1.7 million jobs created in Rwanda in seven years

She made the remarks on October 20, 2025, while addressing the Parliamentary Committee on Social Affairs and Human Rights, which was reviewing progress in improving the welfare of senior citizens.

The Minister emphasized that ensuring both the youth and the elderly live decent lives requires access to decent work.

According to the Seventh Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey (EICV 7), more than 1.5 million Rwandans have been lifted out of poverty, and overall poverty levels have dropped by 12.4% across all population categories.

Minister Nkulikiyinka stated, “For both young people and those in advanced age to live better lives, they need to have decent jobs. Job creation and good working conditions are interlinked.”

She revealed that between 2017 and 2024, Rwanda created 1,732,770 jobs, of which 85% were taken up by young people, highlighting the country’s focus on youth employment.

Recent figures from the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), covering the labour force as of May 2025, indicate that Rwanda has 8.5 million people aged 16 and above who are eligible to work.

Out of these, 4.5 million are employed, while over 710,000 are unemployed.

Those not active in the labour market total 3.2 million, comprising mainly students and senior citizens.

EICV 7 also shows that among Rwandans living in poverty, 21% are aged 66 and above, 24% are between 56 and 65, while 28% are aged 46 to 55, suggesting that older age groups remain more vulnerable economically.

Senator Prof. Jean Pierre Dusingizemungu emphasized the importance of preparing employees for retirement to ensure their continued wellbeing.

He said, “There is not enough focus on pre-retirement counseling and preparation. For many elderly people, money is not always the main issue, there are other important aspects of wellbeing.”

Prof. Dusingizemungu shared his personal experience from university, explaining that older lecturers often returned to school to spend more time in their offices, which helped them stay active and maintain a sense of purpose in life.