HIV prevalence in Rwanda declines to 2.2% – RDHS 2025

By The Inspirer.

HIV prevalence among people aged 15 to 49 in Rwanda stands at 2.2%, according to the 2025 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS), indicating a continued gradual decline in infections over the past two decades.

The findings, released by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health on June 30, 2026, are based on testing conducted among about 13,000 men and women nationwide.

The survey shows that national HIV prevalence has steadily declined from 3% between 2004/05 and 2014/15, to 2.7% in 2019/20, and now to 2.2% in the latest report.

Despite the overall decline, the data highlights persistent gender disparities, with women remaining more affected than men. Prevalence stands at 2.8% among women aged 15–49 compared to 1.5% among men. In the previous survey, rates were 3.5% for women and 1.7% for men.

Age-specific trends show higher prevalence among older populations, reaching 7.8% among women aged 45–49, compared to 3.5% among men in the same age group. Among men aged 50–59, prevalence stands at 4.3%.

Marital status is also a key factor, with widowed individuals recording the highest prevalence at 10.9%, followed by divorced or separated individuals at 7.3%. Married women living with a single partner recorded 6.5%, while those not in union recorded 2.3%.

The survey also points to protective health behaviours, with male circumcision associated with lower HIV prevalence—1.2% among circumcised men compared to 2.5% among uncircumcised or partially circumcised men.

Geographical disparities remain evident. Urban areas record higher prevalence (3.3%) compared to rural areas (1.7%). Kigali City has the highest rate at 3.7%, while the Northern Province records the lowest at 1.0%. The Southern Province stands at 2.3%, Western Province at 2.2%, and Eastern Province at 2.0%.

Education levels show a strong correlation with infection rates. Prevalence is highest among people with no formal education at 4.9%, followed by primary education at 2.4%, secondary education at 1.6%, and post-secondary education at 0.9%.

Household wealth also reflects disparities, with the highest prevalence recorded among the poorest households at 3.3%.

The survey is considered highly representative, with high participation rates as 99% of eligible women and 97% of men agreed to HIV testing.

Despite the progress, the report calls for sustained prevention efforts, particularly among older women, urban populations—especially in Kigali—and other vulnerable groups, to further reduce new infections and sustain gains made in Rwanda’s HIV response.