The report shows that the employment-to-population ratio increased to 55.9% in 2025, up from 53.5% in 2024, signalling a growing capacity of the economy to absorb workers. About 4.77 million Rwandans were employed during the year.
This growth comes alongside an expansion of the labour force, which reached 5.4 million people, out of a working-age population of approximately 8.5 million.
Unemployment declines as more jobs are created
The survey indicates that unemployment fell to 12.4% in 2025, down from 14.9% the previous year, continuing a downward trend from pre-COVID-19 levels of around 15%.
This means that roughly one in eight people in the labour force was unemployed, reflecting improved job creation and labour market recovery.
Employment gains were recorded across both men and women, with the employment rate increasing by 1.4 percentage points among males and 3.1 percentage points among females. However, disparities remain, with men still more likely to be employed than women.
Services sector drives job growth
The report highlights a gradual structural shift in Rwanda’s economy, with the services sector emerging as the largest employer, accounting for 44.4% of total employment in 2025, up from 42.9% in 2024.
Agriculture remains a major source of jobs, employing 39.1% of the workforce, while the industry sector accounted for 16.5%, showing little change.
Sectors such as wholesale and retail trade, transport, manufacturing, and hospitality recorded notable increases in employment, reflecting expanding economic activity beyond traditional agriculture.
More people entering the labour market
The labour force participation rate rose slightly to 63.8%, indicating that more Rwandans are either working or actively seeking employment.
At the same time, about 3.1 million people remained outside the labour force, many of whom are engaged in subsistence agriculture, studying, or not actively seeking jobs.
Despite the overall improvement in employment outcomes, the report highlights areas where further gains can be made, particularly in expanding opportunities for youth and women. Youth unemployment stood at 14.7%, slightly above the national average, while female unemployment was estimated at 14.2% compared to 10.8% among men.
These figures suggest that targeted interventions, including skills development, entrepreneurship support and improved job matching, could help unlock additional employment potential, especially as more young people enter the labour market.
Encouragingly, the survey shows a continued upward trend in incomes, with the average monthly salary increasing to Rwf 82,996 in 2025, up from Rwf 73,948 in 2024.
While differences across sectors remain, the overall rise in earnings reflects improving economic activity and growing opportunities, particularly in higher-paying sectors such as services and industry.
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