GDP structure and Growth rate.

In the year 2016, GDP at current market prices was estimated as Frw 6,618 billion, up from Frw 5,956 billion in the previous year.

GDP growth in 2016 was 5.9%.

  • Agriculture grew by 4%
  • Industry by 7%
  • And services by 7%

In agriculture growth was boosted by a good harvest in season A of 5%. However, season B and C harvest was very low at 1%. Following the droughts and floods in some parts of the country.

In industry manufacturing activities increased by 7%. Emerging industries inline with made in Rwanda for example manufacturing, textiles, leather & clothing increased by 10% while food processing increased by 8%. Production of construction material such as cement that is included under non-metallic minerals increased by 21%.

The construction sector continued to grow at by 5% following a very high growth of 15% in 2015. The slowdown is due to the windup of some large construction projects early in 2016.

In the service sector, hotels & restaurant grew by 11% reflecting recent development in conference tourism. Transport activities increased by 8% boosted by air transport that increased by 15%.

Improvement made.

These estimates are based on the new 2014 Supply and Use Table (SUT). This has been used to update the benchmark levels of economic activity, which form the basis of the estimated growth in GDP. The level of GDP in 2014 based on the previous SUT (in 2011) was 5,395 RWF billions.  This compares with the level from the 2014 SUT of 5,466 RWF billions, a revision upwards of 1.3%. 

The series of annual and quarterly estimates of GDP (and corresponding growth rates) differ from those previously published for the years 2013, 2014 and 2015. They have been revised to reflect improvements in data and analysis.

There are two main reasons for the revisions: the introduction of new or improved data sources and methods; and the effects of the new benchmark in terms of the changes in shares of total GDP between 2011 and 2014.

The revised series show that Services sector contributed 48 percent of total GDP in 2016. The share of Agriculture in 2016 was revised from 33 percent on the previous basis, to 30 percent based on the new SUT. The share of the Industrial sector increased from 14 to 17 percent of the GDP.

For more details, visit http://www.statistics.gov.rw/publication/gdp-national-accounts-2016 

Done at Kigali, 15th March 2017

MURANGWA Yusuf

(SE)

Director General