Unemployment rate in Rwanda
Rwanda: Unemployment rate was 11.36 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment rate in Rwanda, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Rwanda recorded 11.36 for unemployment rate in 2025.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Rwanda peaked at 15.78 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 10.76, in 2018.
Rwanda ranks 31st of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Rwanda, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 12.34 | — |
| 1992 | 12.11 | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 12.15 | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 12.24 | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 11.94 | -2.4% |
| 1996 | 11.51 | -3.6% |
| 1997 | 11.09 | -3.6% |
| 1998 | 11.26 | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 11.57 | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 11.7 | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 11.73 | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 11.43 | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 11.66 | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 11.7 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 11.84 | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 11.59 | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 11.58 | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 11.52 | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 11.62 | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 11.64 | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 11.76 | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 11.67 | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 11.77 | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 11.84 | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 11.83 | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 11.79 | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 11.88 | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 10.76 | -9.4% |
| 2019 | 11.24 | +4.4% |
| 2020 | 11.83 | +5.3% |
| 2021 | 15.78 | +33.4% |
| 2022 | 15.08 | -4.4% |
| 2023 | 12.35 | -18.1% |
| 2024 | 11.33 | -8.3% |
| 2025 | 11.36 | +0.3% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 11.36 is above the median for low income countries, which is 4.43, 2.6× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 11.36 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.45, 2.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rate in Rwanda changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +33.4% | 11.83 | 15.78 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.8 | 11.09 | 12.34 | 9 |
| 2000s | 11.64 | 11.43 | 11.84 | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.62 | 10.76 | 11.88 | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.96 | 11.33 | 15.78 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
- 28 French Polynesia 11.66 compare
- 29 Algeria 11.63 compare
- 30 United States Virgin Islands 11.44 compare
- 32 New Caledonia 11.17 compare
- 33 Bosnia and Herzegovina 11.04 compare
- 34 Lebanon 10.98 compare
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 unemployment rate in Rwanda?
- Unemployment rate in Rwanda was 11.36 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 15.78 in 2021.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.76 in 2018.
- How does Rwanda rank for unemployment rate?
- Rwanda ranks 31st out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Rwanda data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).