Rwanda reduces poverty by 11.8 pc

One million Rwandans have emerged out of poverty in the last five years, six times faster than the country has achieved between 2000 and 2006, a new survey of household living conditions in Rwanda indicates.

The survey, which represents the international benchmark for measuring poverty, will be released on Tuesday by the Rwandan Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN).

The findings will show that approximately two hundred thousand households, or one million people , have emerged from poverty since 2006.

Of Rwanda's 10.7 million people, 45 per cent now live below the poverty line compared to 57 per cent five years ago.

The findings have led the Rwandan government to significantly revise its poverty reduction targets since Rwanda is outpacing its own Vision 2020 objectives.

Additional findings also show that infant and maternal mortality rates have declined by 41 and 35 per cent respectively since 2006, while participation in secondary level education has doubled over time.

MINECOFIN will also give updates on progress on the government's first Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) which ends this financial year.