BRD Study: Housing Market and Low-Cost and Efficient Building Materials and Technologies: Kigali, Secondary and Satellite City Housing Profiles

According to the Census 2022 Main Indicators Report, there are 3.31 million households in Rwanda, of which 964,000 reside in urban areas. Urban dwellers in Rwanda now account for 28% of the population and 29% of households. Between 2012 and 2022 the number of households living in urban areas increased by 547, 500 households. The number of households in Kigali doubled over the period and it remains the dominant ‘primary’ city by a long stretch. That said, other urban areas are growing at least as fast as Kigali, with particularly rapid growth visible in Bugesera and Rwamagana, new satellite cities flagged as growth points in the National Land Use and Development Master Plan (NLUDMP)

On the whole, households living in high-density urban settlements in Kigali are noticeably better off than other urban centres. However, as Rwanda strives to achieve its dual goals of promoting urbanization and ensuring equitable access to decent, high-quality, and affordable housing for all citizens, it becomes crucial to comprehend in connection to local conditions, trends and economic performance.

The City Profiles presented in the the attached document serve the purpose of informing policy, planning and investment decisions by considering the geographical variations that exist among Rwanda’s primary urban centers in terms of housing need, tenure, and income.

This brief forms part of a collection of fact sheets on Rwanda’s Affordable Housing Market commissioned by the Development Bank of Rwanda on behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Rwanda Housing Authority. The information is drawn from the Study on the Housing Market and Low-Cost and Efficient Materials and Technologies conducted by the joint venture of Lambert Lénack Architectes Urbanistes and 35 000 Holdings (trading as 71point4), in partnership with Fatou Dieye (project lead), Vincent Ngirabacu, Kigwa Consulting and James Setzler from GAC-R with advising from Kecia Rust of the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa (CAHF).