Rwanda has been selected by an external panel of judges to receive the ‘Geospatial World Excellence Award 2014’ for Policy and Programs in regards to the 4th Population and Housing Census of Rwanda (RPHC4), conducted in August 2012.
The Geospatial World Forum is the world body that brings together leading industry institutions and experts in geospatial information technologies to discuss applications and new developments.
Statistics applications have become increasingly useful in mapping information to area specifics which are useful for planning and implementing projects. Prominent application areas include: urban planning, agriculture, population monitoring, environment to mention but a few.
The official ceremony to present the award took place during the Geospatial World Forum on May 8, 2014 in Geneva, Switzerland where Rwanda was represented by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR).
The final results of the census were released on April 1, 2014 by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) and some of the highlights include:
- Rwanda’s total population was 10,515,973 in 2012;
- The total population is expected to reach 13.3 million in 2022, 16.5 million in 2032 and double towards 2047;
- Rwanda’s population density of 415 persons per square kilometre is among the highest globally and also expected to double by 2047;
- Life expectancy at birth increased by 13.3 years in the last ten years from 51.2 (in 2002) to 64.5 years (in 2012).