The context​

Rwanda boasts a robust legal framework governing the use, quality and dissemination of its official statistics, with a wealth of data managed by NISR. Dating back to the 1970s, the 2022 Rwanda Population and Housing Census (RPHC) is the 5^th national census conducted. The RPHC’s objectives include improving the quality of life for Rwandans through the provision of relevant, reliable and timely data that underpins national planning, policy formulation, monitoring and evaluation and service delivery. Moreover, the census data serves as a benchmark for other statistical surveys, enhancing the availability and accessibility of demographic and socio-economic data.

The 2022 RPHC marks Rwanda's first fully digitalized census. It incorporates advanced technologies throughout its operations like census mapping via satellite imagery, e-recruitment, pilot data collection using smartphones, hybrid enumerator training on online platforms, and real-time field monitoring using dashboards and other digital tools. After a successful pilot in 2021, Rwanda conducted its full census in August 2022, maintaining rigorous supervision to ensure quality and comprehensive population coverage.

High-quality census data is crucial for shaping Rwanda's national policy and offers substantial benefits to decision-makers at all levels of government and civil society. Disaggregating national statistics by village, sector and district reveals a more nuanced understanding of the nation’s development. Data analysis can highlight disparities in access to education, healthcare, basic amenities, and infrastructure. For instance, localized data may uncover a village facing challenges with low school attendance or inadequate access to critical infrastructure such as water, sanitation, waste disposal or employment opportunities. By identifying these unique challenges, residents and local authorities can prioritize projects and allocate resources more effectively. This bottom-up approach fosters ownership and accountability, which can pave the way for more sustainable and impactful interventions.  

However, the NISR still requires continuous support in raising awareness of its statistical products among local government decision-makers and tailoring its census data to be more useful and user-friendly for local government actors, civil society and policymakers.  

Localizing decision-making through census data

Although NISR openly publishes its data, significant barriers remain in ensuring it reaches all citizens, particularly those in rural areas. To address this gap, SDSN and its partners undertook a localized approach, conducting workshops across five districts in Rwanda: Nyarugenge, Bugesera, Nyamagabe, Musanze and Karongi. These workshops brought together NISR staff and over 25 local community leaders, decision-makers and civil society representatives at the district level.

The workshops also identified several challenges participants face in accessing and understanding census data. Key issues included language barriers and digital accessibility, particularly among women and older populations. There were also concerns about statistical literacy, especially among women and rural communities. Finally, participants highlighted the lack of granularity in NISR’s data offerings. They found that the district-level data was often too broad to be applicable at lower administrative levels, which undermined localized decision-making.

These insights have informed key improvements to NISR’s dissemination strategy. To address digital literacy and accessibility challenges, the group recognized alternative resources and analysis would be needed for non-internet users and non-technical users. Furthermore, to support data-driven decision-making at the local level, NISR must work on providing more granular data. Local leaders emphasized the importance of understanding distinctions between cells and sectors within a district, as data that applies to one area cannot necessarily be generalized across the entire district.

How can data contribute to better informed policy?

This use case underscores the need for national governments to increase data accessibility to facilitate effective local decision-making. While it will take time to upskill local leaders and provide them with the necessary tools to harness data's full potential, there is a strong eagerness within the country to enhance digital competencies. National governments can nurture this enthusiasm by expanding digital and technical literacy training and by improving data analysis tools to meet communities where they are (i.e., offering more accessible formats for wider reach). Population statistics are increasingly recognized by communities as essential for informed decision-making and public infrastructure investment. By understanding current trends and future needs, leaders are better equipped to develop effective programs and allocate resources efficiently.

NISR and the national statistical infrastructure are now positioned to develop policies that enhance communication and build capacity within local leadership, thereby improving data uptake. There is a clear need to revise current communication strategies, including providing translations in multiple languages, developing accessibility options for non-internet users and offering more granular insights. These measures will support driving community-led development and more effective management of scarce resources. Furthermore, targeted investments in national infrastructure can help update outdated systems and upskill individuals, particularly women and rural populations. With adequate support from national governments, data can become the driving force behind localized development and decision-making.

Where do we go from here?

NISR has strengthened communication channels between local and national institutions—an essential step towards ensuring data reaches the communities that need it most. Community leaders have also gained new insights into the census processes and data offerings provided by NISR, which they can now use in their policymaking and resource allocation efforts. To further enhance both local decision-making and NISR’s overall strategy, UK ONS has made several key recommendations to NISR, including:

• Enhancing Data Accessibility for Grassroots Users: Making data more readily available and understandable at the community level.

• Equipping Local Policymakers with Data Interpretation Skills: Providing training to local policymakers on effectively interpreting and utilizing data.

• Improving Communication of NISR Outputs for Diverse Audiences: Tailoring NISR’s communication to meet the needs of various user groups.

By implementing these recommendations, Rwanda can further strengthen its statistical system, ensuring that data is accessible, understandable and effectively used to inform decision-making at all levels.

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