Unemployment Rate in Rwanda remained unchanged at 13.40 percent in the third quarter of 2025 from 13.40 percent in the second quarter of 2025. This dataset provides - Rwanda Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In 2024, the unemployment rate in Rwanda stood at 11.99 percent. Between 1991 and 2024, the figure dropped by 0.32 percentage points, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Employment Rate in Rwanda increased to 57 percent in the third quarter of 2025 from 53.80 percent in the second quarter of 2025. This dataset provides - Rwanda Employment Rate- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The youth unemployment rate in Rwanda was 17.54 percent in 2024. Between 1991 and 2024, the youth unemployment rate rose by 1.15 percentage points, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend.

Youth Unemployment Rate in Rwanda increased to 15.50 percent in the third quarter of 2025 from 15.40 percent in the second quarter of 2025. This dataset provides - Rwanda Youth Unemployment Rate- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Quarterly dataset of the Rwanda Unemployment Rate, including historical data, latest releases, and long-term trends from 2016-03-31 to 2025-06-30. Available for free download in CSV format.

Historical dataset showing Rwanda unemployment rate by year from 1991 to 2024.

Rwanda: Unemployment rate for males: The latest value from 2024 is 10.23 percent, a decline from 10.53 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 6.29 percent, based on data from 176 countries. Historically, the average for Rwanda from 1991 to 2024 is 11.17 percent. The minimum value, 10.23 percent, was reached in 2018 while the maximum of 14.28 percent was recorded in 2021.

Historical dataset showing Rwanda youth unemployment rate by year from 1991 to 2024.

Rwanda RW: Unemployment with Advance Education: % of Total Labour Force data was reported at 12.960 % in 2014. Rwanda RW: Unemployment with Advance Education: % of Total Labour Force data is updated yearly, averaging 12.960 % from Dec 2014 (Median) to 2014, with 1 observations. Rwanda RW: Unemployment with Advance Education: % of Total Labour Force data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Rwanda – Table RW.World Bank: Employment and Unemployment. The percentage of the labor force with an advanced level of education who are unemployed. Advanced education comprises short-cycle tertiary education, a bachelor’s degree or equivalent education level, a master’s degree or equivalent education level, or doctoral degree or equivalent education level according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in November 2017.; Weighted Average;

Rwanda RW: Unemployment Rate: YoY data was reported at 25.494 % in Dec 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 21.877 % for Sep 2021. Rwanda RW: Unemployment Rate: YoY data is updated quarterly, averaging 8.334 % from Mar 2018 (Median) to Dec 2021, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 34.340 % in Mar 2021 and a record low of -13.359 % in Sep 2018. Rwanda RW: Unemployment Rate: YoY data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Monetary Fund. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Rwanda – Table RW.IMF.IFS: Labour Force, Employment and Unemployment: Quarterly.

Rwanda: Unemployment rate forecast: The latest value from is percent, unavailable from percent in . In comparison, the world average is 0.00 percent, based on data from countries. Historically, the average for Rwanda from to is percent. The minimum value, percent, was reached in while the maximum of percent was recorded in .

Actual value and historical data chart for Rwanda Unemployment With Advanced Education Percent Of Total Unemployment

Rwanda RW: Unemployment: Modeled ILO Estimate: Youth Female: % of Female Labour Force Aged 15-24 data was reported at 2.644 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.535 % for 2016. Rwanda RW: Unemployment: Modeled ILO Estimate: Youth Female: % of Female Labour Force Aged 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 2.134 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2017, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.093 % in 2012 and a record low of 0.470 % in 1994. Rwanda RW: Unemployment: Modeled ILO Estimate: Youth Female: % of Female Labour Force Aged 15-24 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Rwanda – Table RW.World Bank: Employment and Unemployment. Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in November 2017.; Weighted average; Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections. National estimates are also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.

Monthly and long-term Rwanda Unemployment (% of active population, aop) data: historical series and analyst forecasts curated by FocusEconomics.

Actual value and historical data chart for Rwanda Unemployment With Advanced Education Female

Time series data for the statistic Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate) and country Rwanda. Indicator Definition:Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.The indicator "Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate)" stands at 15.83 as of 12/31/2024, the lowest value since 12/31/2021. Regarding the One-Year-Change of the series, the current value constitutes a decrease of -3.22 percent compared to the value the year prior.The 1 year change in percent is -3.22.The 3 year change in percent is -29.46.The 5 year change in percent is 2.44.The 10 year change in percent is 2.95.The Serie's long term average value is 15.35. It's latest available value, on 12/31/2024, is 3.12 percent higher, compared to it's long term average value.The Serie's change in percent from it's minimum value, on 12/31/1997, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2024, is +15.97%.The Serie's change in percent from it's maximum value, on 12/31/2021, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2024, is -29.46%.

Rwanda RW: Unemployment with Intermediate Education: Female: % of Female Labour Force data was reported at 8.650 % in 2014. Rwanda RW: Unemployment with Intermediate Education: Female: % of Female Labour Force data is updated yearly, averaging 8.650 % from Dec 2014 (Median) to 2014, with 1 observations. Rwanda RW: Unemployment with Intermediate Education: Female: % of Female Labour Force data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Rwanda – Table RW.World Bank: Employment and Unemployment. The percentage of the labor force with an intermediate level of education who are unemployed. Intermediate education comprises upper secondary or post-secondary non tertiary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in November 2017.; Weighted Average;

Abstract

The National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) introduced the Labour Force Survey (LFS) program to avail statistics on employment and labour market in Rwanda on a continuous basis, providing bi-annual estimates of the main labour force aggregates. The main objective of the survey is to collect data on the size and characteristics of the labour force, employment, unemployment and other labour market characteristics of the population. The survey was also designed to measure different forms of work, in particular, own-use production work and other components of labour underutilization including time-related underemployment and potential labour force in line with the new international standards, adopted by the 19th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS) in 2013.

Geographic coverage

Labor force survey data are at the National level coverage.

Analysis unit

• Individuals

• Households

Universe

The target population eligible for Labor force survey is 16 years old and above resident in selected households. However, the survey also collected data on certain particular labour-market related issues such as working children 5 to 17 years old, income from employment, migrant workers and workers with disabilities.

It is important to note that the survey is limited to persons living in private households. It excludes the institutional population permanently residing in houses such as hostels; health resorts; correctional establishments etc., as well as persons living in seasonal dwellings not covered in the survey. It also excludes workers living at their work-sites. A household is a group of persons who live together and make common provision for food and other essentials for living. The people in the group may be related or unrelated or a combination of both. A household may consist of only one person or several persons.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sample design of the Labor force survey is a two-stage stratified design according to which at the first stage of sampling, a stratified sample of enumeration areas from the latest population census is drawn with probabilities proportional to size measured in terms of the census number of households or census number of household members, and at the second stage of sampling, a fixed number of sample of households is selected with equal probability within each sample enumeration areas. Finally, all household members in the sample households are selected for survey interviewing.

The application of this principle leads to a sample size requirement of 18,691 households for measuring annual unemployment with margin of errors of +/- 0.3% at 95% confidence level. In these calculations, the main indicator is the ratio of unemployment to the working age population, set at r=0.024 according to the 2012 population census of Rwanda. The design effect (deff) is set at 3, within the range of values (3 to 4) generally used for labour force surveys. The margin of errors (ME = 0.0026) is twice the standard error of the estimate. Similar calculations for employment gave a sample size requirement of 18,792 households. Because the sample size should be a multiple of 2x4x16 for two survey rounds per year, four rotation groups per round and 16 sample households per Primary Sampling Unit (PSU), the required annual sample size has been rounded to 18688 households. For the August 2017 round, the sample size was therefore set at Sample size of LFS August 2017 = 18688/2 = 9344 households.

The next step in sample design was the selection of the 584 sample enumeration areas. The sample was drawn in each district by probability proportional to size (pps) from the sampling frame. In practice, the sample of enumeration areas was selected from the start for an entire sequence of 18 survey rounds from August 2016 to August 2023 when in principle a new sampling frame constructed on the basis of the next population and housing census will become available. The selected sample was then assigned randomly to 18 rotation groups. Sample enumeration areas in rotation groups R1 to R4 formed the sample for LFS August 2016. The sample of enumeration areas assigned to rotation groups R3 to R6 were used for LFS August 2017. The sample enumeration areas assigned to R4 to R7 will be used for LFS February 2018, and so on. The same process will continue on each round with the addition of one rotation group per round. The sample enumeration areas were freshly listed prior to selection of the final sample of households. According to the sample design, 16 sample households were selected from the list of households in each sample enumeration area by systematic sampling with equal probability. If the list contained 16 households or less all households in the sample enumeration area were drawn in the sample. If the list contained more than 16 households, a sample of fixed size (16 households) was drawn from the list by systematic random sampling.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The questionnaire was drafted in English and translated into Kinyarwanda. An instruction manual was developed in order to guide the enumerators how to use better the questionnaire and conduct interviews.

The questionnaire had the following sections:

• A Household roster including activities of children aged 5 to 13 years old

• Education

• Identification of employed, time-related underemployed

• unemployed and potential labour force

• Characteristics of main job/activity

• Characteristics of secondary job/activity

• Past employment

• Own-use production of goods and services

• Subsistence foodstuff production

• Housing and household assets

Cleaning operations

Since August 2017 an electronic data collection system has replaced paper-based questionnaire and data were collected using computerized assisted interview (CAPI). Data was uploaded to NISR main office from field via wireless network channel by synchronizing every day with the NISR server. It was carried every day to have a daily back up of data. All the activity of codification was also done to the field by interviewers who were trained. Several questions with textual responses were pre-coded in tabled in cascaded way. These concerned education (major field of study in highest qualification attained, and subject of training), occupation and branch of economic activity (at main and secondary job and past employment experience). They were coded into the corresponding national standard classifications using on-screen coding with corresponding dictionaries in Kinyarwanda. Coding of geographic areas and addresses was incorporated in the data entry programme as look-up. Following coding, responses of each questionnaire were edited for blanks, missing values, duplicates, out-of-range values, and inconsistencies such as no head of household or age of child greater than age of head of household using developed batches of controlling inconsistence in CsPro and Stata. Editing specifications on coverage and demographic characteristics were based on the population and housing census (PHC4 2012). Other edit rules were developed for consistency checks on questions related to the measurement of the main labour force variables, including employment, unemployment, multiple jobholding, total hours usually worked at all jobs, total hours actually worked at all jobs, status in employment at main job, etc. Corrections were made mostly with reference to the original physical questionnaire.

Response rate

The response rate for labor force survey 2017 is 98.4%

This horizontal bar chart displays unemployment (% of total labor force) by country using the aggregation average in Rwanda. The data is about countries per year.