Homicide rate in Rwanda
Rwanda: Homicide rate was 3.61 homicides per 100,000 population in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
3.61 homicides per 100,000 population
Change on year
up 14.2%
World rank
78th
of 179 countries
All-time high
3.85 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2017
All-time low
1.47 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2008
Years of data
13
2006–2020
Homicide rate in Rwanda, 2006–2020
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in homicides per 100,000 population.
Analysis
In 2020, homicide rate in Rwanda stood at 3.61 homicides per 100,000 population.
That represents a change of up 14.2% on the previous year and up 28.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in Rwanda peaked at 3.85 homicides per 100,000 population in 2017 and was at its lowest, 1.47 homicides per 100,000 population, in 2008.
That places Rwanda 78th out of 179 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Homicide rate in Rwanda, year by year
| Year | homicides per 100,000 population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 3.43 homicides per 100,000 population | — |
| 2007 | 2.81 homicides per 100,000 population | -18.2% |
| 2008 | 1.47 homicides per 100,000 population | -47.7% |
| 2010 | 2.82 homicides per 100,000 population | +92.0% |
| 2012 | 2.36 homicides per 100,000 population | -16.2% |
| 2013 | 3.24 homicides per 100,000 population | +36.9% |
| 2014 | 3.77 homicides per 100,000 population | +16.4% |
| 2015 | 2.52 homicides per 100,000 population | -33.2% |
| 2016 | 3.29 homicides per 100,000 population | +30.7% |
| 2017 | 3.85 homicides per 100,000 population | +17.1% |
| 2018 | 2.28 homicides per 100,000 population | -40.8% |
| 2019 | 3.16 homicides per 100,000 population | +38.6% |
| 2020 | 3.61 homicides per 100,000 population | +14.2% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 3.61 homicides per 100,000 population is above the median for low income countries, which is 3.6 homicides per 100,000 population, 1.0× the median. (10 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 3.61 homicides per 100,000 population is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.43 homicides per 100,000 population, 67% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.57 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.47 homicides per 100,000 population | 3.43 homicides per 100,000 population | 3 |
| 2010s | 3.03 homicides per 100,000 population | 2.28 homicides per 100,000 population | 3.85 homicides per 100,000 population | 9 |
| 2020s | 3.61 homicides per 100,000 population | 3.61 homicides per 100,000 population | 3.61 homicides per 100,000 population | 1 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
- 75 Ukraine 3.78 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 76 Tanzania 3.75 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 77 Solomon Islands 3.73 homicides per 100,000 population
- 79 Mozambique 3.59 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 80 Sri Lanka 3.31 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 81 Sao Tome and Principe 3.23 homicides per 100,000 population compare
More social development data for Rwanda
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 115,794 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 244,415 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 6 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0168 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 244,415 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0079 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicide rate in Rwanda?
- Homicide rate in Rwanda was 3.61 homicides per 100,000 population in 2020, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicide rate recorded in Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 3.85 homicides per 100,000 population in 2017.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.47 homicides per 100,000 population in 2008.
- How does Rwanda rank for homicide rate?
- Rwanda ranks 78th out of 179 countries with data for 2020.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Rwanda data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Homicide rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Intentional homicide rate per 100,000 population.