Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Rwanda

Rwanda: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 80.9% in 2020. ▬ Flat

Latest (2020)
80.9%
Change on year
down 5.2%
World rank
2nd
of 72 countries
All-time high
88.4%
in 2005
All-time low
80.9%
in 2020
Years of data
8
1992–2020

Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Rwanda, 1992–2020

0204060801992200620201992: 85.3 % of children under 6 months2000: 83 % of children under 6 months2005: 88.4 % of children under 6 months2010: 84.9 % of children under 6 months2011: 83.8 % of children under 6 months2015: 86.9 % of children under 6 months2018: 85.3 % of children under 6 months2020: 80.9 % of children under 6 months

Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 6 months.

Analysis

The most recent figure for exclusive breastfeeding rate in Rwanda is 80.9%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

That represents a change of down 5.2% on the previous year and down 4.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Rwanda peaked at 88.4% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 80.9%, in 2020.

Rwanda ranks 2nd of 72 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 85.3% 85.3% 85.3% 1
2000s 85.7% 83.0% 88.4% 2
2010s 85.2% 83.8% 86.9% 4
2020s 80.9% 80.9% 80.9% 1

Countries ranked near Rwanda

  1. 1 Sri Lanka 80.9% compare
  2. 3 Burundi 71.9% compare
  3. 4 Zambia 69.9% compare
  4. 5 Uganda 65.5% compare

See the full ranking of 72 places →

More reference data data for Rwanda

All data for Rwanda →

Frequently asked questions

What is exclusive breastfeeding rate in Rwanda?
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Rwanda was 80.9% in 2020, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Rwanda?
The highest recorded value was 88.4% in 2005.
What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Rwanda?
The lowest recorded value was 80.9% in 2020.
How does Rwanda rank for exclusive breastfeeding rate?
Rwanda ranks 2nd out of 72 countries with data for 2020.
Is exclusive breastfeeding rate rising or falling in Rwanda?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Rwanda data come from?
The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exclusive breastfeeding rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Exclusive breastfeeding rate
Unit
% of children under 6 months
Source
Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
72 places, 509 data points, 1986–2020
Last refreshed

The share of infants less than six months old who were fed only with breast milk in the past 24 hours. WHO and UNICEF recommend that children be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.