Number of airline passengers per year in Rwanda

Rwanda: Number of airline passengers per year was 1.54 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
1.54 million
Change on year
up 7.5%
World rank
89th
of 183 countries
All-time high
1.56 million
in 2019
All-time low
4,300
in 1986
Years of data
28
1981–2023

Number of airline passengers per year in Rwanda, 1981–2023

0500.0k1.0M1.5M1981200220231981: 9.7k1982: 25.9k1983: 4.4k1984: 4.6k1985: 4.8k1986: 4.3k1987: 8.9k1988: 11.9k1989: 10.1k1990: 8.4k1991: 10.1k1992: 9.1k1993: 9.1k1994: 9.1k2010: 188.2k2011: 268.4k2012: 593.2k2013: 611.0k2014: 626.9k2015: 544.5k2016: 644.6k2017: 1.0M2018: 1.5M2019: 1.6M2020: 661.3k2021: 715.8k2022: 1.4M2023: 1.5M

Source: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for number of airline passengers per year in Rwanda is 1.54 million, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of up 7.5% on the previous year and up 151.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of airline passengers per year in Rwanda peaked at 1.56 million in 2019 and was at its lowest, 4,300, in 1986.

That places Rwanda 89th out of 183 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 9,400 4,300 25,900 9
1990s 9,160 8,400 10,100 5
2010s 757,282 188,221 1.56 million 10
2020s 1.09 million 661,288 1.54 million 4

Countries ranked near Rwanda

  1. 86 Venezuela 1.78 million compare
  2. 87 Croatia 1.67 million compare
  3. 88 Papua New Guinea 1.55 million compare
  4. 90 Mauritius 1.50 million compare
  5. 91 Bahamas 1.47 million compare
  6. 92 Maldives 1.41 million compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More reference data data for Rwanda

All data for Rwanda →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of airline passengers per year in Rwanda?
Number of airline passengers per year in Rwanda was 1.54 million in 2023, according to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest number of airline passengers per year recorded in Rwanda?
The highest recorded value was 1.56 million in 2019.
What is the lowest number of airline passengers per year recorded in Rwanda?
The lowest recorded value was 4,300 in 1986.
How does Rwanda rank for number of airline passengers per year?
Rwanda ranks 89th out of 183 countries with data for 2023.
Is number of airline passengers per year rising or falling in Rwanda?
Over the last ten years it is up 151.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Rwanda data come from?
The figures come from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of airline passengers per year. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Number of airline passengers per year
Source
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
183 places, 7,925 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

This represents the total rather than unique passenger activity: this means a person who makes multiple trips is counted multiple times.