A new 2025 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS) has revealed that nearly half of Rwandan men consume alcohol, while alcohol use among women remains comparatively low. The findings highlight significant differences in drinking patterns by age, education, wealth, place of residence, and province, offering important insights for public health policy.
Alcohol Consumption Among Rwandan Men Increases with Age
The survey found that alcohol consumption rises steadily as men grow older. Among men aged 15–19, 22.2% reported drinking alcohol. The figure increased to 46.7% among those aged 20–24, 58.2% for men aged 25–29, and 62% among those aged 30–34.
Consumption remained consistently high among older age groups, reaching 61.5% for men aged 35–39, 64.8% among those aged 40–44, and 63.3% for men aged 45–49.
The survey also found only a slight difference between urban and rural areas. About 48.8% of urban men reported consuming alcohol compared with 50.9% of men living in rural areas.
By province, Northern Province recorded the highest prevalence of male alcohol consumption at 59.4%, followed by Southern Province (54.1%), Kigali City (49.7%), Eastern Province (45.7%), and Western Province (45.3%).
Education, Wealth, and Drinking Habits Among Men
The RDHS 2025 found that education and household wealth influence alcohol consumption among men.
Men without formal education had the highest drinking rate at 62.5%, compared with 53.5% among those with primary education, 41.3% among those with secondary education, and 50.3% among men with tertiary education or higher.
Alcohol use was also more common among poorer households. Nearly 59.3% of men in the lowest wealth category reported consuming alcohol, compared with 41.7% in the highest wealth category.
Regarding drinking frequency, 51.3% of male drinkers said they consumed alcohol between one and five days each month. Another 19.4% drank six to ten days monthly, while 15% drank between 11 and 24 days. About 15.9% reported drinking every day or almost every day.
In terms of quantity, nearly half (49.8%) typically consumed one glass per occasion, while 15.2% reported drinking six or more glasses during a single drinking session.
Experts Warn Against Excessive Alcohol Consumption
Public health experts say moderate alcohol consumption is not necessarily harmful. However, they caution that frequent and excessive drinking can negatively affect physical health, household finances, productivity, and family relationships.
Experts also note that cultural expectations, social pressure, and the responsibilities associated with supporting families may contribute to higher alcohol consumption among men. In some cases, alcohol is also used as a coping mechanism for stress.
The findings suggest that while most male drinkers consume alcohol only occasionally, a sizeable minority drink often enough to raise public health concerns.
Alcohol Consumption Among Rwandan Women Remains Relatively Low
The RDHS 2025 found that alcohol consumption among women aged 15–49 remains significantly lower than among men.
Only 7.5% of women were identified as regular drinkers, while 18% reported consuming alcohol during the month preceding the survey.
Like men, alcohol consumption among women increased with age, rising from 7.5% among those aged 15–19 to 28.9% among women aged 45–49.
Women in rural areas were more likely to consume alcohol than those in urban settings, with 20.5% reporting alcohol use compared with 12.7% in urban areas.
Regional differences were also evident. Northern Province recorded the highest proportion of women who consume alcohol at 26.1%, followed by Southern Province (25.6%), while Kigali City had the lowest prevalence at 10.5%.
Education and Income Influence Women’s Drinking Patterns
Education was strongly associated with lower alcohol consumption among women.
Women without formal education recorded the highest drinking rate at 24.9%, compared with 21.1% among those with primary education, 12.4% among women with secondary education, and 11.5% among those with tertiary education or higher.
The survey also found that women from poorer households were more likely to consume alcohol. About 24.4% of women in the poorest wealth category reported drinking alcohol, compared with only 11.8% among women in the wealthiest households.
Most women who consume alcohol do so only occasionally. Nearly 78% reported drinking on between one and five days each month, while very few said they drink frequently or every day.
The report concludes that alcohol consumption among Rwandan women remains relatively uncommon and is generally occasional, in sharp contrast to men, among whom drinking is considerably more widespread and deeply established.
