This marks a notable increase from 87% in 2017, reflecting continued national efforts to improve living conditions across the country.

The report defines improved water sources as those that include piped water into homes or neighbouring dwellings, public standpipes, protected wells and springs, boreholes, rainwater, bottled water, and tanker truck deliveries.

Among the various sources, access to piped water into the home or bottled water rose from 9% in 2017 to 16% in 2024. Similarly, piped connections to neighbouring homes or public standpipes increased from 35% to 39%.

However, reliance on "other improved sources," such as protected wells and springs, saw a decline—from 43% in 2017 to 35% in 2024—indicating a shift toward more reliable infrastructure.

The survey also reveals that 68% of households use a basic drinking water service, defined as water from an improved source that can be collected within 30 minutes. Meanwhile, 21% fall under the "limited service" category, spending over 30 minutes to access water.

The EICV7 report goes beyond water access, offering a comprehensive look at living conditions across the country.

Among other findings, the survey highlighted a sharp rise in access to electricity, climbing from 34% in 2017 to 72% in 2024. This includes 50% of households connected to the national grid and 22% relying on solar power. Rural electrification saw dramatic gains, with access increasing from 24% to 65% over the same period.

In terms of clean energy for cooking, only 5% of households nationwide use clean fuels, a modest increase from 1% in 2017. Urban areas saw higher adoption at 17%, while rural areas lag behind at just 1%.

The majority of households continue to rely on traditional fuels such as firewood (63%), straw or sticks (12%), and charcoal (19%).

The report also highlighted significant progress in poverty reduction. The national poverty rate dropped to 27.4% in 2024, down from 39.8% in 2017. Extreme poverty has also been halved, from a predicted 11.3% to 5.4%.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Yusuf Murangwa described the release of the report as timely, noting that it will support evidence-based policymaking to achieve the goals of the Second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2).

“These results will define where and how the government and partners should invest to get maximum results for NST2 objectives by 2029,” he stated.

Rwanda has made remarkable strides in expanding access to safe drinking water, with 90% of households now benefiting from improved water sources, according to findings from the Seventh Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey (EICV7), released by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.