NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STATISTICS OF RWANDA Quarter 1 -2026 SUMMARY OF THE LABOUR FORCE SURVEY
Rwanda Labour Force Survey Q1, 2026
57.2% 11.0% 47.5% 52.5% Unemployment JOB Employment Persons out of labour force engaged in subsistence agriculture Other outside labour force 8,693,219 16+ Working Age PopulaƟon in Rwanda (16 years old and above) Labour Force ParƟcipaƟon Outside Labour Force 35.7% 5,589,570 3,103,648 (Persons who worked for pay of profit) 4,974,224 (Persons not employed but seeking and available for work for pay or profit) 615,347 Employment to PopulaƟon RaƟo Employment Rate Other outside labour force (Students, Elderly, persons with disabiliƟes, ...) Employment & Unemployment Status Summary of Key Labour Force Survey Indicators 9.4% 64.4% 12.8% 50.8% 13.4% 52.1% 9.4% 61.0% 11.7% 55.0% 10.7% 62.6% Male Female Youth Adult Urban Rural Male Female Youth Adult Urban JOB Employed Unemployed 4,974,223 615,347 Rural Persons Persons 1 (16 - 30) (31+) (16 - 30) (31+) 64.3% (57.2%) (11%)
2 Trends (%) in Employment to PopulaƟon RaƟo by Sex Trends (%) in Employment by Board Sectors of Economic AcƟvity Rwanda Male Female 2025 Q1 2026 Q1 2022 Q1 2023 Q1 2024 Q1 2021 Q1 Agriculture Industry Service 2025 Q1 2026 Q1 2022 Q1 2023 Q1 2024 Q1 2021 Q1 14.3% 42.0 45.5 47.7 53.1 56.0 57.2 64.4 63.0 60.9 55.1 52.5 48.7 50.8 49.8 46.3 41.1 39.3 36.1 44.4 43.7 46.9 46.3 52.5 52.3 14.6 14.3 13.7 14.0 14.6% 14.5 14.6 41.0 42.0 39.4 39.1 32.9 33.2
Labour Force UnderuƟlizaƟon Labour UnderuƟlizaƟon by Sex 62.3% 49.2% Male Female 55.9% Labour UnderuƟlizaƟon by residence 61.7% 42.6% 55.9% Rural Urban Labour UnderuƟlizaƟon Unemployed Time Related Underemployed PotenƟal Labour Force Trends (%) in Unemployment Rate by Sex 3 Rwanda Male Female 2025 Q1 2026 Q1 2022 Q1 2023 Q1 2024 Q1 2021 Q1 3,941,363 Persons 615,347 1,865,318 1,460,699 55.9% 11 11.1 12.9 17.2 16.5 17 9.4 9.9 11.5 15.5 15.0 15.7 12.8 12.5 14.5 19.2 18.2 18.4
4 Trends (%) in Labour Force UnderuƟlizaƟon by Sex Trends (%) in Outside Labour Force 2025 Q1 2026 Q1 2022 Q1 2023 Q1 2024 Q1 2021 Q1 Rwanda Male Female 2025 Q1 2026 Q1 2022 Q1 2023 Q1 2024 Q1 2021 Q1 Outside Labour Force Rate Discouraged Jobseekers Available Non-jobseekers 14.6 12.2 9.1 9.9% 7.6% 13.5% 55.9 53.7 49.5 54.3 52.8 59.0 54.1 46.7 48.0 47.2 49.2 62.3 59.8 60.4 58.8 63.8 35.7 37.0 39.0 42.4 45.5 49.4 18.7 14.4 16.8 15.0 16.6 10.2 10.0 9.5 11.6 43.3 55.7
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