A report by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) shows that 2,629 households were granted divorce through courts and recorded in the system in 2025. Among them, 41.1% had been married for less than 10 years, while only 18 couples had stayed together for more than 45 years before divorcing.
The report, titled Rwanda Vital Statistics Report 2025, released on April 15, 2026, indicates that a total of 4,479 divorce cases were recorded in the system in 2025. Of these, 2,629 were finalized through court rulings during the same year.
The highest number of recorded divorces was in Kigali, with 1,199 cases, followed by the Eastern Province with 1,011. The Southern Province recorded 976 cases, the Western Province 669, and the Northern Province 592.
Data also shows a steady increase in court-granted divorces over recent years, rising from 782 cases in 2023 to 1,068 in 2024, and reaching 2,629 in 2025.
Most divorces in 2025 involved couples who had been married between five and nine years, accounting for 693 cases. Those who had been married for four years or less totaled 545, while 530 couples had stayed together between 10 and 14 years. Additionally, 445 couples who had been married between 15 and 19 years also divorced.
Analysis further reveals that out of the 4,479 divorced families, members of 3,936 households remained within the same province after separation, while 543 couples relocated to different provinces.
Rwanda’s law governing persons and family allows divorce on various grounds, including adultery, conviction for a serious offense, failure to provide for the family, physical or psychological abuse, emotional distress, property-related conflicts, or behavior that severely undermines the spouse, children, or family well-being. Couples may also separate when cohabitation becomes untenable for other serious reasons.
The report also highlights a decline in legally registered marriages. While 52,878 marriages were recorded in 2024, the number dropped to 50,256 in 2025.
Most men who got married were between 25 and 29 years old, while most women were between 21 and 24. Districts with the highest number of marriages exceeding 2,000 include Gasabo, Gicumbi, Nyarugenge, Kicukiro, Musanze, Muhanga, Rubavu, and Nyamasheke. Meanwhile, districts with fewer than 1,000 marriages include Nyanza, Gisagara, and Ngoma.
