Introduction:Rwanda is one of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with the most remarkable health achievements. However, Rwanda is still one of the countries with a high unmet need (34%) and high prevalence of unintended pregnancies.

Objective: To examine the association between literacy and unmet need for contraception among women in reproductive age in Rwanda.

Research design and methods: A cross-sectional study based on secondary data, derived from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) program. The study population was women in reproductive age (15- 49 years old) who lived in Rwanda. It included 13217 females out of the 13497 after the exclusion of females who are not residents of Rwanda, who are blind or visually impaired and who are need language card. The methodology involved cross tabulations, bivariate and multivariate logistic analyses.

Results: There was a significant bivariate association between literacy and unmet need for contraception (OR=1.28; 95% CI 1.17-1.40; p < .001), in which literate females where more likely to have an unmet need for contraception. There was no association between literacy and unmet need when controlling other factors. Others factors such as age, current marital status and province had a strong impact on the unmet need for contraception in the adjusted analysis.

Conclusions: Literacy may be associated with the outcome, however, socio-economic factors have a stronger influence on the dependent variable. Regulations, policies and other features such as socio-cultural norms may differ from country to country, therefore it is important to consider the current situation of each country.