		2017 Rank41
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.		1976 %35
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
15	Myanmar	7.6
16	Burundi	7.7
17	Niger	7.8
18	Rwanda	7.9
19	Uganda	8.0
20=	Madagascar	8.1
20=	Eritrea	8.1
22	Chad	8.2
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better43
Pos.		2022 %43
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
4	Madagascar	3.8%
5	Eritrea	4.2%
6	Cambodia	4.4%
7	Burundi	4.5%
8	Rwanda	4.6%
9	Japan	4.9%
10	Bangladesh	5.3%
11	Niger	5.3%
12	Chad	5.7%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better39
Pos.		2022 Per 100039
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	32.8
93	Indonesia	32.9
94	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	33.3
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better38
Pos.		Total Avg %38
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
80	Czechia	95.1
81	Kenya	94.9
82	Bermuda	94.8
83=	Rwanda	94.8
83=	UAE	94.8
85=	Thailand	94.6
85=	Trinidad & Tobago	94.6
85=	Armenia	94.6
	Africa Avg	82.9
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better36
Pos.		2015 Avg %36
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.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better42
Pos.		Total Per 100042
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
146	Yemen	49.34
147	Comoros	49.44
148	Mauritania	49.55
149	Rwanda	50.42
150	Botswana	50.43
151	Papua New Guinea	52.31
152	Namibia	52.36
153	Myanmar	52.96
	Africa Avg	71.63
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

From the 1960s to the 1970s, only 6 countries saw their infant mortality rate worsen; Rwanda by far fared the worse. It done better the following decade, but, from the 1990s to the 2000s it saw another drop, worsening its rate more than any other country in that period. But from that dark period, it has since seen two solid decades of improvements in young children's health₄₂.

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)44
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank44
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)44
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank44
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.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₅. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? 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).

In terms of its responsibility towards the environment, Rwanda comes 15th-best in the world. This rank is computed from 21 data sets. Rwanda performs the best in energy to GDP efficiency₄₆. It comes in the best 20 in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₇. But unfortunately Rwanda gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₈, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, its environmental performance₄₉ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₅₀.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better50
Pos.		Total50
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 better49
Pos.		201849
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 better46
Pos.		2022 Avg46
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. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

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. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better48
Pos.		2011 %48
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 better47
Pos.		2021 kg47
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. Also scored for 2010s.

In the 2010s, Rwanda had the 9th-lowest meat consumption per person in the world.₄₇

7. Rwanda's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #it_security #metric #modernity #politics #religion #religiosity #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2025)51
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank51
1	S. Africa	58.2
2	Tunisia	63.4
3	Seychelles	64.9
	...
32	Lesotho	126.9
33	Central African Rep.	129.2
34	Namibia	129.8
35	Rwanda	130.0
36	Guinea	131.4
37	Guinea-Bissau	131.7
38	Sao Tome & Principe	133.0
39	Niger	133.3
40	Malawi	133.9
	Africa Avg	119.28
q=54.

Modernity & Learning (2025)51
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank51
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
162	Kiribati	127.3
163	Central African Rep.	129.2
164	Namibia	129.8
165	Rwanda	130.0
166	Guinea	131.4
167	Guinea-Bissau	131.7
168	Sao Tome & Principe	133.0
169	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	133.3
	World Avg	80.33
q=194.

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 The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium₅₂. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₅₂. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₃.

“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)₅₄

23 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, 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 Europe₅₂, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₅₂.

For more, see:

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

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#intelligence #metric #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better41
Pos.		2017 Rank41
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.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better55
Pos.		2025 %55
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
140=	UAE	90
140=	St Lucia	90
140=	St Kitts & Nevis	90
140=	Rwanda	90
140=	Qatar	90
140=	Pakistan	90
140=	Oman	90
140=	Nigeria	90
	Africa Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Rwanda officially adopted metric in 1910₅₆. Progression:

• 1960 (50%): Colonial metric present; traditional units widely used.
• 1970 (65%): Standardization in government/education.
• 1980 (80%): Commerce largely metric; rural legacy persists.
• 2000 (85%).
• 2025 (90%): High metric usage.

Religiosity Lower is better57
Pos.		2018 %57
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
90=	Guatemala	89
91=	Honduras	90
91=	Cameroon	90
91=	Rwanda	90
91=	Liberia	90
95=	Morocco	91
95=	Guinea-Bissau	91
95=	Philippines	91
	Africa Avg	87.0
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better58
Pos.		200658
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
117=	Malawi	69
117=	Niger	69
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education

Secondary Education Higher is better59
Pos.		201859
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 better60
Pos.		2021 Years60
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	10.9
152	N. Korea	10.8
153	Benin	10.8
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#it_security #politics #the_internet

Internet Users Higher is better61
Pos.		201661
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 better62
Pos.		201262
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 better63
Pos.		201363
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 #corruption #economics #extremism #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #rwanda #social_development #terrorism

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#corruption #internationalism #politics

Rwanda has an adequate long-term record on corruption.

Corruption Higher is better64
Pos.		2022 Points64
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
51=	Grenada	52.0
51=	Cyprus	52.0
51=	Greece	52.0
54=	Rwanda	51.0
54=	Malta	51.0
54=	Saudi Arabia	51.0
57=	Croatia	50.0
57=	Mauritius	50.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better41
Pos.		2017 Rank41
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.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better65
Pos.		Total Q65
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
137=	Benin	62.5
137=	Mongolia	62.5
139	Mozambique	62.3
140	Rwanda	62.2
141	Sao Tome & Principe	60.5
142	Uzbekistan	59.0
143=	Burkina Faso	58.8
143=	India	58.8
	Africa Avg	62.9
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better41
Pos.		2017 Rank41
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.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #rwanda #terrorism

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"₆₆, 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 better67
Pos.		2023 Score67
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. Also scored for 2010s.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better41
Pos.		2017 Rank41
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 better41
Pos.		2017 Rank41
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 better68
Pos.		2019 Score68
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.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better69
Pos.		Total %69
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
90	Benin	27.22%
91	Togo	34.42%
92	Mali	36.10%
93	Rwanda	38.55%
94	Ethiopia	38.64%
95	Chad	39.48%
96	Guinea-Bissau	39.86%
97	Nigeria	41.82%
	Africa Avg	41.51%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

From the 2010s to the 2020s (so far), Rwanda raised a quarter of its population out of poverty, creating hope for the future.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better70
Pos.		201970
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 better71
Pos.		2023 %71
1	Slovakia	24.1%72
2	Slovenia	24.3%72
3	Belarus	24.4%73
	...
138=	Ghana	43.5%74
138=	Mexico	43.5%75
140=	St Lucia	43.7%76
140=	Rwanda	43.7%74
142	Grenada	43.8%77
143	S. Sudan	44.1%74
144	Turkey	44.4%72
145	Ecuador	44.6%78
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

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

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better79
Pos.		2018 Severity79
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

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

Religiosity (2018)57
Pos.		Lower is better %57
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
90=	Guatemala	89
91=	Honduras	90
91=	Cameroon	90
91=	Rwanda	90
91=	Liberia	90
95=	Morocco	91
95=	Guinea-Bissau	91
95=	Philippines	91
95=	Zambia	91
99	Afghanistan	92
100=	Burkina Faso	93
100=	Tanzania	93
100=	Indonesia	93
103=	Mali	94
103=	Pakistan	94
105=	Ethiopia	98
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₈₀:

	2010	2020
Christian	96.9%	97%
Muslim	1.32%	1.81%
Unaffiliated	0.896%	1.01%
Other	0.904%	0.147%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	None	None
Buddhist	None	None

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)₈₁.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?