Demography
The population of Rwanda is estimated to be approximately 9 million. About 80 percent of the population is rural and 20 percent urban with the former living predominantly on subsistance agriculture. About 6.5 million of the population resides inside the country and another half a million or more living as refugees mainly in Zaire and Tanzania.
Rwanda's population density, even after the 1994 genocide, is among the highest in sub-Saharan Africa (230 per sq.. km.-590 per sq. mi.). Nearly every family in this country lives in a self-contained compound on a hillside. This is a direct result of two factors: the historic placement of the hilltop monarchies in the 18th century and the increased land fertility at the higher elevations. The urban concentrations are grouped around administrative centers.
Inhabitants of Rwanda are called "Banyarwanda." The three "ethnic" groups are the Bahutu, the Batutsi, and the Batw a (Bahutus, Batutsis and Batwas). While Batutsi are originally of Nilotic descent, having immigrated to the region some five centuries ago linguistic and ethnic homogenization have been significant. Epochs of significant intermarriage and diverse economic and political relations between groups have blurred the line originally distinguishing Batutsi and Bahutu identity. During the feudal and colonial eras, as well as the period preceding the genocide of 1994, new ethnic distinctions were emphasized for political purposes.
Estimates have generally placed the ethnic divisions as 85 percent Bahutu, 14 percent Batutsi and 1 percent Batwa. However, the 1994 genocide which cost an estimated 800,000 lives has had yet unmeasured impacts on these figures. More than one-third of the Batutsi population of approximately 1.5 million was likely decimated. In addition, up to three-fourths of the Batwa population is estimated to have been killed Bahutu hard-liners as possible B atutsi sympathizers.
Kinyarwanda is the universally spoken language regardless of ethnicity. Kinyarwanda and French are the two official languages. Kiswahili, a local dialect of Swahili is commonly spoken in certain regions, particularly in Arab or Arab-influenced town districts and in commercial centers.
Christianity (mostly Roman Catholic) is the religion of two-thirds of Rwanda's population, though syncretic blending with indigenous beliefs pervade. Most others practice Islam and indigenous beliefs.
Human Development
At over 2.43 percent, Rwanda's annual rate of population growth is one of the highest in tropical Africa, and nearly one-half the population is under 15 years of age. The infant mortality rate is 83.42 deaths per 1,000 live births. Life expectancy has historically been low, and was thought to be about 49.76 years of age, according to recent estimates. Literacy is fairly high at about 70 percent.
In recent years, the sp read of HIV/AIDS has been dramatic in the countryside. Amnesty International reports that as in Rwanda the rape of women as a weapon of war has met with common use by both government and rebel factions. Before the 1994 genocide, Rwanda managed to avoid the rapid increases in HIV/AIDS infection seen in neighboring Uganda and Kenya. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS has increased from 1.3 percent about 15 years ago to 5.1 percent of the population recently.
About nine percent of GDP in this country is spent on health expenditures; about 4.1 percent of GDP is spent on educational expenditures.
A notable measure of human development is the Human Development Index (HDI), which is formulated by the United Nations Development Program. The HDI is a composite of several indicators, which measure a country's achievements in three main areas of human development: longevity, knowledge and education, as well as economic standard of living. The HDI ranking from a recent human development report places Rwanda in the low human development category, at 152nd place, among 169 countries. Note: Although the concept of human development is complicated and cannot be properly captured by values and indices, the HDI, which is calculated and updated annually, offers a wide-ranging assessment of human development in certain countries, not based solely upon traditional economic and financial indicators.
Written by Dr. Denise Youngblood Coleman, Editor in Chief at www.countrywatch.com. See Bibliography for list of research sources.