Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Rwanda: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCB, ranked #105 of 195).
Rwanda is a presidential republic in Central Africa, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, north of Burundi. The country's capital is Kigali; it covers 26,338 sq km. Independence: 1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship). Terrain: mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east. Climate: temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible. Population: 13.6 million (2024 estimate). Population growth: +2.00% per year. Median age: 21.3 years. Life expectancy: 66.6 years (2024 est.). Languages: Kinyarwanda (official, universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%, French (…
| Capital | Kigali |
|---|---|
| Population | 13,623,302 (2024 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $46.543 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $3,300 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 8.9% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 1.8% |
| Unemployment | 12.0% |
| Public debt | 37.3% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $3.509 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $5.783 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 66.6 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 21.3 |
| Urbanization | 17.9% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship) |
| Languages | Kinyarwanda (official, universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%, French (official) <0.1%, English (official) <0.1%, Swahili/Kiswahili (official, used in commercial centers) <0.1%, more than one language, other 6.3%, unspecified 0.3% (2002 est.) |
MCB · 47/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The quarter passed without decisive turns. Governance continued, markets functioned, and the score reflects that uneventfulness.
For countries like this, the real story is always the slow one — and this quarter added no new chapter to it.
Gold, Tungsten, Hydropower.
Paul Kagame — President. President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000)
Rwanda maintains 41 embassies and 1 consulates abroad, hosts 38 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 41 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 1 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 38 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Landlocked — no seacoast; exports move through transit corridors across neighbouring countries. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 8 (registration prefix 9XR) |
Kigali International Airport (KGL) — Kigali; Kamembe Airport (KME) — Kamembe.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCB · 47 Ranked #105 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Rwanda.
