Rwanda’s trade with foreign countries increased by 89% between 2017 and 2025, reaching $9.4 billion last year from $4.9 billion, Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva told Parliament on Friday.
Nsengiyumva presented the figures on Oct. 2 while addressing a joint sitting of Parliament on the development of Rwanda’s financial sector.
He said exports rose to $3.5 billion in 2025 from $1.9 billion in 2017, representing an increase of 84%.
Imports also increased during the period, reaching nearly $6 billion in 2025 from slightly more than $3 billion in 2017.
The increase in imports left Rwanda with a trade gap of about $2.4 billion last year, according to figures presented by the prime minister.
Nsengiyumva said the government was continuing to manage the country’s foreign-exchange reserves to ensure Rwanda could pay for imports and withstand economic shocks originating from international markets.
He said foreign-exchange reserves remained above the minimum level set by the government, equivalent to enough reserves to cover four months of imports if no additional foreign currency entered the country.
The prime minister also said an increase in foreign-exchange reserves, together with reforms aimed at improving management of the foreign-exchange market, had helped support the value of the Rwandan franc against other currencies.
Against the U.S. dollar, the franc depreciated by 4.4% in 2025, compared with a 9.4% decline in 2024, he said.
During the first six months of 2026, the franc depreciated by 0.87% against the dollar.
Nsengiyumva said maintaining sufficient foreign-exchange reserves remained important as Rwanda continued to meet its import needs while dealing with changes in international markets.
