External balance on goods and services in Rwanda
Rwanda: External balance on goods and services was -13.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in Rwanda, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, external balance on goods and services in Rwanda stood at -13.6%.
That represents a change of up 8.6% on the previous year and up 28.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Rwanda peaked at 0.2% in 1960 and was at its lowest, -70.4%, in 1994.
Rwanda ranks 144th of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External balance on goods and services in Rwanda, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.2% | — |
| 1961 | -0.5% | -369.8% |
| 1962 | -6.1% | +1203.9% |
| 1963 | -9.2% | +50.4% |
| 1964 | -3.2% | -64.7% |
| 1965 | -8.3% | +154.5% |
| 1966 | -12.7% | +53.5% |
| 1967 | -8.0% | -36.9% |
| 1968 | -9.4% | +17.5% |
| 1969 | -9.5% | +1.1% |
| 1970 | -6.8% | -28.2% |
| 1971 | -10.0% | +46.8% |
| 1972 | -11.2% | +11.5% |
| 1973 | -4.6% | -58.7% |
| 1974 | -13.4% | +190.4% |
| 1975 | -12.0% | -10.4% |
| 1976 | -8.7% | -27.1% |
| 1977 | -7.0% | -20.0% |
| 1978 | -13.8% | +96.5% |
| 1979 | -6.4% | -53.3% |
| 1980 | -17.1% | +166.7% |
| 1981 | -16.2% | -5.8% |
| 1982 | -17.3% | +7.1% |
| 1983 | -13.3% | -23.3% |
| 1984 | -11.0% | -17.4% |
| 1985 | -13.0% | +18.8% |
| 1986 | -11.6% | -11.0% |
| 1987 | -15.4% | +32.7% |
| 1988 | -14.4% | -6.6% |
| 1989 | -14.5% | +0.7% |
| 1990 | -11.2% | -22.8% |
| 1991 | -14.2% | +27.4% |
| 1992 | -16.2% | +13.7% |
| 1993 | -19.2% | +18.7% |
| 1994 | -70.4% | +266.9% |
| 1995 | -25.5% | -63.8% |
| 1996 | -25.1% | -1.6% |
| 1997 | -22.7% | -9.3% |
| 1998 | -22.0% | -3.3% |
| 1999 | -20.6% | -6.2% |
| 2000 | -20.8% | +0.8% |
| 2001 | -18.6% | -10.5% |
| 2002 | -19.2% | +3.2% |
| 2003 | -18.1% | -5.7% |
| 2004 | -17.3% | -4.3% |
| 2005 | -17.7% | +1.9% |
| 2006 | -11.4% | -35.4% |
| 2007 | -8.7% | -23.8% |
| 2008 | -15.2% | +75.0% |
| 2009 | -16.2% | +6.7% |
| 2010 | -16.0% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | -14.6% | -9.0% |
| 2012 | -16.7% | +14.7% |
| 2013 | -15.9% | -4.9% |
| 2014 | -16.4% | +2.8% |
| 2015 | -19.0% | +15.9% |
| 2016 | -18.9% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | -12.7% | -32.4% |
| 2018 | -4.7% | -63.0% |
| 2019 | -4.8% | +2.5% |
| 2020 | -7.0% | +45.2% |
| 2021 | -21.2% | +202.6% |
| 2022 | -17.4% | -18.2% |
| 2023 | -19.5% | +12.3% |
| 2024 | -14.8% | -23.8% |
| 2025 | -13.6% | -8.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -6.7% | -12.7% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | -9.4% | -13.8% | -4.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | -14.4% | -17.3% | -11.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | -24.7% | -70.4% | -11.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | -16.3% | -20.8% | -8.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | -14.0% | -19.0% | -4.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | -15.6% | -21.2% | -7.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
- 141 Guinea-Bissau -13.1% compare
- 142 Nicaragua -13.3% compare
- 143 Uzbekistan -13.3% compare
- 145 Philippines -13.7% compare
- 146 North Macedonia -13.7% compare
- 147 Central African Republic -14.2% compare
More economy & growth data for Rwanda
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 5.1 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 7.3 Percent per annum (2029)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), annual growth rate -10.95 % change on previous year (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), per unit of GDP 307.91 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), per capita 346,006 current LCU per person (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate -15.54 % change on previous year (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.2687 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 302 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), annual growth rate 5.89 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.3219 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Rwanda?
- External balance on goods and services in Rwanda was -13.6% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest external balance on goods and services recorded in Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2% in 1960.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was -70.4% in 1994.
- How does Rwanda rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Rwanda ranks 144th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Rwanda data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of External balance on goods and services (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The balance of international trade in goods and services is the difference between the exports and imports of goods and services. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.