Rwanda — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Rwanda, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Rwanda was 11.36% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 15.78% in 2021. The lowest was 10.76% in 2018 (about 1.1× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.24% per year.
Rwanda ranks 31 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 17%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 5.45%, so Rwanda sits above it. It peaked in 2021 and has fallen 28% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 4%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 12 of 47 economies; Mauritania (10.32%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 33% in 2021. That is 8% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 36th of 187 in 1991 → 51st of 187 in 2000 → 43rd of 187 in 2010 → 43rd of 187 in 2020 → 29th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11.36% | +0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 11.33% | -1.0 pp |
| 2023 | 12.35% | -2.7 pp |
| 2022 | 15.08% | -0.7 pp |
| 2021 | 15.78% | +3.9 pp |
| 2020 | 11.83% | +0.6 pp |
| 2019 | 11.24% | +0.5 pp |
| 2018 | 10.76% | -1.1 pp |
| 2017 | 11.88% | +0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 11.79% | -0.0 pp |
| 2015 | 11.83% | -0.0 pp |
| 2014 | 11.84% | +0.1 pp |
| 2013 | 11.77% | +0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 11.67% | -0.1 pp |
| 2011 | 11.76% | +0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 11.64% | +0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 11.63% | +0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 11.52% | -0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 11.58% | -0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 11.59% | -0.3 pp |
| 2005 | 11.84% | +0.1 pp |
| 2004 | 11.7% | +0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 11.66% | +0.2 pp |
| 2002 | 11.43% | -0.3 pp |
| 2001 | 11.73% | +0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 11.7% | +0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 11.57% | +0.3 pp |
| 1998 | 11.26% | +0.2 pp |
| 1997 | 11.09% | -0.4 pp |
| 1996 | 11.51% | -0.4 pp |
| 1995 | 11.94% | -0.3 pp |
| 1994 | 12.24% | +0.1 pp |
| 1993 | 12.16% | +0.0 pp |
| 1992 | 12.11% | -0.2 pp |
| 1991 | 12.34% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Rwanda’s Unemployment in 1992?
12.11% (1992). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of total labor force, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Rwanda’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -7.9% in total — about 0.2% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 11.36%; 2024: 11.33%; 2023: 12.35%; 2022: 15.08%; 2021: 15.78%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS — Unemployment Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.