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African economies
Rwanda · Economy

Rwanda economy: GDP, investment, trade and remittances

How large the Rwanda economy is and how fast it is growing, who invests in it, what it sells and buys, how much its citizens abroad send home, who it owes and what it holds in reserve. The latest published year is shown with each figure.

GDP
US$16.4 billion
current US$, 2025
Real GDP growth
9.4%
2025
GDP per person
US$1,124
current US$, 2025
Exports of goods
US$2.2 billion
2025
Remittances received
US$517 million
2024, 3.4% of GDP
Foreign direct investment, net inflows
US$967 million
2025, 5.9% of GDP
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Rwanda economy snapshot: GDP, growth and income per person

Rwanda's GDP was US$16.4 billion in 2025, after real growth of 9.4%.

GDP

Current US dollars.

05.0bn10bn15bn20bn201520172019202120232025GDP 2015: US$8.4 billionGDP 2016: US$8.6 billionGDP 2017: US$9.2 billionGDP 2018: US$9.7 billionGDP 2019: US$10.5 billionGDP 2020: US$10.5 billionGDP 2021: US$11.3 billionGDP 2022: US$13.7 billionGDP 2023: US$14.8 billionGDP 2024: US$15.1 billionGDP 2025: US$16.4 billion

Real GDP growth

Annual change, per cent. Red bars are contractions.

-5%0%5%10%201520172019202120232025Real GDP growth 2015: 8.9%Real GDP growth 2016: 5.7%Real GDP growth 2017: 4.7%Real GDP growth 2018: 8.1%Real GDP growth 2019: 9.3%Real GDP growth 2020: -2.8%Real GDP growth 2021: 8.4%Real GDP growth 2022: 9.8%Real GDP growth 2023: 8.6%Real GDP growth 2024: 7.2%Real GDP growth 2025: 9.4%

GDP per person

Current US dollars.

05001k2k201520172019202120232025GDP per person 2015: US$726GDP per person 2016: US$721GDP per person 2017: US$751GDP per person 2018: US$773GDP per person 2019: US$823GDP per person 2020: US$803GDP per person 2021: US$843GDP per person 2022: US$1,007GDP per person 2023: US$1,061GDP per person 2024: US$1,060GDP per person 2025: US$1,124

Source: World Bank, 2025. Method

Who invests in Rwanda and in what

Direct investment by investing country

Mauritius was the largest investing country in Rwanda, at 34% of inward direct investment positions in 2024.

Inward direct investment positions in Rwanda at the end of 2024: the stock of foreign direct investment, not a year's new flow. The 10 largest investing countries.

MauritiusUS$1.4 billion33.7%
KenyaUS$488 million11.4%
United StatesUS$262 million6.1%
South AfricaUS$237 million5.6%
IndiaUS$200 million4.7%
NetherlandsUS$154 million3.6%
BelgiumUS$113 million2.6%
PanamaUS$110 million2.6%
GhanaUS$103 million2.4%
ChinaUS$94 million2.2%

Source: IMF, 2024. Method

What Rwanda sells and buys

Pearls, precious stones and metals was 23% of exports in 2025.

Rwanda sold the most to Democratic Republic of the Congo, 39% of exports in 2025.

Exports by product, 2025

Tile area follows value. Each tile is a customs chapter of the Harmonized System; hover for the full name.

Natural, cultured pearls: US$521 million, 23.5%Pearls, precious stones and…23%Ores, slag and ash: US$306 million, 13.8%Ores, slag and ash14%Coffee, tea, mate and spices: US$256 million, 11.5%Coffee, tea and…12%Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation: US$132 million, 5.9%Mineral fuels an…6%Animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products: US$121 million, 5.4%Fats and oils5%Beverages, spirits and vinegar: US$100 million, 4.5%Beverages5%Products of the milling industry: US$82 million, 3.7%Products…4%Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates: US$64 million, 2.9%Cereals: US$55 million, 2.5%Cereals2%Sugars and sugar confectionery: US$49 million, 2.2%Salt: US$45 million, 2.0%Tin: US$45 million, 2.0%All other chapters: US$444 million, 20.0%All other chapters20%

Source: UN Comtrade, 2025. Method

Top buyers, 2025

Share of Rwanda's exports.

Democratic Republic of the CongoUS$877 million39.5%
United Arab EmiratesUS$572 million25.7%
ChinaUS$160 million7.2%
LuxembourgUS$52 million2.4%
United StatesUS$42 million1.9%
United KingdomUS$40 million1.8%
UgandaUS$39 million1.8%
BelgiumUS$36 million1.6%
EgyptUS$35 million1.6%
PakistanUS$27 million1.2%

Top suppliers, 2025

Share of Rwanda's imports.

ChinaUS$1.3 billion23.4%
TanzaniaUS$588 million11.0%
IndiaUS$465 million8.7%
KenyaUS$402 million7.5%
United Arab EmiratesUS$347 million6.5%
UgandaUS$281 million5.3%
MalaysiaUS$146 million2.7%
JapanUS$121 million2.3%
CameroonUS$120 million2.2%
United StatesUS$115 million2.1%

Source: UN Comtrade, 2025. Method

What Rwanda buys, 2025

The 8 largest product chapters in imports.

Mineral fuels and oilsUS$712 million13.3%
VehiclesUS$406 million7.6%
Electrical machinery and equipmentUS$348 million6.5%
Machinery and mechanical appliancesUS$335 million6.3%
CerealsUS$313 million5.9%
Pearls, precious stones and metalsUS$301 million5.6%
Fats and oilsUS$281 million5.3%
Iron and steelUS$196 million3.7%

Source: UN Comtrade, 2025. Method

Trade balance of goods

Exports minus imports. Red bars are years when imports were larger. A year is left out when either side is not published.

-4.0bn-3.0bn-2.0bn-1.0bn020152017201920212024Trade balance 2015: -US$1.8 billion (exports US$594 million, imports US$2.4 billion)Trade balance 2016: -US$1.9 billion (exports US$613 million, imports US$2.5 billion)Trade balance 2017: -US$1.8 billion (exports US$943 million, imports US$2.7 billion)Trade balance 2018: -US$1.8 billion (exports US$1.0 billion, imports US$2.8 billion)Trade balance 2019: -US$2.1 billion (exports US$1.1 billion, imports US$3.2 billion)Trade balance 2020: -US$2.3 billion (exports US$1.4 billion, imports US$3.7 billion)Trade balance 2021: -US$2.2 billion (exports US$1.6 billion, imports US$3.7 billion)Trade balance 2022: -US$3.1 billion (exports US$2.0 billion, imports US$5.1 billion)Trade balance 2024: -US$3.3 billion (exports US$3.0 billion, imports US$6.4 billion)Trade balance 2025: -US$3.1 billion (exports US$2.2 billion, imports US$5.4 billion)

Source: UN Comtrade, 2025. Method

Remittances against foreign direct investment in Rwanda

Foreign direct investment in Rwanda was 1.1 times remittances in 2024.

Remittances receivedForeign direct investment, net inflows
0250m500m750m1.0bn201520172019202120232025Remittances 2015: US$159 millionRemittances 2016: US$173 millionRemittances 2017: US$215 millionRemittances 2018: US$261 millionRemittances 2019: US$261 millionRemittances 2020: US$280 millionRemittances 2021: US$391 millionRemittances 2022: US$474 millionRemittances 2023: US$518 millionRemittances 2024: US$517 millionForeign direct investment 2015: US$162 millionForeign direct investment 2016: US$280 millionForeign direct investment 2017: US$274 millionForeign direct investment 2018: US$366 millionForeign direct investment 2019: US$263 millionForeign direct investment 2020: US$153 millionForeign direct investment 2021: US$233 millionForeign direct investment 2022: US$305 millionForeign direct investment 2023: US$458 millionForeign direct investment 2024: US$573 millionForeign direct investment 2025: US$967 million

Source: World Bank, 2026. Method

Remittances and investment as a share of GDP

The same two flows measured against the size of the economy.

Remittances, share of GDPForeign direct investment, share of GDP
0%2%4%6%201520172019202120232025Remittances 2015: 1.9%Remittances 2016: 2.0%Remittances 2017: 2.3%Remittances 2018: 2.7%Remittances 2019: 2.5%Remittances 2020: 2.7%Remittances 2021: 3.5%Remittances 2022: 3.4%Remittances 2023: 3.5%Remittances 2024: 3.4%Foreign direct investment 2015: 1.9%Foreign direct investment 2016: 3.3%Foreign direct investment 2017: 3.0%Foreign direct investment 2018: 3.8%Foreign direct investment 2019: 2.5%Foreign direct investment 2020: 1.5%Foreign direct investment 2021: 2.1%Foreign direct investment 2022: 2.2%Foreign direct investment 2023: 3.1%Foreign direct investment 2024: 3.8%Foreign direct investment 2025: 5.9%

Source: World Bank, 2026. Method

Who Rwanda owes

External debt stock by type of creditor. Creditor types cover public and publicly guaranteed debt; the grey part is the rest of the total external debt stock. A creditor type with no published figure is not shown.

Multilateral creditors held 43% of Rwanda's external debt stock in 2024.

Public external debt owed to China was US$361 million in 2024, 3% of the external debt stock.

MultilateralBilateralBondsCommercial banksRest of the totalPublic debt owed to China
05.0bn10bn15bn20152017201920212023Multilateral 2015: US$1.4 billionBilateral 2015: US$295 millionBonds 2015: US$400 millionRest of the total 2015: US$1.4 billionMultilateral 2016: US$1.6 billionBilateral 2016: US$308 millionBonds 2016: US$400 millionRest of the total 2016: US$2.0 billionMultilateral 2017: US$2.1 billionBilateral 2017: US$353 millionBonds 2017: US$400 millionRest of the total 2017: US$2.2 billionMultilateral 2018: US$2.5 billionBilateral 2018: US$382 millionBonds 2018: US$400 millionRest of the total 2018: US$2.4 billionMultilateral 2019: US$3.0 billionBilateral 2019: US$486 millionBonds 2019: US$421 millionCommercial banks 2019: US$43 millionRest of the total 2019: US$2.6 billionMultilateral 2020: US$3.7 billionBilateral 2020: US$640 millionBonds 2020: US$475 millionCommercial banks 2020: US$270 millionRest of the total 2020: US$3.1 billionMultilateral 2021: US$3.9 billionBilateral 2021: US$815 millionBonds 2021: US$775 millionCommercial banks 2021: US$280 millionRest of the total 2021: US$3.5 billionMultilateral 2022: US$4.1 billionBilateral 2022: US$835 millionBonds 2022: US$765 millionCommercial banks 2022: US$410 millionRest of the total 2022: US$3.5 billionMultilateral 2023: US$5.0 billionBilateral 2023: US$913 millionBonds 2023: US$651 millionCommercial banks 2023: US$659 millionRest of the total 2023: US$4.2 billionMultilateral 2024: US$5.6 billionBilateral 2024: US$1.1 billionBonds 2024: US$632 millionCommercial banks 2024: US$1.1 billionRest of the total 2024: US$4.7 billionPublic debt owed to China 2015: US$117 millionPublic debt owed to China 2016: US$130 millionPublic debt owed to China 2017: US$160 millionPublic debt owed to China 2018: US$160 millionPublic debt owed to China 2019: US$195 millionPublic debt owed to China 2020: US$258 millionPublic debt owed to China 2021: US$333 millionPublic debt owed to China 2022: US$333 millionPublic debt owed to China 2023: US$345 millionPublic debt owed to China 2024: US$361 million

Source: World Bank, 2026. Method

Reserves and months of import cover

Total reserves including gold, and how many months of imports they cover.

Reserves, US$Months of imports
01.0bn2.0bn3.0bn0246201520172019202120232025Reserves 2015: US$918 millionReserves 2016: US$1.0 billionReserves 2017: US$1.2 billionReserves 2018: US$1.4 billionReserves 2019: US$1.5 billionReserves 2020: US$1.7 billionReserves 2021: US$1.9 billionReserves 2022: US$1.7 billionReserves 2023: US$1.8 billionReserves 2024: US$2.4 billionReserves 2025: US$2.0 billionMonths of imports 2015: 3.6 monthsMonths of imports 2016: 3.6 monthsMonths of imports 2017: 4.2 monthsMonths of imports 2018: 4.4 monthsMonths of imports 2019: 4.3 monthsMonths of imports 2020: 5.4 monthsMonths of imports 2021: 5.5 monthsMonths of imports 2022: 3.9 monthsMonths of imports 2023: 3.6 monthsMonths of imports 2024: 4.2 months

Source: World Bank, 2026. Method

Aid received by Rwanda

Net official development assistance and official aid received.

0500m1.0bn1.5bn2.0bn20152017201920212023Aid received 2015: US$1.1 billionAid received 2016: US$1.2 billionAid received 2017: US$1.2 billionAid received 2018: US$1.1 billionAid received 2019: US$1.2 billionAid received 2020: US$1.6 billionAid received 2021: US$1.3 billionAid received 2022: US$1.1 billionAid received 2023: US$1.4 billion

Source: World Bank, 2026. Method

Where Rwanda ranks in Africa

Its place among the 54 African countries on each of our Africa rankings. Each tile opens the full ranking with its source.

All Africa rankings

More on Rwanda

World Bank data pages for Rwanda: GDP, GDP growth, GDP per person, remittances, foreign direct investment, reserves, months of imports, external debt, debt by creditor, aid. UN Comtrade: trade data. IMF: direct investment positions.

Cite this

PollsAfrica (2026). Rwanda economy: GDP, investment, trade and remittances. Retrieved 10 Oct 2026 from https://pollsafrica.com/economy/rwanda