Rwanda has made significant progress in reducing deaths among children under the age of five, according to the 2025 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS). The findings show that under-five mortality has fallen by 81.6% over the past 25 years.
The report, released by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) in partnership with the Ministry of Health on June 30, 2026, shows that in 2000, 196 out of every 1,000 children born alive died before reaching their fifth birthday.
The number has steadily declined over the years:
- 2005: 152 deaths per 1,000 live births
- 2010: 76 deaths per 1,000 live births
- 2014–2015: 50 deaths per 1,000 live births
- 2019–2020: 45 deaths per 1,000 live births
- 2025: 36 deaths per 1,000 live births
Overall, this represents a reduction of 160 deaths per 1,000 live births, equivalent to an 81.6% decrease, nearly 82%, compared to the year 2000.
The survey also highlights a sharp improvement between 2005 and 2010, when the under-five mortality rate dropped from 152 to 76 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Despite this progress, the report notes that 36 children out of every 1,000 live births still die before reaching the age of five, indicating that further efforts are needed to improve child survival.
One of the major factors linked to this progress is the increase in health facility deliveries. In 1992, only 25% of women gave birth in health facilities. By 2025, that figure had reached 98%.
The trend has been consistent:
- 2000: 27%
- 2005: 39%
- 2010: 69%
- 2014–2015: 91%
- 2019–2020: 94%
- 2025: 98%
This means that only 2% of women in Rwanda now give birth outside health facilities, a milestone that has contributed to reducing both maternal and child deaths.
The report also recalls that in 2014, Save the Children ranked Rwanda among the leading countries in East Africa for child survival, noting that more than 70% of women were already delivering in health facilities at the time, while in some neighboring countries the figure was below 10%.