Rwanda ranked 144/197 by economy size with a GDP of $14.3B and 177/197 by GDP per capita at $1,000. Rwanda has $9.58B in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 77.6%.
In 2025, Rwanda made up 0.01% of the world's economy, compared to 0.009% in 1960.
The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.
| Year | GDP | GDP growth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current $ | Constant $ | ||
| 1960 | $119,000,024 | $1,013,800,020 | - |
| 1961 | $122,000,016 | $970,231,700 | 2.52% |
| 1962 | $125,000,008 | $1,080,195,804 | 2.46% |
| 1963 | $128,000,000 | $974,115,776 | 2.4% |
| 1964 | $129,999,994 | $852,692,316 | 1.56% |
| 1965 | $148,799,980 | $912,462,033 | 14.5% |
| 1966 | $124,525,703 | $976,415,683 | -16.3% |
| 1967 | $159,560,018 | $1,043,944,763 | 28.1% |
| 1968 | $172,200,018 | $1,117,164,761 | 7.92% |
| 1969 | $188,700,037 | $1,240,135,222 | 9.58% |
| 1970 | $219,900,006 | $1,314,561,010 | 16.5% |
| 1971 | $222,952,504 | $1,330,423,038 | 1.39% |
| 1972 | $246,457,838 | $1,333,922,959 | 10.5% |
| 1973 | $290,746,157 | $1,379,784,406 | 18% |
| 1974 | $308,458,423 | $1,399,236,932 | 6.09% |
| 1975 | $571,863,500 | $1,369,659,506 | 85.4% |
| 1976 | $637,753,853 | $1,636,805,801 | 11.5% |
| 1977 | $746,650,613 | $1,669,445,501 | 17.1% |
| 1978 | $905,709,076 | $1,822,213,801 | 21.3% |
| 1979 | $1,109,346,131 | $2,038,508,904 | 22.5% |
| 1980 | $1,254,765,642 | $2,220,988,318 | 13.1% |
| 1981 | $1,407,062,527 | $2,341,725,674 | 12.1% |
| 1982 | $1,407,243,139 | $2,384,130,730 | 0.01% |
| 1983 | $1,479,687,587 | $2,526,710,090 | 5.15% |
| 1984 | $1,587,413,084 | $2,419,558,044 | 7.28% |
| 1985 | $1,715,626,331 | $2,526,085,095 | 8.08% |
| 1986 | $1,944,710,684 | $2,664,315,945 | 13.4% |
| 1987 | $2,157,432,668 | $2,663,675,547 | 10.9% |
| 1988 | $2,395,492,687 | $2,783,509,648 | 11% |
| 1989 | $2,405,022,593 | $2,782,492,713 | 0.4% |
| 1990 | $2,550,185,679 | $2,715,732,613 | 6.04% |
| 1991 | $1,911,600,237 | $2,647,448,785 | -25% |
| 1992 | $2,029,026,962 | $2,802,926,178 | 6.14% |
| 1993 | $1,971,525,712 | $2,575,645,531 | -2.83% |
| 1994 | $753,636,370 | $1,281,433,436 | -61.8% |
| 1995 | $1,293,535,193 | $1,732,806,553 | 71.6% |
| 1996 | $1,382,334,879 | $1,953,664,804 | 6.86% |
| 1997 | $1,851,558,197 | $2,224,242,544 | 33.9% |
| 1998 | $1,989,343,546 | $2,421,280,840 | 7.44% |
| 1999 | $2,157,108,263 | $2,526,652,278 | 8.43% |
| 2000 | $2,068,836,754 | $2,738,155,711 | -4.09% |
| 2001 | $1,966,600,715 | $2,970,476,184 | -4.94% |
| 2002 | $1,966,003,468 | $3,362,343,590 | -0.03% |
| 2003 | $2,138,237,279 | $3,436,395,425 | 8.76% |
| 2004 | $2,376,496,067 | $3,692,326,726 | 11.1% |
| 2005 | $2,933,819,766 | $4,038,589,403 | 23.5% |
| 2006 | $3,319,784,539 | $4,411,233,107 | 13.2% |
| 2007 | $4,070,507,895 | $4,747,955,684 | 22.6% |
| 2008 | $5,179,854,065 | $5,277,886,761 | 27.3% |
| 2009 | $5,674,476,969 | $5,607,662,717 | 9.55% |
| 2010 | $6,124,756,654 | $6,018,965,512 | 7.94% |
| 2011 | $6,884,913,658 | $6,497,978,183 | 12.4% |
| 2012 | $7,654,761,045 | $7,059,501,498 | 11.2% |
| 2013 | $7,819,964,024 | $7,392,699,278 | 2.16% |
| 2014 | $8,238,966,120 | $7,848,619,326 | 5.36% |
| 2015 | $8,543,760,206 | $8,543,760,206 | 3.7% |
| 2016 | $8,695,272,061 | $9,053,886,363 | 1.77% |
| 2017 | $9,252,833,894 | $9,408,633,107 | 6.41% |
| 2018 | $9,637,904,519 | $10,209,916,262 | 4.16% |
| 2019 | $10,349,300,277 | $11,174,486,378 | 7.38% |
| 2020 | $10,174,386,855 | $10,797,494,132 | -1.69% |
| 2021 | $11,078,787,095 | $11,969,932,692 | 8.89% |
| 2022 | $13,316,161,006 | $12,946,823,702 | 20.2% |
| 2023 | $14,331,722,700 | $14,014,924,102 | 7.63% |
| 2024 | $14,251,642,231 | $15,260,942,693 | -0.56% |
Economic Statistics of Rwanda
Rwanda
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$14.3B
2024 |
144/197 |
| GDP growth |
-0.56%
2023-2024 |
177/196 |
| GDP per capita |
$1,000
2024 |
177/197 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$3,711
2024 |
168/197 |
| Government debt |
$9.58B
2024 |
126/185 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
77.6%
2025 |
46/185 |
| Government debt per person |
$672
2024 |
156/185 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$2,587
2025 |
150/197 |
| Listed domestic companies |
5
2024 |
102/103 |
| Market capitalization of domestic companies |
$2.75B
2024 |
87/100 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
33.4%
2023 |
27/169 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
3.1%
2023 |
55/169 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
27.4%
2025 |
113/195 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
1.77%
2023-2024 |
149/195 |
| Central bank interest rate |
6.75%
2025 |
44/105 |
| Unemployment rate |
11.3%
2024 |
29/196 |
| Population |
14826674
|
77/197 |
Rwanda's GDP per capita
Rwanda has a GDP per capita of $1,000, ranking 177/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $3,711, ranking 168/197, and a median annual after tax income of $2,587, ranking 150/197.
| Year | Current $ | |
|---|---|---|
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1960 | $39.4 | - |
| 1961 | $39.3 | - |
| 1962 | $39.2 | - |
| 1963 | $39.3 | - |
| 1964 | $39 | - |
| 1965 | $43.5 | - |
| 1966 | $35.4 | - |
| 1967 | $44 | - |
| 1968 | $46 | - |
| 1969 | $48.9 | - |
| 1970 | $55.2 | - |
| 1971 | $54.4 | - |
| 1972 | $58.4 | - |
| 1973 | $66.9 | - |
| 1974 | $68.9 | - |
| 1975 | $124.1 | - |
| 1976 | $134.4 | - |
| 1977 | $152.7 | - |
| 1978 | $179.9 | - |
| 1979 | $213.8 | - |
| 1980 | $234.4 | - |
| 1981 | $254.6 | - |
| 1982 | $246.4 | - |
| 1983 | $250.6 | - |
| 1984 | $259.9 | - |
| 1985 | $271.6 | - |
| 1986 | $297.7 | - |
| 1987 | $320 | - |
| 1988 | $344 | - |
| 1989 | $335 | - |
| 1990 | $346 | $549 |
| 1991 | $254 | $542 |
| 1992 | $264.1 | $575 |
| 1993 | $247 | $521 |
| 1994 | $111 | $311 |
| 1995 | $228 | $514 |
| 1996 | $206 | $499 |
| 1997 | $238.7 | $500 |
| 1998 | $246.2 | $528 |
| 1999 | $264.7 | $554 |
| 2000 | $251.9 | $609 |
| 2001 | $237.3 | $670 |
| 2002 | $234 | $760 |
| 2003 | $249 | $775 |
| 2004 | $269.5 | $832 |
| 2005 | $324 | $914 |
| 2006 | $357 | $1,002 |
| 2007 | $426 | $1,079 |
| 2008 | $528 | $1,191 |
| 2009 | $564 | $1,241 |
| 2010 | $594 | $1,314 |
| 2011 | $651 | $1,413 |
| 2012 | $707 | $1,455 |
| 2013 | $705 | $1,512 |
| 2014 | $725 | $1,678 |
| 2015 | $734 | $1,781 |
| 2016 | $730 | $1,866 |
| 2017 | $758 | $1,968 |
| 2018 | $772 | $2,125 |
| 2019 | $810 | $2,336 |
| 2020 | $779 | $2,285 |
| 2021 | $830 | $2,733 |
| 2022 | $975 | $3,099 |
| 2023 | $1,027 | $3,399 |
| 2024 | $1,000 | $3,711 |
Rwanda's government spending, deficit, and chart
This chart shows Rwanda's government spending, budget balance, and debt over time, each expressed as a share of GDP.
Over the past 34 years, Rwanda recorded a fiscal deficit in 30 years — average annual deficit equal to -3.13% of GDP. In 2024, government spending reached $4.1B (27.4% of GDP), with a deficit of -6.29%.
The national debt reached $9.58B, ranking 126th out of 185 countries by total size, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 77.6%, ranking 46th.
| Year | % of GDP | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Government spending | Government debt | Government deficit/surplus | |
| 1992 | 21.5% | - | -7.21% |
| 1993 | 20.3% | - | -6.6% |
| 1994 | 13.3% | - | -9.54% |
| 1995 | 18% | 100.8% | -2.04% |
| 1996 | 19.5% | 83.4% | -5.01% |
| 1997 | 17% | 72.2% | -2.22% |
| 1998 | 16.4% | 70.1% | -2.59% |
| 1999 | 22.4% | 78.4% | -4.41% |
| 2000 | 18.2% | 86% | -0.22% |
| 2001 | 19.1% | 84% | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 20.5% | 92% | -2.03% |
| 2003 | 18.5% | 79.5% | -1.23% |
| 2004 | 17.9% | 80.9% | 2.27% |
| 2005 | 19.9% | 58.9% | 1.12% |
| 2006 | 20.6% | 22.5% | -0.03% |
| 2007 | 22.4% | 22.1% | -1.56% |
| 2008 | 22.5% | 18.3% | 0.83% |
| 2009 | 22.3% | 18.5% | 0.26% |
| 2010 | 23.8% | 18.8% | -0.64% |
| 2011 | 24.7% | 18.7% | -0.86% |
| 2012 | 24.6% | 19.1% | -2.38% |
| 2013 | 26.2% | 26.7% | -1.27% |
| 2014 | 27.5% | 29.1% | -3.92% |
| 2015 | 26.6% | 33.1% | -2.68% |
| 2016 | 25.1% | 41.1% | -2.27% |
| 2017 | 25.1% | 45.6% | -2.52% |
| 2018 | 26.4% | 49.2% | -2.57% |
| 2019 | 28.2% | 53.6% | -5.08% |
| 2020 | 33.5% | 68.7% | -9.54% |
| 2021 | 31.6% | 67.3% | -7% |
| 2022 | 29.7% | 60.9% | -5.74% |
| 2023 | 27% | 63.4% | -5.04% |
| 2024 | 28.8% | 67.2% | -6.57% |
| 2025 | 27.4% | 77.6% | -6.29% |
Inflation rate by year
Over the past 20 years, Rwanda has had an average annual inflation rate of 7.32%. In 2024, inflation was 1.77%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.
| Year | Inflation |
|---|---|
| 1967 | 1.45% |
| 1968 | 3.16% |
| 1969 | 0.48% |
| 1970 | 0.51% |
| 1971 | 0.49% |
| 1972 | 3.09% |
| 1973 | 9.37% |
| 1974 | 31.1% |
| 1975 | 30.2% |
| 1976 | 7.17% |
| 1977 | 13.7% |
| 1978 | 13.3% |
| 1979 | 15.7% |
| 1980 | 7.25% |
| 1981 | 6.45% |
| 1982 | 12.6% |
| 1983 | 6.59% |
| 1984 | 5.37% |
| 1985 | 1.76% |
| 1986 | -1.12% |
| 1987 | 4.13% |
| 1988 | 2.98% |
| 1989 | 1.01% |
| 1990 | 4.19% |
| 1991 | 19.6% |
| 1992 | 9.56% |
| 1993 | 12.4% |
| 1994 | - |
| 1995 | - |
| 1996 | 7.41% |
| 1997 | 12% |
| 1998 | 6.21% |
| 1999 | -2.41% |
| 2000 | 3.9% |
| 2001 | 3.34% |
| 2002 | 1.99% |
| 2003 | 7.45% |
| 2004 | 12.3% |
| 2005 | 9.01% |
| 2006 | 8.88% |
| 2007 | 9.08% |
| 2008 | 15.4% |
| 2009 | 12.9% |
| 2010 | -0.25% |
| 2011 | 3.08% |
| 2012 | 10.3% |
| 2013 | 5.92% |
| 2014 | 2.35% |
| 2015 | 2.53% |
| 2016 | 7.17% |
| 2017 | 8.28% |
| 2018 | -0.31% |
| 2019 | 3.35% |
| 2020 | 9.85% |
| 2021 | -0.39% |
| 2022 | 17.7% |
| 2023 | 19.8% |
| 2024 | 1.77% |
Balance of trade
|
Rwanda
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
-$1.65B
2023 |
136/189 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
-11.5%
2023 |
162/189 |
| Goods imports |
$4.83B
2023 |
133/188 |
| Goods exports |
$2.47B
2023 |
135/188 |
| Service imports |
$948M
2023 |
147/188 |
| Service exports |
$1.04B
2023 |
132/188 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
39.1%
2024 |
103/180 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
30.8%
2024 |
108/193 |
Rwanda's top 10 trading partners
Rwanda's biggest trading partner accounting for 16.6%% of all exports and imports is the United Arab Emirates, with a trade balance between the two of +$120M — Rwanda exports $457M worth of goods and services to the United Arab Emirates and imports $337M.
Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of Rwanda.
| Rank | Country | Trade value | Share of total trade | Export to | Import from | Top export to | Top import from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
UAE
|
$794M | 16.6% | $457M | $337M | Precious metals & jewellery | Raw materials & minerals |
| 2 |
China
|
$729M | 15.2% | $8.41M | $720M | Raw materials & minerals | Machinery & equipment |
| 3 |
Kenya
|
$387M | 8.09% | $116M | $272M | Raw agricultural goods | Metals |
| 4 |
India
|
$306M | 6.38% | $16.4M | $289M | Precious metals & jewellery | Raw materials & minerals |
| 5 |
Tanzania
|
$282M | 5.88% | $1.37M | $280M | Metals | Raw agricultural goods |
| 6 |
Greece
|
$276M | 5.77% | $276M | $590K | Raw agricultural goods | Machinery & equipment |
| 7 |
DR Congo
|
$181M | 3.77% | $154M | $26.7M | Raw agricultural goods | Metals |
| 8 |
Zambia
|
$131M | 2.74% | $99.3M | $31.8M | Miscellaneous | Processed food, beverages & tobacco |
| 9 |
Belgium
|
$126M | 2.64% | $14.6M | $112M | Raw agricultural goods | Raw agricultural goods |
| 10 |
United States
|
$109M | 2.27% | $24.3M | $84.3M | Raw agricultural goods | Machinery & equipment |
Rwanda's top 10 exports
|
Rwanda
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Transport & tourism services | $738M | 126/188 |
| Raw agricultural goods | $645M | 80/193 |
| Precious metals & jewellery | $456M | 79/190 |
| Government & miscellaneous services | $197M | 52/180 |
| Metals | $75.6M | 124/192 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $62M | 138/192 |
| Miscellaneous | $58.7M | 69/191 |
| Raw materials & minerals | $43.7M | 156/193 |
| Machinery & equipment | $33.9M | 146/193 |
| IT & IP services | $27M | 135/183 |
Rwanda's top 10 imports
|
Rwanda
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Raw materials & minerals | $797M | 142/193 |
| Machinery & equipment | $765M | 147/193 |
| Transport & tourism services | $765M | 133/188 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $375M | 143/193 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $339M | 138/193 |
| Raw agricultural goods | $322M | 123/193 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $312M | 138/193 |
| Metals | $304M | 138/193 |
| Wood & paper products | $97.2M | 138/193 |
| Manufacturing & construction services | $42.8M | 103/163 |
Economic freedom indices
|
Rwanda
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 54.8 | 133/197 |
| Property rights | 62 | 66/182 |
| Government integrity | 50.5 | 66/182 |
| Judicial effectiveness | 27.1 | 66/182 |
| Tax burden | 81.3 | 78/181 |
| Government spending | 73.8 | 89/180 |
| Fiscal health | 35 | 142/181 |
| Business freedom | 56.8 | 116/182 |
| Labor freedom | 48.7 | 145/182 |
| Monetary freedom | 67.3 | 132/180 |
| Trade freedom | 55.2 | 164/181 |
| Investment freedom | 60 | 84/181 |
| Financial freedom | 40 | 124/181 |
Rwanda's economic freedom by year
Rwanda is ranked 119/180 for economic freedom with a score of 54.8, compared to 130/163 and a score of 51.7 in 2005.
| Year | Index | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | Judicial effectiveness | Tax burden | Government spending | Fiscal health | |
| 1997 | 38.3 | - | 67.9 | 92.2 | - |
| 1998 | 39.1 | - | 67.6 | 88 | - |
| 1999 | 39.8 | - | 67.3 | 85.1 | - |
| 2000 | 42.3 | - | 67 | 96.4 | - |
| 2001 | 45.4 | - | 67 | 95.7 | - |
| 2002 | 50.4 | - | 67 | 88 | - |
| 2003 | 47.8 | - | 67 | 89.5 | - |
| 2004 | 53.3 | - | 66.9 | 89.5 | - |
| 2005 | 51.7 | - | 70.5 | 86.4 | - |
| 2006 | 52.8 | - | 73.9 | 82.6 | - |
| 2007 | 52.4 | - | 73.9 | 79.6 | - |
| 2008 | 54.2 | - | 76.9 | 75.6 | - |
| 2009 | 54.2 | - | 76.8 | 76.8 | - |
| 2010 | 59.1 | - | 77.1 | 75.6 | - |
| 2011 | 62.7 | - | 76.9 | 78.6 | - |
| 2012 | 64.9 | - | 77.2 | 78.5 | - |
| 2013 | 64.1 | - | 80.4 | 75.9 | - |
| 2014 | 64.7 | - | 80.3 | 78.2 | - |
| 2015 | 64.8 | - | 80.2 | 79.2 | - |
| 2016 | 63.1 | - | 80.1 | 77.1 | - |
| 2017 | 67.6 | 68.8 | 79.8 | 77.3 | 83.3 |
| 2018 | 69.1 | 79.6 | 75.8 | 77.7 | 82.3 |
| 2019 | 71.1 | 83.2 | 79.8 | 79.4 | 86.3 |
| 2020 | 70.9 | 78.3 | 79.2 | 79.8 | 86.7 |
| 2021 | 68.3 | 75.2 | 79.5 | 78.5 | 78 |
| 2022 | 57.1 | 26.6 | 79.1 | 76.3 | 61.6 |
| 2023 | 52.2 | 52.7 | 78.9 | 71.1 | 11.1 |
| 2024 | 51.6 | 26.9 | 79.1 | 70.1 | 12.5 |
| 2025 | 54.8 | 27.1 | 81.3 | 73.8 | 35 |
More economic indicators
|
Rwanda
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
47.6%
2024 |
145/191 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
21%
2024 |
126/194 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
24.6%
2024 |
22/193 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$14.8B
2024 |
144/194 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$3,620
2024 |
165/191 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$2.41B
2024 |
123/177 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
-$459M
2023 |
97/188 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
$819M
2024 |
99/193 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$9.86M
2024 |
122/187 |
|
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
|
3.88%
2023 |
61/119 |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
27.4%
2023 |
65/176 |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
25.9%
2024 |
62/176 |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
Relevant pages:
Rwanda topic pages:
Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.
Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.
Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.