Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Rwanda
Rwanda: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 40.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Rwanda, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Rwanda stood at 40.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Rwanda peaked at 49.1% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 37.9%, in 2021.
Rwanda ranks 78th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Rwanda, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 48.9% | — |
| 1992 | 48.9% | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 49.0% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 48.9% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 49.1% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 49.0% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 49.0% | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 48.8% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 48.7% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 48.4% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 48.1% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 47.6% | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 47.2% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 46.9% | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 46.6% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 46.3% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 46.0% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 45.7% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 45.4% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 45.1% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 44.8% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 44.6% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 44.3% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 44.1% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 43.9% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 43.7% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 43.2% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 43.2% | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 42.9% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 43.4% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 37.9% | -12.8% |
| 2022 | 39.0% | +2.9% |
| 2023 | 41.3% | +5.8% |
| 2024 | 40.9% | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 40.4% | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 48.9% | 48.7% | 49.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 46.8% | 45.4% | 48.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 44.0% | 42.9% | 45.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 40.5% | 37.9% | 43.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More work & labour data for Rwanda
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.267 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.2752 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.2591 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.3518 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 3.32 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 6,483 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 15,403 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 16,639 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 16,140 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 32,779 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Rwanda?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Rwanda was 40.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 49.1% in 1995.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.9% in 2021.
- How does Rwanda rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Rwanda ranks 78th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Rwanda data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Self-employed workers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners or in cooperative, hold the type of jobs defined as a "self-employment jobs." i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced. Self-employed workers include sub-categories of employers, own-account workers and members of producers' cooperatives and contributing family workers.