Rwanda and Congo - Kinshasa
Conflict in eastern Congo, armed groups and displacement of people shape the relationship. Diplomatic agreements open peace mechanisms, but signing does not demonstrate restored security on the ground.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Eastern Congo and responsibilities for the conflict
The relationship is marked by armed group activity in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially AFC/M23, and intervention attributed to Rwandan forces.
Washington and Doha are different processes
The agreement of 27 June 2025 in Washington was signed by the two states.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 961.57 M USD | 2024 · UN Comtrade / RWA |
| Goods: Rwanda to Congo - Kinshasa | 889.64 M USD | 2024 · UN Comtrade / RWA |
| Goods: Congo - Kinshasa to Rwanda | 71.93 M USD | 2024 · UN Comtrade / RWA |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Rwanda to Congo - Kinshasa | 29.25 % | 2024 · UN Comtrade / RWA |
| Export share: Congo - Kinshasa to Rwanda | ||
| Investment stock: Rwanda in Congo - Kinshasa | ||
| Investment stock: Congo - Kinshasa in Rwanda |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2024 · UN Comtrade / RWA · Goods; full year; reporting country RWA. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. Mirror reports are not added together.
- Goods: Rwanda to Congo - Kinshasa
- 2024 · UN Comtrade / RWA · Goods; full year; reporting country RWA. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. Mirror reports are not added together.
- Goods: Congo - Kinshasa to Rwanda
- 2024 · UN Comtrade / RWA · Goods; full year; reporting country RWA. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. Mirror reports are not added together.
- Export share: Rwanda to Congo - Kinshasa
- 2024 · UN Comtrade / RWA · Goods share: RWA exports to the partner / exports by the same reporting country to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
Some annual indicators refer to different years. Check the period beside each value before comparing them.
| Indicator | Rwanda | Congo - Kinshasa |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 16.37 billion USD2025 · WB | 91.03 billion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 1,123.74 USD2025 · WB | 806.78 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 9.38 %2025 · WB | 5.76 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | ||
| Inflation · annual average | 5.91 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | ||
| Unemployment | 11.36 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 4.43 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -4.5 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -2.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 64.6 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 20.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -11.96 %2024 · WB | -4.33 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 14,569,3412025 · WB | 112,832,4732025 · WB |
| Area | 26,338 km²2023 · WB | 2,344,860 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDRwanda: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Congo - Kinshasa: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personRwanda: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Congo - Kinshasa: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Rwanda: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Congo - Kinshasa: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Rwanda: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency stated
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionRwanda: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Democratic Republic of the Congo: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Rwanda: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.Congo - Kinshasa: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Rwanda: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.Congo - Kinshasa: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPRwanda: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Congo - Kinshasa: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleRwanda: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Congo - Kinshasa: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceRwanda: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Congo - Kinshasa: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Rwanda to Congo - Kinshasa
Congo - Kinshasa to Rwanda
Connections between people
Refugees, asylum seekers, returnees and internally displaced people are distinct categories. They are not copied into the national residents field, nor is a return target presented as an already achieved result. [7] [3]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Rwanda living in Congo - Kinshasa | ||
| Residents from Congo - Kinshasa living in Rwanda | ||
| Study and training: Rwanda in Congo - Kinshasa | ||
| Study and training: Congo - Kinshasa in Rwanda | ||
| Academic stays: Rwanda in Congo - Kinshasa | ||
| Academic stays: Congo - Kinshasa in Rwanda | ||
| Travel: Rwanda to Congo - Kinshasa | ||
| Travel: Congo - Kinshasa to Rwanda |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Eastern Congo and responsibilities for the conflict
The relationship is marked by armed group activity in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially AFC/M23, and intervention attributed to Rwandan forces. The March 2026 MONUSCO report documents Rwanda Defence Force support for AFC/M23 and fighting with Congolese forces and their allies; it also describes violence and abuses by various actors. Rwanda rejects responsibilities attributed to it by Kinshasa and presents the problem as a conflict requiring Congolese dialogue. Official positions and UN findings are identified separately: they do not have the same evidentiary character. [1] [2]
Washington and Doha are different processes
The agreement of 27 June 2025 in Washington was signed by the two states. It includes commitments on security, territorial respect, cooperation and humanitarian considerations, with a joint monitoring committee first meeting on 31 July. The presidents ratified a broader framework in the Washington Accords of 4 December 2025. The Doha process brings together the Congolese government and AFC/M23: it is not the same negotiating table or the same signatories. Confusing both paths would attribute automatic cessation of all armed group activity to a bilateral signing. Implementation requires verification of specific measures, access and compliance, alongside each participant's statements of intent. [3] [4] [5] [6]
Refugees, return and community security
Displacements cross the border in both directions and add to internally displaced people within Congo. UNHCR and the governments held a tripartite meeting in June 2026 to facilitate voluntary, safe and dignified returns. A repatriation target is not a number of people already returned, and the refugee population does not equal all residents of foreign nationality. The peace agreement covers humanitarian access and protection. Security, documentation, housing and reintegration matter for families, and a return cannot be treated as successful merely because a border was crossed. [7] [3]
The scale of the two economies
Rwanda's reference nominal GDP is 16.4 billion USD in 2025, compared with 91 in 2025 for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The reference populations are 14.57 million (2025) and 112.83 million (2025), respectively. In the same year, Rwanda's nominal GDP was 0.18 times the Democratic Republic of the Congo's. The figures contextualize market size; they do not in themselves describe well-being, individual wealth or political influence. IMF estimates or demographic extrapolations retain their markings in the table. A ratio is not calculated when the periods do not match. [10] [11]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
Implementation must be checked against conditions on the ground
MONUSCO's March 2026 report documented displacement following the offensive around Uvira and subsequent violence, even during changes of control. United Nations information published in the middle of 2026 continued to distinguish signed peace from fighting on the ground. This profile therefore does not present the 2025 agreement as proof that the conflict is resolved. Trade routes and mobility may be affected by security and controls; the available complete customs figure is from 2024 and does not demonstrate normal border conditions in 2026. Diplomatic developments, armed activity and civilian protection conditions need to be separated. [1] [8] [3]
Observed economic exchange
In 2024, recorded goods trade between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo totaled 961.6 million USD. Shipments from Rwanda to the Democratic Republic of the Congo were 889.6 million USD; those in the opposite direction were 71.9 million USD. Rwanda's shipments to the partner represented 29.25% of its goods exports to the world, using the same year and reporter. A single customs declaration is used for both directions. This annual flow does not include all services activity or subsidiaries' local sales and is not added to accumulated investment capital. [9]
Milestones and consequences
- 2025-06-27
Agreement between the states
The Washington agreement is signed with security and cooperation commitments. [3]
- 2025-07
Doha process
Principles are agreed between the Congolese government and AFC/M23. [5]
- 2025-07-31
Joint committee
First follow-up meeting on the bilateral agreement. [4]
- 2025-12-04
Washington Accords
The presidents sign a framework incorporating the June agreement and regional economic cooperation. [6]
- 2026-03-19
MONUSCO report
Fighting, displacement and risks to civilians are documented. [1]
- 2026-06
Returns and reintegration
UNHCR and both governments review humanitarian cooperation. [7]
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, unit, definition and source. Announcements, contracts and results are not interchangeable. Empty cells do not mean zero. Customs data for 2025 are not presented as activity observed during later crises.
- Report S/2026/208: situation in eastern Congo
United Nations / MONUSCO · Institutional source · Document: 2026-03-19 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Rwandan Ministry of Defense position
Rwanda Ministry of Defence · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- June 2025 peace agreement
Department of State of the United States. / copy in Refworld · Institutional source · Document: 2025-06-27 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- First agreement follow-up committee
Rwanda MFA · Institutional source · Document: 2025-07-31 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Separate process between the Congolese government and AFC/M23
Rwanda MFA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Washington Accords of December 2025
France Diplomatie · Institutional source · Document: 2025-12-05 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Tripartite meeting for refugee return
ACNUR · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Signed peace and violence on the ground
United Nations / Peacekeeping · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2024; reporter 646; partners 0,180
UN Comtrade / RWA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 25; 2024; reporter 646; partners 180; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / RWA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 27; 2024; reporter 646; partners 180; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / RWA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 72; 2024; reporter 646; partners 180; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / RWA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 84; 2024; reporter 646; partners 180; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / RWA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / RWA
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 25; 2024; reporter 646; partners 180; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / RWA
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 27; 2024; reporter 646; partners 180; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / RWA
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 72; 2024; reporter 646; partners 180; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / RWA
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 84; 2024; reporter 646; partners 180; X/M; annual goods.