Poverty and living standards in Southern Province, Rwanda: official figures
34.7% of people in the Southern Province lived below the national poverty line in 2023/24 (EICV7), 2nd highest of Rwanda's four provinces and Kigali (Rwanda: 27.4%); NISR's comparable estimate for 2017 was 47.6%.
How many people in Southern Province are extremely poor?
7.4% of people in the Southern Province were in extreme poverty (unable to afford even basic food needs) in 2023/24, 2nd highest of Rwanda's four provinces and Kigali (Rwanda: 5.4%; 2017 estimate for Southern Province: 15.3%).
Source: National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda · saved copyWhich district of Southern Province is poorest?
Poverty varies between the 8 districts of the Southern Province: in 2023/24 it was highest in Nyamagabe (51.4%) and lowest in Muhanga (15.0%).
Source: National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda · saved copyHow many households in Southern Province have a smartphone?
22.7% of households in the Southern Province owned a smartphone and 77.0% owned any mobile phone in 2023/24; smartphone ownership is the lowest of Rwanda's four provinces and Kigali (Rwanda: 34.3% and 84.6%).
Source: National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda · saved copyHow much crime is there in Southern Province?
The Rwanda Investigation Bureau recorded 17,021 crimes in the Southern Province in 2024 (21,130 in 2023), about 558 per 100,000 residents, 2nd highest of Rwanda's four provinces and Kigali (Rwanda: 77,322 crimes, 560 per 100,000).
Source: National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda · saved copyMore figures
- 35.2% of people in the Southern Province were multidimensionally poor in 2023/24 (deprived in several of education, health, housing and living conditions at once), the highest of Rwanda's four provinces and Kigali (Rwanda: 30.5%). Source: National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda · saved copy
How Southern Province compares with other provinces
Population below the national poverty line (2023/24)
Southern Province ranks 2 of 5, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Population below the national poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Province | 37.4% |
| 2 | Southern Province | 34.7% |
| 3 | Eastern Province | 26.8% |
| 4 | Northern Province | 20.2% |
| 5 | City of Kigali | 9.1% |
Population in extreme poverty (2023/24)
Southern Province ranks 2 of 5, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Population in extreme poverty |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Province | 9.0% |
| 2 | Southern Province | 7.4% |
| 3 | Eastern Province | 4.5% |
| 4 | Northern Province | 3.2% |
| 5 | City of Kigali | 1.1% |
More on Southern Province: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · Rwanda
Sources
- National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda: Seventh Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey (EICV7) 2023/24, Main Indicators Report tables, read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8a01ec05d851…)
- National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda: Rwanda Statistical Yearbook 2025 (tables 15.1-15.2: 2022 census by province; 14.1.2: crimes by province, Rwanda Investigation Bureau; 3.2.3: HIV testing of pregnant women by province, Rwanda Biomedical Centre), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ef41d895c949…)
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