Rwanda’s Poverty Rate Drops to 27.4% in 2024

Official data from Rwanda reveals a significant decline in the national poverty rate, which has fallen from 39.8% in 2017 to 27.4% in 2024 – a decrease of 12.4 percentage points over the past seven years.

According to *Africa News Agency*, these results were derived from the seventh comprehensive household living conditions survey, conducted by Rwanda’s National Institute of Statistics from October 2023 to October 2024.

The survey highlights a notable reduction in poverty levels nationwide. While regional classifications remained unchanged – with Kigali city recording the lowest poverty rates and the southern and western provinces showing the highest – the percentage of Rwandans living in extreme poverty has sharply dropped from 11.3% in 2017 to 5.4% in 2024.

In presenting the findings, Ivan Murinzi, Director-General of the National Institute of Statistics, pointed out that the most significant progress had been made in rural households, reflecting the impact of targeted government policies.

Murinzi also emphasized that improvements in electricity access in rural areas are a clear indication of the success of infrastructure development efforts.