Fewer marriages were registered in Rwanda in 2025 compared to the previous year, reflecting broader changes in how people approach marriage.
Experts attribute the shifting trends to economic pressures, greater individual independence, changing family structures and evolving expectations about relationships.
The latest figures from the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) show that 50,256 marriages were registered in 2025, down from 52,878 in 2024.
The shift is part of a longer-term trend. NISR's 2022 Population and Housing Census found that the proportion of married people had been declining continuously since 1978, while the average age at first marriage had risen to 28.2 years for men and 25.3 years for women in 2022.
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But what is driving these changes, and what do they reveal about how Rwandans view marriage today?
Experts point to a combination of economic, social and personal factors, including financial independence, career aspirations, changing family dynamics and experiences from previous relationships.
Greater independence and changing priorities
Jane Abatoni Gatete, the Executive Secretary of ARCT-RUHUKA, a national organisation of professional trauma counsellors, said greater independence among young people is one of the factors reshaping attitudes towards marriage.
"Today, people have more independence. They have their own incomes, access to education and more information through technology and social media. In the past, marriage was closely tied to starting a family, with having children seen as the ultimate goal. Today, people have more freedom to decide whether, when and how they want to build their lives,” she said.
"People can decide to have children, pursue careers or live independently without necessarily seeing marriage as an obligation. That has changed the way people view marriage.”
Abatoni said the changing attitudes are also reflected in couples who choose to live together without necessarily considering marriage the next step in their relationship.
"Some couples may spend years together without formalising the relationship through marriage, showing how marriage is increasingly becoming a choice rather than an expected outcome of a long-term relationship.”
She said financial responsibilities, changing expectations about relationships and experiences from previous relationships are among the factors that can influence people's decisions to delay or avoid marriage.
For some, marriage may no longer be an immediate priority as they focus on pursuing education, building careers or achieving financial independence before taking on the responsibilities of starting a family.
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"Some may prioritise education, careers or financial independence. Others may have had difficult experiences in previous relationships, which can create fear about entering another long-term commitment. People who have experienced difficult relationships, whether personally or through people close to them, may also become more cautious about marriage because of the possibility of going through similar experiences,” she said.
According to Abatoni, these considerations can lead some people to view marriage less as an expected stage of adulthood and more as a personal decision to be made when they feel ready for the commitment.
Changing family structures
Lawyer Faustin Murangira said another factor influencing marriage trends is the changing role of families in helping young people choose partners and resolve marital disputes.
"In the past, families were connected. You would know the family of the person you were marrying. Today, young people are more likely to meet through social settings and make relationship decisions with less involvement from their families,” he said.
Murangira explained that close family ties traditionally provided couples with a support system, particularly when disagreements arose.
In the past, he said, both families would often sit down together to discuss marital problems and help couples find solutions. However, as young people increasingly make relationship decisions independently, that traditional support system may not always be available.
He said communication remains one of the most important factors in determining whether couples can resolve their differences and sustain their marriages.
"People are saying that marriages nowadays are affected by cheating or people being materialistic. I don't think that this is the main issue. The more important issue is communication,” he said.
While couples may encounter financial difficulties, infidelity and other disputes, Murangira argued that their ability to communicate openly and address problems together is essential to maintaining a stable relationship.
Childhood experiences and changing expectations
Pastor Michel Zigirinshuti of the Association of Pentecostal Churches in Rwanda (ADEPR) said people's experiences growing up can also shape their attitudes towards marriage and relationships later in life.
He noted that children who witness conflict or troubled marriages between their parents may carry those experiences into adulthood, influencing how they perceive potential partners and approach long-term relationships.
According to Zigirinshuti, a girl who grows up witnessing her father mistreating her mother may develop negative perceptions of men, while a boy who witnesses his mother experiencing difficulties in marriage may also develop fears or reservations about marriage.
Such experiences, he said, can affect how young people approach relationships and marriage when they eventually begin forming families of their own.
Zigirinshuti also pointed to changes in how young people meet potential partners, noting that traditional forms of courtship have become less common.
He said traditional courtship allowed prospective partners to learn more about each other, their families, beliefs and backgrounds before deciding to marry.
With young people increasingly meeting through different social settings, he argued, some couples may enter marriage without fully understanding each other's backgrounds and expectations.
Zigirinshuti also attributed some marital instability to people entering relationships for reasons other than love, including financial and social considerations.
"Love should come before everything else. Before considering the family you are marrying into, the resources your partner has, their level of education and other factors. It is possible to find all these qualities in one person, but if you put them ahead of love, the marriage may end badly. Let love come first, and let the other things be additions,” he said.
He emphasised that couples also need to recognise that marriage comes with responsibilities and requires adjustments in how partners relate to one another, particularly regarding communication and financial management.
Marriage remains a choice for many
Despite the changing trends, experts do not suggest that Rwandans are abandoning long-term relationships altogether.
Abatoni said the evolving marriage patterns should instead be understood as a reflection of changing individual choices, priorities and expectations.
"There are still many people who want stable relationships and successful marriages. What has changed is that people have more choices and are approaching marriage differently,” she said.
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NISR data also show that marriage remains common, with more than 50,000 legal marriages registered in 2025.
Community of property remained the most commonly selected matrimonial regime, accounting for 97 per cent of registered marriages that year.
Murangira said concerns about divorce should not necessarily discourage young people from marrying. Instead, he encouraged prospective couples to understand the challenges that can affect marriage and prepare themselves to address them.
He emphasised the importance of choosing a partner carefully, understanding the responsibilities that come with marriage and making deliberate decisions about building a life together.