Rwanda’s economy grew by 9.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, with gross domestic product (GDP) at current market prices reaching Rwf7,174 billion, up from Rwf5,799 billion in the same quarter last year. Figures released on Tuesday, September 15, by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) show that growth was supported by strong performance across key sectors. ALSO READ: Beyond GDP: What Rwanda’s economic growth means for citizens Industry grew by 18 per cent, while services expanded by 7 per cent and agriculture by 4 per cent. Yusuf Murangwa, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, said the economy remained resilient despite the impact of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. “This shows that if the war had not happened, our economy would have grown much more strongly. There have been impacts, but the measures we put in place helped us. At no point did we run out of petrol or other essential goods that we needed in the country,” Murangwa said on Tuesday. “Traders were supported to find alternative sources for goods that had previously come from the area affected by the war. So, we believe that we were not significantly disrupted,” he added. Services accounted for the largest share of GDP at 51 per cent, followed by industry at 23 per cent and agriculture at 21 per cent. Indirect taxes accounted for the remaining 5 per cent. ALSO READ: Economy grew 10% in first quarter of 2026 The minister said the declining share of agriculture in the economy should not be interpreted as a decline in agricultural production. “The share of agriculture in the overall economy may be declining, but that does not mean agricultural production is declining. Agriculture continues to grow in value, but other sectors are growing faster. So, agriculture is growing, even though its share of the economy is declining.” Performance across sectors Jean Claude Mwizerwa, NISR's Deputy Director General, said the performance was supported by growth across key activities in agriculture, industry and services. In the agriculture sector, food crop production increased by 5 per cent, while export crop production declined by 20 per cent, mainly due to a 33 per cent drop in coffee production. Tea production, however, increased by 18 per cent. In industry, mining and quarrying increased by 26 per cent, while construction activities grew by 24 per cent and manufacturing by 10 per cent. “Manufacturing increased by 10 per cent. This growth was driven mainly by a 51 per cent increase in the manufacturing of metal products, machinery and equipment, a 22 per cent increase in the manufacturing of non-metallic mineral products, mainly cement and bricks, and a 13 per cent increase in the manufacturing of textiles, clothing and leather products,” he said. In the services sector, wholesale and retail trade increased by 18 per cent, while transport services grew by 7 per cent. Information and communication services recorded a 29 per cent increase, while hotels and restaurants grew by 5 per cent and financial services by 4 per cent.
