Rwanda’s population has grown to 10,537, 222, up from 8.2 million in 2002, Finance and Economic Planning minister John Rwangombwa announced today.

Releasing preliminary results of the fourth Population and Housing Census, conducted in August, the minister said annual average growth rate stood at 2.6 per cent, down from 2.9 per cent ten years ago.

"This implies that our population control mechanisms are paying off,” he told reporters in Kigali.