Rwanda and Zimbabwe
Rwanda and Zimbabwe maintain a joint permanent commission reviewing programmes and expanding cooperation. The August 2025 third session produced healthcare, police, energy, youth and customs memoranda.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-08 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-08History and institutional framework
Kigali hosted the third joint permanent commission from 4 to 6 August 2025 to evaluate collaborations and priorities.
What merchandise trade shows
In 2024, goods trade between Rwanda and Zimbabwe totalled 6.1 million current USD.
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, machinery and mechanical appliances stands out in shipments from Rwanda to Zimbabwe, at 0.00865 million USD in 2024.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 6.06 M USD | 2024 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Rwanda to Zimbabwe | 1.63 M USD | 2024 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Zimbabwe to Rwanda | 4.43 M USD | 2024 · Comtrade |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Rwanda to Zimbabwe | 0.0536 % | 2024 · Comtrade |
| Export share: Zimbabwe to Rwanda | ||
| Investment stock: Rwanda in Zimbabwe | ||
| Investment stock: Zimbabwe 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; reporters NGA, PAK, PNG, PRK, QAT, RWA, SEN, SRB, SWZ, TCD · Goods; full calendar year; reporter RWA. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Goods: Rwanda to Zimbabwe
- 2024 · UN Comtrade; reporters NGA, PAK, PNG, PRK, QAT, RWA, SEN, SRB, SWZ, TCD · Goods; full calendar year; reporter RWA. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Goods: Zimbabwe to Rwanda
- 2024 · UN Comtrade; reporters NGA, PAK, PNG, PRK, QAT, RWA, SEN, SRB, SWZ, TCD · Goods; full calendar year; reporter RWA. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Export share: Rwanda to Zimbabwe
- 2024 · UN Comtrade; reporters NGA, PAK, PNG, PRK, QAT, RWA, SEN, SRB, SWZ, TCD · Exports to the partner / worldwide exports by the same reporter; same year and coverage.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | Rwanda | Zimbabwe |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 16.37 billion USD2025 · WB | 51.22 billion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 1,123.74 USD2025 · WB | 3,021.43 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 9.38 %2025 · WB | 8.11 %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 | 9.29 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -4.5 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 0.1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 64.6 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 43.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -11.96 %2024 · WB | 1.21 %2024 · WB |
| Population | 14,569,3412025 · WB | 16,950,7952025 · WB |
| Area | 26,338 km²2023 · WB | 390,760 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.Zimbabwe: 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.Zimbabwe: 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.Zimbabwe: 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.Zimbabwe: 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.Zimbabwe: 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.Zimbabwe: 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.Zimbabwe: 2024 · 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.Zimbabwe: 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.Zimbabwe: 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 Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe to Rwanda
Connections between people
They signed five memoranda: health, police cooperation, energy renewal, youth affairs and customs information exchange. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Rwanda living in Zimbabwe | ||
| Residents from Zimbabwe living in Rwanda | ||
| Study and training: Rwanda in Zimbabwe | ||
| Study and training: Zimbabwe in Rwanda | ||
| Academic stays: Rwanda in Zimbabwe | ||
| Academic stays: Zimbabwe in Rwanda | ||
| Travel: Rwanda to Zimbabwe | ||
| Travel: Zimbabwe 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.
History and institutional framework
Kigali hosted the third joint permanent commission from 4 to 6 August 2025 to evaluate collaborations and priorities. Olivier Nduhungirehe and Amon Murwira chaired the ministerial session on the 6th at the Kigali Convention Centre. [1]
The scale of both economies
Nominal GDP for Rwanda is 16.4 billion USD (2025), compared with 51.2 for Zimbabwe (2025). The reference populations are 14.57 and 16.95 million, respectively. In the same year, the economy of Rwanda was 0.32 times that of Zimbabwe in nominal GDP. The comparison provides context on market size, but does not, on its own, measure influence, well-being or diplomatic closeness. Estimates and their sources retain their labels in the tables. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Review: 2026-10-08
Cooperation and bilateral issues
They signed five memoranda: health, police cooperation, energy renewal, youth affairs and customs information exchange. Energy renewal indicates continuation of an existing area, not its first inauguration. Officials stressed that texts must translate into effective implementation. The statement describes a review mechanism and specific signatures, without presenting all expected benefits as realised. [1]
What merchandise trade shows
In 2024, merchandise trade between the two countries (Rwanda and Zimbabwe) totalled 6.1 million current USD. Shipments from the first to the second were 1.6 million; those in the opposite direction, 4.4 million. The difference between the two flows was 2.8 million, in favour of Zimbabwe. This is a goods balance, not the total balance of the economic relationship: it excludes services, income and transfers. Both directions come from a single customs reporter to avoid adding mirror records. [2]
The partner's share of exports
Sales from Rwanda to the partner represented 0.0536% of its worldwide goods exports in 2024. The share compares the same reporter, year and coverage. It measures export concentration, not the percentage of GDP dependent on this relationship. A partner may be important in a specific sector even if its share of total goods trade is small. [2]
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, machinery and mechanical appliances stands out in shipments from Rwanda to Zimbabwe, at 0.00865 million USD in 2024. Within the selected chapters, electrical and electronic equipment stands out in shipments from Zimbabwe to Rwanda, at 0.399 million USD in 2024. The table compares eight selected chapters with the same coverage as the trade total. It is not a complete list or proof that the first item in this selection is the leading product across the entire relationship. A chapter groups numerous goods: machinery and components, for example, do not describe a single business transaction. [3]
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Institutional sources and periods accompany each figure. Annual trade, investment positions, residents and visits are distinct measures. Empty cells do not mean zero. Statements of intent are not presented as project implementation or treaties in force.
- Bilateral relations — RWA-ZWE
www.minaffet.gov.rw · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade; reporters NGA, PAK, PNG, PRK, QAT, RWA, SEN, SRB, SWZ, TCD · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade; reporters RWA, SEN, SYC · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · 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
- SP.POP.TOTL; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade; reporters RWA, SEN, SYC
2026-10-08 · Accessed: 2026-10-08 · Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record.