Fertility has declined substantially since 1978 however, its level has not reached that of replacement (TFR of 2.1 births).
Fertility levels by level of education have changed since 2012 census. Fertility level of women with secondary education or higher increased compared to the census of 2012 (2.6 children by woman in 2012 against 3.4 children by woman in 2022) while fertility level of those with primary education is now higher than those who have never been to school (3.6 and 3.9 children by woman respectively).
Trend data on fertility levels for women with primary education may have stalled. • Although adolescent fertility level in the country is lower than in most countries in Sub Saharan Africa, it is still important. About 25 births for every 1000 women aged 15-19 had a birth 12 months prior to census date. Adolescent fertility rate is highest in Eastern Province at 36 per 1000 and lowest in Kigali
City at 19 per 1000.
A woman residing in Rwanda would have on average 3.6 children at the end of her reproductive life. The level of fertility is lowest at 3.0 births per woman in Kigali City, and highest in Eastern Province at 4 births per woman on average.
There has been a shift in the observed levels of fertility by province. In 2012 fertility level was highest in Eastern and Western provinces, however in 2022 highest level is only in Eastern Province.