Women’s participation in Rwanda’s labour market increased by 7.4 percentage points between 2020 and 2024, signalling steady gains in workforce inclusion, new data from the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) shows.

NISR’s Labour Force Survey Gender Thematic Report indicates that participation rate for women rose from 48.2 per cent in 2020 to 55.6 per cent in 2024. Over the same period, male participation increased from 65.6 per cent to 71.1 per cent.

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Urban residents continued to record higher participation than rural populations. In 2024, nearly 65 per cent of urban women and 79.5 per cent of urban men were economically active, compared with 51.9 per cent of rural women and 67.4 per cent of rural men, reflecting the concentration of employment opportunities in urban areas.

Education and age drive participation

The most active age group in the labour market was between 25 and 34 years. In 2024, participation in this bracket stood at 71.1 per cent for women and 88.7 per cent for men, while engagement declined sharply among people aged 65 and above.

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Education remained a key determinant of labour market participation. Women with university education recorded an 85.2 per cent participation rate, compared with 54.7 per cent among those with no formal education. For men, participation ranged from 72 per cent among those without formal schooling to 90.4 per cent among university graduates.

Unemployment continues to ease

Rising participation was accompanied by improved employment outcomes. The proportion of working-age women who were employed increased from 38.5 per cent in 2020 to 45.9 per cent in 2024, while the male employment-to-population ratio rose from 55.2 per cent to 62.2 per cent.

National unemployment also declined over the same period. The female unemployment rate fell from 20.3 per cent to 17.6 per cent, while male unemployment dropped to 12.6 per cent. Youth unemployment improved as well, with the rate among women aged 16 to 24 decreasing from 26.8 per cent to 22.9 per cent.

Employment by sector

Agriculture remained Rwanda’s largest employer in 2024, despite a gradual decline since 2022, accounting for 47.9 per cent of employed women and 33.3 per cent of men. The number of workers in the sector rose from about 1.72 million in 2023 to over 1.77 million in 2024.

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The services sector continued to grow, with jobs increasing from approximately 1.58 million in 2023 to over 1.90 million in 2024. Women made up 42.5 per cent of service sector workers, compared with 43.2 per cent of men. Wholesale and retail trade employed the largest share, engaging 17.5 per cent of women and 10.7 per cent of men, while education accounted for 5.2 per cent of female employment and 3.8 per cent of male employment.

Industry remained the smallest employer but recorded growth, rising from 662,203 workers in 2023 to 764,324 in 2024. The sector continued to be male dominated, particularly in construction, which employed 14.9 per cent of men compared with 3.1 per cent of women. Manufacturing showed a narrower gap, employing 5.8 per cent of women and 5.6 per cent of men.

Labour force participation among people with disabilities

In 2020, the overall employment rate for persons with disabilities was 18 per cent, with 17.5 per cent of women and 18.7 per cent of men employed. By 2024, this had increased to 22.6 per cent, with 18.8 per cent of women and 28.4 per cent of men employed.

The 2024 Labour Force Survey also shows disparities in participation between people with and without disabilities. The labour force participation rate for persons without disabilities was 64.1 per cent, compared with 26.6 per cent for those with disabilities.

Among males, the rate was 72.2 per cent for people without disabilities and 32.7 per cent for thsoe with disabilities. Among females, it was 56.9 per cent for people without disabilities and 22.6 per cent with disabilities.

Pay and time-use gaps remain

Despite the gains in participation and employment, income disparities persist. In 2024, women earned an average of 54,406 francs per month, compared with 89,549 francs for men.

The survey also shows differences in time use. Men spent more hours in paid employment, while women devoted more time to unpaid household and caregiving work, reducing their availability for income-generating activities.