Rwanda's cities at a glance
Dots sized by population · Kigali in orange
Rwanda has 1 city with more than a million inhabitants and 4 with more than 100,000 (city-proper figures). The largest is Kigali with 1,132,686 people, followed by Gisenyi (172,357) and Musanze (153,368). The three largest cities together hold about 9.7% of the country's 15 million people.
The capital, Kigali, is also the largest city.
By region, the most large cities are in Western Province (16), Southern Province (5), Northern Province (4).
Country-level figures — live population, births and deaths, growth, density and history — are on the Rwanda population page; provinces, terrain, rivers and society maps are in the Rwanda atlas.
Rwanda cities by population
| # | City | Region | Population | Share of Rwanda |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KigaliCapital | Kigali | 1,132,686 | 7.6% |
| 2 | Gisenyi | Western Province | 172,357 | 1.2% |
| 3 | Musanze | Northern Province | 153,368 | 1% |
| 4 | Nyagatare | Eastern Province | 100,000 | 0.7% |
| 5 | Gitarama | Southern Province | 87,613 | 0.6% |
| 6 | Muhanga | Southern Province | 82,797 | 0.6% |
| 7 | Butare | Southern Province | 62,823 | 0.4% |
| 8 | Kibuye | Western Province | 48,024 | 0.3% |
| 9 | Rwamagana | Eastern Province | 47,203 | 0.3% |
| 10 | Kibungo | Eastern Province | 46,240 | 0.3% |
| 11 | Cyangugu | Western Province | 43,866 | 0.3% |
| 12 | Shyorongi | Northern Province | 43,744 | 0.3% |
| 13 | Byumba | Northern Province | 43,134 | 0.3% |
| 14 | Kirambo | Western Province | 40,341 | 0.3% |
| 15 | Kagano | Western Province | 39,994 | 0.3% |
| 16 | Ngororero | Western Province | 38,823 | 0.3% |
| 17 | Nzega | Southern Province | 33,832 | 0.2% |
| 18 | Macuba | Western Province | 33,319 | 0.2% |
| 19 | Karengera | Western Province | 32,504 | 0.2% |
| 20 | Nyanza | Southern Province | 32,016 | 0.2% |
| 21 | Bugarama | Western Province | 31,086 | 0.2% |
| 22 | Gihombo | Western Province | 29,843 | 0.2% |
| 23 | Karambi | Western Province | 29,726 | 0.2% |
| 24 | Bushekeri | Western Province | 29,680 | 0.2% |
| 25 | Nyabitekeli | Western Province | 29,293 | 0.2% |
| 26 | Busogo | Northern Province | 28,264 | 0.2% |
| 27 | Shangi | Western Province | 28,064 | 0.2% |
| 28 | Kayonza | Eastern Province | 27,059 | 0.2% |
| 29 | Cyato | Western Province | 26,996 | 0.2% |
| 30 | Kirimbi | Western Province | 25,647 | 0.2% |
Cities with 300,000 or more people link to their own page. The list keeps every city of 100,000+ and at least the 30 largest places of the country.
Frequently asked questions
What is the largest city in Rwanda?
Kigali, with about 1,132,686 inhabitants (city proper).
What is the capital of Rwanda?
Kigali — population 1,132,686, the largest city in the country.
How many cities in Rwanda have over one million people?
1: Kigali.
Are these metropolitan-area populations?
No. They are city-proper figures (the administrative city) from GeoNames, based on the latest census or official estimate. Metropolitan areas, which include suburbs and satellite towns, are larger — often several times larger for the biggest cities.
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SudanCite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Largest Cities in Rwanda 2026: Population Ranking. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/rwanda/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/rwanda/">Largest Cities in Rwanda 2026: Population Ranking</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.