Country page · Sub-Saharan Africa
If you were born in Rwanda
1 in 328 babies · 0.30% of births · about 408,845 a year
Right now, about 0.30% of the world's babies are born in Rwanda — 1 in 328, or roughly 408,845 a year and 1,120 a day. Life expectancy there is 68.0 years.
How the 1 in 328 is calculated
This number is not based on population. It uses births: Rwanda has about 408,845 births a year, and the world has about 134,147,481. Divide one by the other and you get 0.30% — 1 in 328. Using population instead would understate young countries and overstate ageing ones, so every draw is weighted by births.
Life in Rwanda, in numbers
| Indicator | Value | World rank |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy women 70.1 · men 65.7 | 68.0 years | 127th highest of 172 countries |
| Chance of dying before 5 37.7 / 1,000 | 3.8% | 126th lowest of 170 countries |
| Chance of dying before 1 29.4 / 1,000 | 2.9% | 125th lowest of 170 countries |
| Mothers who die giving birth per 100,000 births | 229 | 138th lowest of 170 countries |
| Children per woman | 3.65 | 136th lowest of 172 countries |
| Expected years of schooling | 11.2 years | 117th highest of 168 countries |
| Tertiary enrollment | 9.4% | 140th highest of 168 countries |
| Income per person (PPP) GDP per capita, PPP | $4,164 | 144th highest of 170 countries |
| Income inequality closer to 0 = more equal | 39.40 | 49th highest of 157 countries |
| People living in cities | 30.9% | 156th highest of 172 countries |
| People working in farming | 35.1% | 125th lowest of 171 countries |
| People using the internet | 31.7% | 146th highest of 172 countries |
| Homicide per 100,000 people | 3.6 | 94th lowest of 155 countries |
| Health costs paid out of pocket share of health spending | 4.1% | 2nd lowest of 168 countries |
| Adults living with HIV | 2.00% | 18th highest of 142 countries |
| People who smoke | 10.1% | — |
How to read these numbers
Income is shown in purchasing-power-parity dollars, so it compares what money buys locally rather than market exchange rates. The under-5 rate is the share of babies who die before their fifth birthday; the maternal mortality ratio is per 100,000 live births. A Gini index closer to 0 means a more equal income distribution, and a higher number means a more unequal one.
Each indicator uses the most recent year with a non-empty value, which can differ by country; the rank compares this country with the other 171 in the dataset, not with every country on Earth. Where a value is missing, the page shows a dash rather than an estimate.
Rwanda compared with Sub-Saharan Africa
Life expectancy in Rwanda is 68.0 years, against a Sub-Saharan Africa average of 0.0. The under-5 death rate is 3.8%, versus 0.0% across the region. Income per person is $4,164, against $0 regionally; expected schooling is 11.2 years against 0.0. 30.9% of people live in cities, against 0.0% in the region.
| Indicator | Rwanda | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 68.0 years old | — | 73.3 years old |
| Under-5 deaths | 3.8% | — | 2.6% |
| Income per person (PPP) | $4,164 | — | $30,311 |
| Expected schooling | 11.2 years | — | 13.0 years |
| People in cities | 30.9% | — | 61.6% |
What a life there looks like
Put those numbers together and you get a life: about 68.0 years on average, with roughly 37.7 of every 1,000 babies dying before their fifth birthday. A child can expect 11.2 years of school, and income per person is around $4,164. These are averages — every life still lands somewhere on the distribution.
If you play as someone born in Rwanda
The game draws Rwanda in about 1 of every 328 births. From there the life runs year by year: 68.0 years of life expectancy on average, a 3.8% chance of dying before five, and an income of about $4,164 per person. Choices move the odds; the starting statistics do not.
Nearby and similar countries
- Chance of being born in Burundi — 1 in 281
- Chance of being born in Benin — 1 in 271
- Chance of being born in Guinea — 1 in 267
- All 172 countries
Frequently asked questions
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Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, with UN World Population Prospects 2024 and UN IGME for births and mortality. Values are the most recent non-empty year for each indicator; the year is noted where it differs. Page updated Oct 24, 2026.