Is Rwanda Safe for Women? Crime Rate in Rwanda

Safety rating

Safe
3.5 /5

Women living in Rwanda consider the safety level to be relatively high, with an overall safety rating of 3.5 out of 5.

Crime rating

Very Low
1 /5

Women living in Rwanda consider the crime rate to be very low, with an overall crime rating of 1 out of 5.

Violence rating

45%

On average 45% percentage of women in Rwanda have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner at some time in their life, according to OECD Data.

Make friends while traveling solo

Meet other female travelers, find travel buddies and stay with local women for free through hospitality exchange.
Download from App StoreDownload from Google Play
Get the Travel Ladies App

Crime & Safety Statistics

Based on 3 experiences

Safety rating:

3.5/5Safe

Safety walking alone after dark:

3/5Moderate

Safety using public transport:

3.3/5Moderate

Crime rate:

1/5Very Low

Worries of being sexually harassed:

1/5Not at all worried

Worries of being sexually assaulted or raped:

1/5Not at all worried

Worries of being physically attacked:

1/5Not at all worried

Worries of home broken and things stolen:

1/5Not at all worried

Worries of being mugged or robbed:

1/5Not at all worried

Worries of being kidnapped or murdered:

1/5Not at all worried

How safe is Rwanda?

Paula

Paula

Nyagatare District

Nyagatare is a small town in the east province of Rwanda. People are very nice, I feel safe everywhere. People are always helpful and I never experienced any trouble. Of course, I have my precautions like not going out at night alone, or not showing off.

Posted: June 6, 2025
favorite_border 0
mode_comment 0
Raisa

Raisa

Kigali

Honestly the safest place I’ve ever been! I go for late night walks in my neighborhood and don’t need to worry about my purse or phone getting stolen. There’s also little to no catcalling on the streets and people here are very polite. There’s not a lot of night life but people can get home late no issues with safety.

Posted: January 19, 2025
favorite_border 0
mode_comment 0

Kigali

Kigali is quite safe that I've gotten too used to walking alone at night, but I've been sexually harassed on public transport in the day once. Aside from that, the crime rate is very low, and it's a very safe country to live in compared to many other African countries.

Posted: December 31, 2024
favorite_border 0
mode_comment 0

Is Rwanda worth visiting?

Travel rating

3.7 /5

based on 3 experiences from female travelers

Rwanda, Group travel

My overall experience in rwanda was good. I stayed in Kigali the capital. I felt safe. It's a very quiet country. They respect their rules and regulations. It's also very clean. Most of the locals don't speak English.

Posted: January 1, 2025Experienced: February, 2024
favorite_border 0
mode_comment 0
Emily

Emily

United Kingdom

Rwanda, Family travel

I almost always felt safe whilst travelling through Rwanda. Particularly outside of the tourist areas our white skin and obvious tourist status drew attention but it was almost always friendly. Local hawkers would come up to us but always respectable and accepted when we said no. Kids asking for money were sometimes a bit more persistent and on one occasion a little verbally aggressive but on the whole manageable. I travelled with a male family member who drove a hired car to get us from place to place. You would need to be a very confident driver to manage a self-drive as rules of the road can be non-existent! The majority of the roads between the main tourist destination are relatively well maintained tarmac except the N15 which had a lot of potholes. There are local drivers available though for a good price and this could be an option for a solo traveller/ non confident driver. My itinerary for just over a week in Rwanda was a couple of days in Kigali (recommend the women’s co-operative walking tour and of course the Genocide Memorial Museum is a must) then over a couple of days travel (via King’s Palace) to Nyungwe National Park (a nice trek and canopy walk but incredibly expensive, as are all the national parks, for tourists). Travelled across to Lake Kivu for a couple of days to relax and enjoy a boat trip (stayed at Spa Shallom which was a lovely and peaceful BnB but with a big hotel just down the road to get food and drinks). Then across to Akagera for a couple of days Safari. There was no time on this trip to see the northern park with its Gorillas but also the expense ($1500 per person) put this out of reach on this trip. Although the cost of living is low and this translates to cheap findings in hotels and local food, activities and things focused on tourists can be very expensive. A ticket to Nyungwe park for a local is USD$5 and for a tourist USD$100. Overall I had a great time in Rwanda and could have easily enjoyed a much longer time here. Just be prepared to draw a fair bit of attention if your appearance means you stand out and remember experiences may not be cheap but probably worth it!

Posted: April 6, 2024
favorite_border 2
mode_comment 0

Safety in Rwanda

Frequently asked questions

Is Rwanda safe?

Women living in Rwanda consider the safety level to be relatively high, with an overall safety rating of 3.5 out of 5.

Is Rwanda safe to walk alone at night?

Women living in Rwanda consider walking alone at night to be moderately safe, with an overall safety rating of 3 out of 5.

Is public transport safe in Rwanda?

Women living in Rwanda consider public transport to be moderately safe, with an overall safety rating of 3.3 out of 5.

What is the crime rate in Rwanda?

Women living in Rwanda consider the crime rate to be very low, with an overall crime rating of 1 out of 5.

What is the risk of being sexually harassed in Rwanda?

Women living in Rwanda consider the risk of being sexually harassed to be very low, with an overall risk rating of 1 out of 5

What is the risk of being sexually assaulted or raped in Rwanda?

Women living in Rwanda consider the risk of being sexually assaulted or raped to be very low, with an overall risk rating of 1 out of 5

What is the risk of being physically attacked in Rwanda?

Women living in Rwanda consider the risk of being physically attacked to be very low, with an overall risk rating of 1 out of 5

What is the risk of burglary in Rwanda?

Women living in Rwanda consider the risk of burglary to be very low, with an overall risk rating of 1 out of 5

What is the risk of being mugged or robbed in Rwanda?

Women living in Rwanda consider the risk of being mugged or robbed to be very low, with an overall risk rating of 1 out of 5

What is the risk of being kidnapped or murdered in Rwanda?

Women living in Rwanda consider the risk of being kidnapped or murdered to be very low, with an overall risk rating of 1 out of 5