Rwanda Languages

The official language of Rwanda is Kinyarwanda which has evolved from the Niger-Congo language family. Kinyarwanda is also spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as some parts of Uganda. Rwanda also has four national languages and they are French, English, and Swahili, as well as the aforementioned Kinyarwanda, and many citizens, are bilingual.

Kinyarwanda is spoken by almost all of the population of the country as a first or second language (11.9 million), this contrasts other African nations who do not recognize ethnic boundaries or pre-European colonial kingdoms as Rwanda does. The language is spoken by the Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa ethnicities and developed during the 15th century as somewhat of a cultural identifier. Kinyarwanda is the main language for business, institutions, and media in Rwanda.

Hello in Kinyarwanda is said as "mu-ra-ho" and pleased to meet you is said as "nishi-mi-ye ku-ba men-ya". The language is relatively easy to learn basic phrases in, but a deeper conversation will require a lot of practice. One of the favorite phrases for tourists is "hakuna matata", meaning no worries or no problem. Many Rwandan citizens will have a small knowledge of both English and French if communication is difficult in Kinyarwanda.

French was once an official language of Rwanda but is now an endangered national language. In recent years, the Rwandan government has shifted from using French as an educational language to English as an effort for citizens to assimilate with western media and economic trade. Just 0.1% of Rwandans speak French as a first or second language. English is spoken by just 0.2% of the population fluently, but this number is growing rapidly. The adoption of English, as well as Swahili, has greatly improved literacy rates across the country.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Kigali
Languages	Kinyarwanda only (official, universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%, Kinyarwanda and other language(s) 6.2%, French (official) and other language(s) 0.1%, English (official) and other language(s) 0.1%, Swahili (or Kiswahili, used in commercial centers) 0.02%, other 0.03%, unspecified 0.3% (2002 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Hutu (Bantu), Tutsi (Hamitic), Twa (Pygmy)
Religion	Roman Catholic 49.5%, Protestant 39.4% (includes Adventist 12.2% and other Protestant 27.2%), other Christian 4.5%, Muslim 1.8%, animist 0.1%, other 0.6%, none 3.6% (2001), unspecified 0.5% (2002 est.)
Government	Presidential republic
Independance	1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)
Area	26,338.00 km²
Water Area	1,670.00 km²
Land Area	24,668.00 km²
Population	12,988,423.00
Location	Central Africa, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, north of Burundi
No. Bordering Countries	4
Bordering Countries	Burundi 315 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 221 km, Tanzania 222 km, Uganda 172 km
GDP(PPP)	$21,970,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$1,900.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United States, and China.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are coffee, tea, hides, and tin ore.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Uganda, Kenya, and India.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, and petroleum products.
Climate	Tropical, with practically no variation in temperature; has two seasons (dry and humid)
Terrain	Mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east
Learn More	Rwanda

Rwanda Languages

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