RWANDA - Demographic Health Survey 2010

The sample for the 2010 RDHS was designed to provide population and health indicator estimates for the country as a whole and for urban and rural areas in particular. Survey estimates are also reported for the provinces (South, West, North, and East) and for the City of Kigali. The results presented in this report show key indicators that correspond to these provinces and the City of Kigali.
A representative sample of 12,792 households was selected for the 2010 RDHS. The sample was selected in two stages. In the first stage, 492 villages (also known as clusters or enumeration areas) were selected with probability proportional to the village size. The village size is the number of households residing in the village. Then, a complete mapping and listing of all households existing in the selected villages was conducted. The resulting lists of households served as the sampling frame for the second stage of sample selection. Households were systematically selected from those lists for participation in the survey.
All women age 15-49 who were either permanent residents of the household or visitors present in the household on the night before the survey were eligible to be interviewed. In addition, in a subsample of half of all households selected for the survey, all men age 15-59 were eligible to be interviewed if they were either permanent residents or visitors present in the household on the night before the survey.

All of the 492 clusters selected for the sample were surveyed for the 2010 RDHS. A total of 12,792 households were selected, of which 12,570 households were identified and occupied at the time of the survey. Among these households, 12,540 completed the Household Questionnaire, yielding a response rate of nearly 100 percent.


1.2.3 Sample Design
The sample for the RDHS-III survey covered the population residing in ordinary households
across the country. A national sample of 10,644 households was selected. The sample was first stratified
to provide adequate representation of urban and rural areas as well as all 12 provinces including the “City
of Kigali,” the nation’s capital. Decentralization reforms were introduced after this sample was drawn,
resulting in new geographically-based divisions that regroup the former districts into five new provinces.
However, the sample used posed no obstacle to adequate representation of the new provinces and the data
in this report present key indicators corresponding to the five recently created provinces (South, West,
North, East, and the City of Kigali).
The survey used a two-stage sample design. The first stage involved selecting primary sampling
units (PSUs) based on the list of enumeration areas covered in 2002 General Population and Housing
Census (RGPH) prepared by the National Census Bureau. These enumeration areas provided the master
frame for the drawing of 462 clusters (351 rural and 111 urban), selected with a representative probability
proportional to their size. A strictly proportional sample allocation would have resulted in a very low
number of urban households in certain provinces such as Umutara. It was therefore necessary to slightly
over-sample urban areas in order to survey a sufficient number of households to produce reliable
estimates for urban areas. The second stage involved selecting a sample of households in these
enumeration areas. In order to adequately guarantee the accuracy of the indicators, it was necessary to
control the total size of the households drawn by setting the number of households to be surveyed at 20 in
urban clusters and 24 in rural clusters. Because of the nonproportional distribution of the sample among
the different strata and the fact that the number of households was set for each cluster, weighting was
used to ensure the validity of the sample at both national and regional levels.
All women age 15-49 years who were either usual residents of the selected household or visitors
present in the household on the night before the survey were eligible to be interviewed (approximately
11,500 women). In addition, in a subsample of every second household selected for the survey, a sample
of 5,000 men age 15-59 years was selected to be interviewed. In this subsample, all men and women
eligible for the individual survey were also eligible for the HIV test. In addition, in this subsample of
households, all women eligible for the survey and all children under the age of five were eligible for the
anemia test. Finally, in this same subsample of households, all women eligible for the survey and all
children under the age of five were eligible for height and weight measurements to determine their
nutritional status.
1.2.4 Sample Coverage
All of the 462 clusters selected for the sample were able to be surveyed for the RDHS-III. A total
of 10,644 households were selected, of which 10,307 households were identified and occupied at the time
of the survey. Among these households, 10,272 completed the Household Questionnaire, yielding a
response rate of nearly 100 percent (Table 1.1).
In the 10,272 households surveyed, 11,539 women age 15-49 years were identified as being
eligible for the individual interview; interviews were completed with 11,321 of these women, yielding a
response rate of 98 percent. Male interviews were conducted in every second household. A total of 4,959
men age 15-59 years were identified in the subsample of households. Of these 4,959 men, 4,820
completed the individual interviews, yielding a response rate of 97 percent.
The response rates were slightly higher in rural areas for both men and women.


In the 12,540 households surveyed, 13,790 women age 15-49 were identified as being eligible for the individual interview; interviews were completed with 13,671 of these women, yielding a response rate of 99.1 percent. Male interviews were conducted in every second household. A total of 6,414 men age 15-59 were identified in the subsample of households. Of these 6,414 men, 6,329 completed the individual interviews, yielding a response rate of 98.7 percent.

The response rates were slightly higher in rural areas for men, while for women they were almost the same in rural and urban areas.