Kinyarwanda in Rwanda

Speakers

13,206,654

Type

Location

Kinyarwanda in Rwanda

Country

Information available

1. Basics

Names

Kinyarwanda in Rwanda

Size

13,206,654

Kinyarwanda is a Bantu cross-border language spoken in all regions of Rwanda and beyond its borders mainly in the  African Great Lakes region especially in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in South-Western Uganda and in North-Western Tanzania ( Carte linguistique de la Région des Grands Lacs, Tervuren).

In the neighboring country of Burundi to the south, Kinyarwanda is almost mutually intelligible with Kirundi, the national language of Burundi. The difference between the two languages lies mainly in intonation, in a limited number of vocabulary, and to a lesser extent, in grammar. There may be greater differences between varieties within Kinyarwanda and Kirundi than between the two languages.

Kinyarwanda language is also spoken in Southern Uganda (by Bafumbira people) and in the Southern and Northern Kivu Provinces (Democratic Republic of Congo). Kinyarwanda is also mutually intelligible with Ha, another Bantu language spoken in Tanzania.

2. Status

Status

  • Official country wide language
  • Official regional language
  • Official minority language
  • Recognised community language
  • Unrecognised community language
National language
Yes
Indigenous language
No
Comments
According to the 5th Population and Household Census 2022 (NISR), Kinyarwanda is the only national language of Rwanda spoken by more than 99.7% of Rwandans (13,246,394), and one of four official languages besides English, French and Kiswahili.
Kinyarwanda language is used for all communication purposes. Most official functions in Rwanda are performed in Kinyarwanda. Various official documents, including the official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda, have a Kinyarwanda version.

3. State

Documentation: materials

Written

Digital
Yes
Comments
1. Many Kinyarwanda dictionaries in Kinyarwanda; in Kinyarwanda & English; Kinyarwanda & French; Kinyarwanda & Kiswahili
2. Different grammar books
3. Various books on literature and its genres
4. Many research on Kinyarwanda language

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Video

Comments
Kinyarwanda teaching video lessons are aired on Rwanda TV and are on youtube.

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Standardization

  • Modern standard language
  • Young standard language
  • Standardised language
  • Quasi-standard language
  • Semi-standardised language
  • Un-standardised language
Comments
Kinyarwanda language is an official and modern standard language in Rwanda used in all public domains, in media and in schools.

Graphisation & script encoding

  • Standardised writing system with full script encoding
  • Conventionalised writing system with partial script encoding
  • Consistent writing system with no script encoding
  • Unsystematic writing system(s)
  • Limited written use
  • No written use
Comments
Kinyarwanda was first written by European missionaries in the early 1900s. Since then, Kinyarwanda has received four planned orthography changes. The last one was suggested in February 2012 by a group of experts, approved by the Rwanda Academy of Language and Culture in August 2012 and then implemented by the Government in October 2014.

4. Users

Geographical distribution

  • Users live and dominate in all regions of the country
  • Users live in one [state/...] of the country
  • Users live in a cross-border region [state/...] of the country
  • Users live in separated [states/...] of the country
  • Users live dispersed across one [state/...] of the country
  • Users live scattered all over the country
Comments
Almost all Rwandans speak the same and sole national language, Kinyarwanda. Generally, Kinyarwanda is still the predominant language of the country. It is widely used in every day communication, in national and and even international media, in business, etc. It is also the dominant language of administration, especially in local governments.

Size / Number of users

Number of users

13206654
Source
Fifth Rwanda Population and Housing Census, 2022 (NISR)
Year
2022
Comments

Kinyarwanda language is spoken by more than 99.7% of Rwandans (13,246,394).
Overall, 77% are literate in at least one of the four official languages of the country: Kinyarwanda, English, French, and Swahili.
Kinyarwanda is the most widespread language of literacy as 54% of Rwandan resident population aged 15 years and above are literate in Kinyarwanda only, 14% in Kinyarwanda and English, 2% in Kinyarwanda and French and 4% in Kinyarwanda, English and French.

Users within total population

99.70000
100 % use the language

PROPORTION

100
Source
5th Population Population and Household Census 2022 (NISR)
Year
2022
Comments
Kinyarwanda language is spoken by more than 99.7% of Rwandans (13,246,394) (almost 100%)

Users within the reference community

100 % use the language
Actual percentage
100
Source
5th Rwanda Population and Household Census 2022 (NISR)
Year
2022
Comments
Kinyarwanda language is spoken by more than 99.7% of Rwandans (13,246,394) (almost 100%)

Generational use

All generations
Source

5th Rwanda Population and Household Census 2022 (NISR)

Year
2022

Educational attainment

Early childhood education
Source

REB, 2015, Competence based curriculum. Curriculum framework: Pre-primary to upper secondary
[Rwandan] Law determining the Organisation of Education N° 010/2021 of 16/02/2021

Year
2022
Comments

In 2015, with the new Competence based Curriculum, the language of learning in pre-primary and lower primary was Kinyarwanda while the other languages were taught as subjects. The language of learning from upper primary to
upper secondary was English with Kinyarwanda and French taught as subjects. (REB, 2015). Since 2021, according to Rwandan Law determining the Organisation of Education N° 010/2021 of 16/02/2021, "the English is the medium of instruction". Other official languages, including Kinyarwanda, "are taught as subjects in accordance with the curriculum of each cycle".

Primary education
Source

REB, 2015, Competence based curriculum. Curriculum framework: Pre-primary to upper secondary
[Rwandan] Law determining the Organisation of Education N° 010/2021 of 16/02/2021

Year
2022
Comments

In 2015, with the new Competence based Curriculum, the language of learning in pre-primary and lower primary was Kinyarwanda while the other languages were taught as subjects. The language of learning from upper primary to
upper secondary was English with Kinyarwanda and French taught as subjects.
(REB, 2015). Since 2021, according to Rwandan Law determining the Organisation of Education N° 010/2021 of 16/02/2021, "the English is the medium of instruction". Other official languages, including Kinyarwanda, "are taught as subjects in accordance with the curriculum of each cycle".

Lower secondary education
Source

REB, 2015, Competence based curriculum. Curriculum framework: Pre-primary to upper secondary
[Rwandan] Law determining the Organisation of Education N° 010/2021 of 16/02/2021

Comments

In 2015, with the new Competence based Curriculum, the language of learning in pre-primary and lower primary was Kinyarwanda while the other languages were taught as subjects. The language of learning from upper primary to
upper secondary was English with Kinyarwanda and French taught as subjects.
(REB, 2015). Since 2021, according to Rwandan Law determining the Organisation of Education N° 010/2021 of 16/02/2021, "the English is the medium of instruction". Other official languages, including Kinyarwanda, "are taught as subjects in accordance with the curriculum of each cycle".

Higher secondary education
Source

REB, 2015, Competence based curriculum. Curriculum framework: Pre-primary to upper secondary

Year
2015
Comments

Since 2015, with the new Competence based Curriculum, Kinyarwanda language is part of Languages Combinations in Higher Secondary Education: English-French-Kinyarwanda (EFK) and English-Kiswahili-Kinyarwanda (EKK). In other combinations, Kinyarwanda language is taught as subject.

Tertiary education
Source

https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/164350/News/university-of-rwanda-int…

Year
2019
Comments

At tertiary education level, Kinyarwanda language is taught as subject in different universities and high learning institutions in Rwanda. Since 2019, the University of Rwanda introduced a Master's Degree in Kinyarwanda language.

Language competence

Understand all, speak/sign well
Comments

54% of Rwandans aged above 15 are literate in Kinyarwanda only, 77% in Kinyarwanda and other official languages. 22% of Rwandans have no language literacy but they speak well Kinyarwanda language as their mother language.

Year
2022
Source

5th Rwanda Population and Household Census 2022 (NISR)

Literacy of users

More than 50% of users with literacy in the language
Actual percentage
77
Source

5th Rwanda Population and Household Census 2022 (NISR)

Year
2022
Comments

54% of Rwandans aged above 15 are literate in Kinyarwanda only, 77% in Kinyarwanda and other official languages. 22% of Rwandans have no language literacy but they speak well Kinyarwanda language as their mother language.

Digital use

More than 50% digital users of the language
Actual percentage
64
Source

5th Rwanda Population and Household Census 2022 (NISR)

Year
2022
Comments

There are more than 50% digital Rwandan users of the Ikinyarwanda language. According to the 5th Rwanda Population and Household Census 2022, 64 % of Rwandans, users of Ikinyarwanda, use internet at home. 22.2% of Rwandans use internet in office, while it is used in 12.5% of Rwandans at schools and places of education (phones and computers).

5. Use

Socio-geographic dimension

Geographic scope
  • International
  • Supranational
  • Cross-border (states)
  • State-wide
  • Supra-regional cross-border
  • Supra-regional
  • Regional cross-border
  • Regional
  • Local
Source
https://www.ktpress.rw/2023/02/rwanda-launches-voice-recognition-technology-for-kinyarwanda
Comments
Kinyarwanda language is spoken by over 40 million people in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. Along with other three languages English, French and Kiswahili, Kinyarwanda is an official language of Rwanda and is spoken widely by almost all of the native population.

Economic dimension

Economic scope
  • Quinary sector
  • Quaternary sector
  • Tertiary sector
  • Secondary sector
  • Primary sector
  • Language not used
Comments
As national language, Kinyarwanda is used in all sectors of economic dimension especially in quinary sector: businesses and other organisations providing essential services to Rwandans such as public services, administration, education and healthcare.
It is also the language of tertiary: Kinyarwanda is the language of communication business (commercial, transport, industries, communications, SME’s, etc.). It is used in the transport, distribution and sale of goods (wholesaling and retailing), entertainment and cultural industries).

Functional dimension

Functional scope
  • Public domains
  • Everyday domains
  • Private domains
Nature
complementary
Stability
Increasing
Comments

As the population of Rwanda (users of Kinyarwanda) increases (from 10,515,973 people in 2012 to 13,246,394 in 2022), it’s clear that the stability of Kinyarwanda also increases.
Regarding the rate of languages ​​of literacy, Kinyarwanda has, in ten years, made the progress of 5.2% because in 2012, 48.8% of Rwandans were literate in Ikinyarwanda only and in 2022 this rate increased to 54% .

Functional use in administration

Language use in administration
  • International level
  • National level
  • Regional level
  • Local level
  • Auxiliary use
  • No use

Types of language use

  • signed / spoken use
  • written use
  • digital use

Language is used for

  • Census data
  • Census surveys
  • Election processes
  • Topographical signs
Comments
As official and national language, Kinyarwanda language is widely used in administration in Rwanda. Kinyarwanda language is used in almost all administration duties and documents. In general, Rwandans receive and ask services in Kinyarwanda.
There are four official languages but Kinyarwanda, the national language, is the most used in administration. For instance, official/formal and informal meetings are mostly held in Kinyarwanda. Various official documents, including the official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda, have a Kinyarwanda version. Laws are written in Kinyarwanda, and court proceedings are conducted in this language. For many years, the medium of instruction in primary education was Kinyarwanda.)

Ethnoculture

  • No use
  • Informal learning
  • Skills and knowledge
  • Performing arts
  • Social practices
  • Customary law
  • Traditional medicine
  • Knowledge and practices
  • Traditions and expressions
Comments
As has been explained previously, Kinyarwanda language is used in all everyday life of Rwandans' activities from national level to rural/local level.
Kinyarwanda language is used in all cultural activities even in cultural industries and research.

Public healthcare

  • Language not used
  • Translations
  • Healthcare information
  • Nursing care (incl. elderly)
  • Doctor-patient communication
  • Generally used
Comments
The Kinyarwanda language is generally used in healthcare service delivery especially to Rwandans.

Information, communication and cultural production

  • Information services
  • Broadcasting
  • Video, film
  • Sound/music recording
  • Publishing activities
  • Language not used
Specify
Kinyarwanda language is used in all media channels
Comments
There is a predominance of Kinyarwanda language in the fields of information services, broadcasting, video and music production and publishing activities at national level.

Digital sphere

  • Language not used
  • Texting and messaging
  • Social media
  • Blogs, web pages, e-books
  • Edutainment products and services
  • Social media have a localized interface
  • Localized web search and e-commerce services
  • Localized operating systems
  • Machine translation
  • Top level domain name
Comments
The digital Kinyarwanda use can be found in texting and messaging, social media and in edutainment products and services.

Legal system

Language use in the legal system
  • General use
  • Legal transactions
  • Court proceedings
  • Written submissions
  • Spoken/signed testimonies
  • Language not used

Areas of law the language is used

  • Criminal law
  • Civil law
  • Administrative law

Geographical scope of legal language use

  • Local
  • Regional
  • National
  • International
Comments
All legal system use for Rwandans is in Kinyarwanda language: legal transaction, court proceedings, written submissions and spoken/ signed testimonies.

Completion