Labour force participation in Rwanda: Results from the Population and Housing Census of 2012
In Rwanda, according to the Population and Housing Census conducted in 2012 (2012RPHC), the population aged 16 years and above increased during the last decade.
It was 5,846,266 representing 56% of the entire population and the active population were 4,300,558. In 2002, the population aged 16 years and above was 4,344,255 out of them 3,239,434 were active.The overall labour force participation rate (LFPR) was 73.6% of all persons aged 16 years and above in 2012.
Among youth, in the same period, the LFPR was 63% while among elderly persons, it was 56%, but for those whose age is 85 years and above, only 14% were still in the labor force and only 18% of elderly women living in urban areas were active against 47% of men living in urban areas.
The 2012RPHC compared also the LFPR between persons with disability and those without disability. It has been seen that the LFPR was 52% among persons with disabilities and 71% among those without any one. Overall, LFPR was 71.7% among females against 75.6% among males.
According to experts, basing on the results of the 2012RPHC, the total population of Rwanda will be around 16,322,184 in 2032, among them 60.2% will be aged 16-64 years.
By: Claude Nyirimanzi