The survey shows that the proportion of girls aged 15 to 19 who have ever been pregnant has fluctuated over the past two decades. In 2005 (DHS 3), the rate was 4 percent. By 2010 (DHS 4), it had risen to 6 percent, and in 2014â€"15 (DHS 5) it reached 7 percent. The rate dipped slightly to 5 percent in 2019â€"20 (DHS 6) but increased again to 8 percent in 2025 (DHS 7), signaling a concerning upward trend in recent years.
Education remains a key factor in teenage pregnancy. Adolescents with no formal education experience the highest rates, with 21 percent having been pregnant. Those who have completed primary education have a lower rate of 13 percent, while teenage girls with secondary education see the rate drop sharply to 4 percent.
'University-level data are not presented due to the limited number of observations in the sample,' the report reads, underlining the protective role of schooling for adolescent girls.
The findings present a contrast within Rwanda's broader health progress. The same survey reports a declining total fertility rate, now at 3.7 births per woman, down from 4.1 five years ago, alongside record-high use of modern family planning methods among married women.
Maternal care indicators are also near universal, with 98 percent of births assisted by skilled health providers and delivered in health facilities.
The survey further highlights worrying trends among young people, including a decline in comprehensive knowledge of HIV prevention among youth aged 15â€"24, suggesting the need for renewed awareness campaigns targeting adolescents.
Conducted between June and October 2025, the RDHS7 covered more than 14,500 households nationwide, providing nationally representative data on fertility, maternal and child health, nutrition, HIV, and mortality. The full report is expected to inform future policy interventions aimed at protecting adolescents and sustaining Rwanda's gains in public health.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
