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Experts Warn of Rising Teenage Pregnancy Risks in Rwanda

Health authorities have warned that the rising rate of teenage pregnancy in Rwanda is fueling school dropouts, maternal health risks, and limited economic opportunities for young women. According to the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey, the prevalence increased from 5% in 2020 to 8% in 2025. The report attributes this rise to several factors, including a lack of comprehensive sexual education driven by cultural taboos.

The data reveals that the likelihood of pregnancy increases sharply with age, rising from less than 1% at age 15 to nearly 20% by age 19. Researchers say that the figures represent more than mere statistics: "They reflect interrupted education, heightened health risks, and constrained life opportunities for thousands of girls."

Activists have called for stronger community-based prevention strategies and improved access to youth-friendly health and support services

Mbuto Machili / UNFPA Mozambique

Nearly a third of all women in developing countries begin childbearing at age 19 and younger, and nearly half of first births to adolescents are to children, or girls aged 17 and younger, UNFPA research shows.

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