Poverty and living standards in Western Province, Rwanda: official figures
37.4% of people in the Western Province lived below the national poverty line in 2023/24 (EICV7), the highest of Rwanda's four provinces and Kigali (Rwanda: 27.4%); NISR's comparable estimate for 2017 was 51.7%.
How many people in Western Province are extremely poor?
9.0% of people in the Western Province were in extreme poverty (unable to afford even basic food needs) in 2023/24, the highest of Rwanda's four provinces and Kigali (Rwanda: 5.4%; 2017 estimate for Western Province: 17.3%).
Source: National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda · saved copyWhich district of Western Province is poorest?
Poverty varies between the 7 districts of the Western Province: in 2023/24 it was highest in Rusizi (44.2%) and lowest in Nyabihu (20.4%).
Source: National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda · saved copyHow many households in Western Province have a smartphone?
30.5% of households in the Western Province owned a smartphone and 85.5% owned any mobile phone in 2023/24; smartphone ownership is 3rd highest 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 Western Province?
The Rwanda Investigation Bureau recorded 11,583 crimes in the Western Province in 2024 (14,406 in 2023), about 392 per 100,000 residents, 2nd lowest 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
- 33.5% of people in the Western Province were multidimensionally poor in 2023/24 (deprived in several of education, health, housing and living conditions at once), 3rd highest of Rwanda's four provinces and Kigali (Rwanda: 30.5%). Source: National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda · saved copy
How Western Province compares with other provinces
Population below the national poverty line (2023/24)
Western Province ranks 1 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)
Western Province ranks 1 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 Western 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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