Rwanda has continued to make progress in improving food security, with the proportion of the population experiencing undernourishment declining to 29.9 percent in 2025, according to the figures from the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR). The Food Balance Sheet report shows that the prevalence of undernourishment fell from 31.3 percent in 2024 to 29.9 percent in 2025. ALSO READ: Rwanda’s food security rises as hunger declines The number of people classified as undernourished also declined by about 200,000 to 4.1 million over the same period. The improvement forms part of a longer-term decline in undernourishment. The proportion stood at 40.2 percent in 2019, meaning it has fallen by more than 10 percentage points over six years. NISR attributed the trend to improvements in food access and nutritional outcomes, noting that the decline signals progress in national food security. ALSO READ: Weighing in on Rwanda's child nutrition: A tale of two extremes The Food Balance Sheet also shows that the amount of dietary energy available to each person increased in 2025. Average Dietary Energy Supply rose to 2,366.7 kilocalories per person per day, up from 2,328.9 kilocalories in 2024. The supply of protein also increased from 59.1 grammes to 59.8 grammes per person per day, while fat supply rose by three percent to 32.1 grammes. ALSO READ: Stunting: Rwanda’s journey towards child nutrition, growth The report said the continued improvement in nutrient supply and decline in undernourishment point to progress in Rwanda's food and nutrition security efforts. Plant-based foods remained the main source of dietary energy, accounting for 98.14 percent of the total supply. Starchy roots, cereals, pulses and fruits were among the major contributors to food energy available to the population. The report shows that Rwanda's minimum dietary energy requirement was estimated at 1,814 kilocalories per person per day in 2025. Despite the progress, NISR noted that undernourishment remains a challenge, with about 4.1 million people still estimated to have insufficient habitual food consumption to meet their minimum dietary energy requirements.
