Rwanda remains committed to maintaining macroeconomic stability and accelerating private sector-led growth.
KIGALI – Rwanda continues to demonstrate strong economic resilience and inclusive development, with the latest report by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa highlighting the country’s sustained growth and progress despite a challenging global environment.
The report titled, Macroeconomic and Social Overview 2026, Eastern Africa’s Balancing Act: High Growth, Tight Budgets, and Rising Uncertainty, identifies Rwanda among the region’s strongest-performing economies.
This highlights broad-based GDP growth of 10% in the first quarter of 2026, driven by strong performance in industry, service, and Agriculture.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also projects Rwanda’s economy to grow by 7.2% in 2026, placing the country among Africa’s fastest-growing economies.
According to the report, Rwanda’s performance reflects sound macroeconomic management, sustained investment in strategic sectors, and continued implementation of reforms that support long-term, inclusive economic growth.
The report notes that Rwanda increased its 2025/26 national budget by 21% compared to the previous fiscal year, prioritizing investments in infrastructure, agriculture, electrification, education, healthcare, housing and the development of Bugesera International Airport.
These investments are aligned with Rwanda’s long-term ambition of becoming a regional logistics and services hub.
Rwanda’s continued leadership in promoting gender equality has been recognized by ranking first globally in women’s representation in Parliament.
The report also highlights Rwanda’s continued leadership in promoting gender equality, ranking first globally in women’s representation in Parliament, with women holding 63.8% of seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 50% in the Senate.
On social development, Rwanda continues to register steady progress in improving the well-being of its citizens. The report places Rwanda among the countries with lower Multidimensional Poverty Index scores in Eastern Africa, reflecting continued investments in education, healthcare, energy access and social protection.
It also notes improvements in child health, with under-five mortality declining from 45 to 36 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to the 2025 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey.
The report further highlights Rwanda’s prudent public debt management, noting that nearly 90% of public debt is on concessional terms, supported by a debt management strategy focused on reducing refinancing risks while financing transformative investments.
Rwanda’s tourism sector also continues to play an important role in the economy, contributing Frw 1.9 trillion, equivalent to 9.8% of GDP, in 2024 and projected to support more than 400,000 jobs in 2025. The report also notes that Rwanda receives one of the highest shares of intra-African tourist arrivals in the region, reflecting its growing role as a destination for business, conferences and leisure tourism.
The Government of Rwanda remains committed to maintaining macroeconomic stability, accelerating private sector-led growth and implementing reforms that support the country’s long-term development ambitions under Vision 2050 and the Second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2).
