28 Labour Force Survey 2026 © NISR LFS 2026–Q1 6.2 Population outside the labour force by area of residence Figure 6.2 presents the proportion of population outside the labour force at the national level, as well as for urban and rural areas separately. A comparison of February 2026 (Q1) and February 2025 (Q1) indicates that this proportion decreased by 1.3 percentage points at national level and by 1.7 percentage points in rural areas, while it remained stable in urban areas. The proportion of the population outside the labour force was higher in rural areas than urban areas. In February 2026 (Q1), the urban-rural areas gap was approximately 9.4 percentage points, reflecting a decrease from the 11.2 percentage points recorded in February 2025 (Q1). Figure 6. 2: Population outside Labour force by Area of residence Source: National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), Labour Force Survey (LFS) 6.3 Population outside the labour force by age group The results indicates that the proportion of population outside labour force was higher among the population among older persons (aged 55 and above). In February 2026 (Q1), the proportion among youth aged16-30 years was higher than that among person aged 31-54 years (39.8 % and 23 %, respectively). Between February 2025 to February 2026, the proportion of population outside the labour force remained stable among persons aged 31-54 years , while it decreased by 1.7 percentage points among youth aged 16- 30 years and by 2.2 percentage points among those aged 55 years and above. Figure 6. 3: Population outside the Labour force by age group Source: National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), Labour Force Survey (LFS) 55+ 31-54 16-30 Rwanda 2023Q1 2024Q1 2025Q1 2026Q1 2021Q1 46.7 2022Q1 47.7 40.2 39.0 37.0 35.7 49.3 49.7 41.3 42.7 41.5 39.8 32.6 35.6 27 23.0 23.3 23.0 73.5 71.5 70.1 68.8 59.6 57.4 2023Q1 2024Q1 2025Q1 2026Q1 2021Q1 49.4 45.5 Rwanda Rural Urban 2022Q1 42.4 39 37 35.7 41 36.7 35.2 29 29 29.1 51.3 47.7 45.6 42.9 40.2 38.5 Percentages
29 Labour Force Survey 2026 © NISR LFS 2026–Q1 6.4 Population outside the labour force by level of educational attainment Figure 6.4 shows the proportion of the working-age population outside the labour force by highest attained level of education. The results indicate that individuals with higher levels of educational attainment generally had a lower share of the working-age population outside the labour force compared to those with lower levels of education, except for individuals with lower secondary education, who recorded the highest proportion. Between February 2025 (Q1) and February 2026 (Q1), the proportion of population outside the labour force declined among those with no level of education, primary and lower secondary level of education by 1.8, 1.2 and 2.3 percentage points respectively. In contrast, the proportion increased by 2.6 percentage points among those with upper secondary education and by 2.8 percentage points among individuals with university level of education. Figure 6. 4: Population outside the Labour force by Education level attained. Source: National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), Labour Force Survey (LFS) 2022Q1 2024Q1 2025Q1 2026Q1 2021Q1 Rwanda None Primary y Lower Secondar y Upper Secondar University 49.4 2023Q1 45.5 42.4 39.0 37.0 35.7 48.8 45.6 42.8 39.5 36.2 34.4 51.8 47.4 43.1 40.0 37.7 36.5 67.0 62.7 60.0 55.0 56.3 54.0 41.1 33.5 30.0 29.8 26.7 29.3 16.1 13.3 11.6 12.0 10.3 13.1
30 © NISR LFS 2026–Q1 Chapter 7 Work in agriculture Due to the importance of the agriculture sector for the Rwandan economy, special attention has been given to it in this report. The introduction of the 2013 standards on work, employment and labour underutilization statistics divided workers in agriculture occupation into two categories: market oriented and non-market- oriented workers. Workers in the former category are considered as employed while those in latter are not. In this report, all parts are brought together to analyse the agriculture sector. 7.1 Agricultural status of workers Three categories of agricultural workers can be distinguished:
- Those who worked exclusively in market-oriented agriculture for pay or as self-employed individuals.
- Those who are only engaged in subsistence agriculture.
- Those whose primary occupation was outside of agriculture but who performed activities related to the production of food for their own consumption. The total number of workers in the agriculture sector (including both market oriented and subsistence agriculture) are presented in table 7.1. The findings show that the share of working age population involved in agricultural activities remained stable at 56.5% in both February 2026 (Q1) and February 2025 (Q1). Among persons engaged in agricultural activities, the shares involved in market-oriented was 45% in February 2026 (Q1) compared to 43.2% in February 2025 (Q1). The share of those exclusively engaged in subsistence agriculture decreased by 1.7 percentage points compared to February 2025 (Q1). Table 7. 1: Works status in agriculture Categories of agriculture 2021Q1 2022Q1 2023Q1 2024Q1 2025Q1 2026Q1 Market oriented agriculture as main job (a) 41.7 45.6 42.2 45.2 43.2 45 Subsistence agriculture exclusively (b) 48.2 45.6 46.8 41.8 39.1 37.4 Participated in Subsistence agriculture but have non-agriculture as main job (c) 10.1 8.8 11.1 13 17.8 17.6 Total (100%) 100 100 100 100 100 100 Count (‘000s) 4016 4124 4174 4529 4788 4909 Proportion of working age population involved in agriculture 52.7 52.4 52.3 55.1 56.7 56.5 Source: National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), Labour Force Survey (LFS). Note: The proportion is calculated using agricultural workers as the reference population rather than the total employed population.
31 Labour Force Survey 2026 © NISR LFS 2026–Q1 7.2 Characteristics of agricultural workers The section focuses on workers primarily engaged in market-oriented agriculture and those exclusively involved in subsistence agriculture. The results reveal that the majority of agricultural workers were engaged in subsistence agriculture with a higher proportion observed among female farmers compared to their male counterparts. In February 2026 (Q1), the share of agricultural workers engaged in subsistence agriculture was 45.4% and it decreased by 2.1 percentage points compared to February 2025 (Q1). The proportion of male farmers engaged in market-oriented agriculture was 60.3% in February 2026 (Q1), which was higher than the corresponding proportion of females farmers involved in the same activity (50.8%). Conversely, the proportion of female farmers engaged in subsistence agriculture was higher than that of male farmers, at 49.2% and 39.7%, respectively. The results reveal that the engagement level of male farmers in market-oriented agriculture increased by 3.1 percentage points compared to February 2025 Q1 while it decreased by 1.5 percentage points among female farmers in the same period. Table 7. 2: Trend of proportion of agricultural workers by sex. LFS Round 2021Q1 2022Q1 2023Q1 2024Q1 2025Q1 2026Q1 Both Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 Market oriented agriculture 46.4 50 47.4 52 52.5 54.6 Subsistence agriculture 53.6 50 52.6 48 47.5 45.4 Male Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 Market oriented agriculture 52.8 55.6 53.3 57.6 57.2 60.3 Subsistence agriculture 47.2 44.4 46.7 42.5 42.8 39.7 Female Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 Market oriented agriculture 42 45.9 43.4 48.1 49.3 50.8 Subsistence agriculture 58 54.1 56.7 51.9 50.7 49.2 Source: National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), Labour Force Survey (LFS) Table 7.3 below presents the trend of the share of market oriented and subsistence agricultural workers among youth and adult separately. In February 2026 (Q1), the share of adults engaged in subsistence agriculture was higher than that of youth population in the same activity (47.2% and 41.1% respectively). Between February 2025 (Q1) and February 2026 (Q1), the share of farmers engaged in subsistence agriculture declined by 2.9 percentage points among youth and by 1.8 percentage points among adults.
32 Labour Force Survey 2026 © NISR LFS 2026–Q1 Table 7. 3: Trend of proportion of agricultural workers by age group LFS Round 2021Q1 2022Q1 2023Q1 2024Q1 2025Q1 2026Q1 Both Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 Market oriented agriculture 46.4 50 47.4 52 52.5 54.6 Subsistence agriculture 53.6 50 52.6 48 47.5 45.4 Youth (16- 30) Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 Market oriented agriculture 53.8 53.8 52.1 55.2 56 58.9 Subsistence agriculture 46.2 46.2 47.9 44.9 44 41.1 Adults (31+) Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 Market oriented agriculture 44.9 48.1 45.3 50.5 51 52.8 Subsistence agriculture 55.1 51.9 54.7 49.5 49 47.2 Source: National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), Labour Force Survey (LFS) As presented in Table 7.4, the distribution of agricultural workers by education attainment, shows that individuals with higher levels of education are less likely to engage in agricultural activities for both market- oriented and subsistence agriculture. Table 7. 4: Trend of proportion of agricultural workers by level of education attainment LFS Round 2021Q1 2022Q1 2023Q1 2024Q1 2025Q1 2026Q1 Both Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 None 58.1 58.1 59.6 58.8 61 60.7 Primary 33.8 34.2 32.9 32.5 30.5 30.7 Lower secondary 4.4 4.4 4.5 4.6 5.1 5.1 Upper secondary 3.3 3 2.6 3.7 3 3 University 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.5 Market oriented agriculture Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 None 64.7 63.7 65.0 64.1 66.2 65.4 Primary 30.4 31.5 30.2 30.3 27.7 28.3 Lower secondary 3.0 3.2 3.5 3.3 3.8 3.7 Upper secondary 1.7 1.3 1.0 2.0 2.0 2.2 University 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.3 Subsistence agriculture Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 None 52.5 52.5 54.8 53 55.3 55.1 Primary 36.7 37 35.4 35 33.6 33.6 Lower secondary 5.6 5.6 5.4 6 6.6 6.8 Upper secondary 4.8 4.6 4 5.9 4.1 3.9 University 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.6 Source: National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), Labour Force Survey (LFS).
33 Labour Force Survey 2026 © NISR LFS 2026–Q1 7.3 Share of agriculture in the total work force The total workforce is defined as the sum of all individuals engaged in paid or profit-oriented employment, and those working in subsistence agriculture. Therefore, the share of agricultural workers in the total workforce refers to the proportion of individuals working in agriculture relative to the entire workforce. As shown in Figure 7.1 below, the proportion of agricultural workers in the workforce for February 2026 (Q1) was 59.4 %. This share was significantly higher among females, with 68.2 %, compared to 49.9 % of males. Compared to February 2025 (Q1), the proportion of agricultural workers remained stable at the national level and among both males and females. Figure 7. 1: Share of workers in agriculture by sex Source: National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), Labour Force Survey (LFS) The share of agriculture workers in the total workforce is inversely correlated with educational attainment. People with lower levels of education are more likely to engage in agricultural work compared to those with higher levels of education. In February 2026 (Q1), the result reveals that among tertiary level of education, the share of agricultural workers decreased slightly by 0.8 percentage points compared to February 2025 (Q1) while among other levels of education, the share remained almost steady. Rwanda 2022Q1 2023Q1 2024Q1 2025Q1 2026Q1 2021Q1 Male e Femal 63.0 53.2 68.8 60.1 49.9 77.1 72.2 59.4 70.3 60.6 59.6 64.5 54.8 49.9 79.1 73.5 68.7 68.2