Rwanda’s FDI has never crossed $1B in any year, peaking at $820M in 2024, with a 35-year total of $6.28B

Key Takeaways

  • Rwanda attracted a total of $6.28 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) over 35 years, from 1990 to 2024.
  • The highest annual inflow recorded was $820 million in 2024, making it the country’s strongest FDI year yet.
  • Between 2020 and 2024, Rwanda pulled in $2.70 billion, accounting for over 40 percent of its total investment since 1990.
  • From 1990 to 2004, annual FDI barely exceeded $100 million, with several years recording zero inflows.
  • Even during its best-performing years, Rwanda’s FDI never hit the $1 billion threshold.

Rwanda’s FDI record is a story of quiet resilience and gradual progress. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the country averaged only a few million dollars in investment each year, and some years recorded virtually nothing. It wasn’t until the mid-2010s that Rwanda began to consistently attract over $250 million annually, thanks in part to improving governance, stability, and strategic initiatives like the Visit Rwanda campaign.

Still, even as inflows increased, no year crossed the $1 billion mark. In 2024, Rwanda reached a record high of $820 million, showing a clear upward momentum. Over $2.7 billion came in during just the last five years.

Source:

UNCTAD

Period:

1990 - 2024
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