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The Active Population in Figures

Working Conditions

Legal Weekly Duration

Art. 49 of the Labour code states that the legal employment’s duration is forty five hours per week. However, due to the specific nature of the work the weekly working hours shall be based upon the agreement between the employer and the employee.

Retirement Age

60 years old.

Working Contracts

According to the Labour Code, employment contracts can be concluded for a fixed term, opened ended or for a specific task. They can be either oral or written. However, an employment contract must be in written if it is concluded for a period of 6 or more months; or if the work can't be completed in 6 months; or the employment contract has been signed in Rwanda but has to be implemented in a foreign country.

Labour Laws

Consult the Employment Act, to obtain a summary of the labour regulations that apply in Rwanda

Cost of Labour

Minimum Wage

Rwanda does not have a recently updated statutory national minimum wage; the legal floor remains nominally at RWF 100 per day (approx. USD 0.06) according to the 1973 law, though the Ministry of Public Service and Labour has been reviewing a new structure as part of the Labour Law reforms.

Average Wage

The average annual wage in Rwanda is about 8,305,400 RWF (approx. 692 USD monthly)

Social Contributions

Social Security Contributions Paid By Employers: 5%
Social Security Contributions Paid By Employees: The employer is required to contribute 5% of the employee's gross salary for social security contributions (deducted from the monthly salary), while employees contribution is equal to 3%.

Social Partners

Employer Associations

PSF - Rwanda Private Sector Association
PSF - Private Sector Federation

Social Dialogue and Involvement of Social Partners

The constitution provides for the rights to form trade unions, engage in collective bargaining (art. 38), and strike (art. 39). Nevertheless, de facto such rights are often limited, especially in the public sector or for “essential services” (with the government giving a broad interpretation of this concept, often including services that are not strictly essential for the public interest). Furthermore, according to a report by Freedom House, enforcement of rules against antiunion discrimination is weak, and the government allegedly interferes in union elections (the country’s largest union confederation is suspected to have close ties with the ruling party).

Labour Unions

Trade Union Centre of Workers of Rwanda (CESTRAR)

Unionisation Rate

n/a

Labour Regulation Bodies

Ministry of Public Service and Labour