Rwandan franc gains against US dollar on account of remittances, forex market reforms
The Rwandan currency gained against the US dollar in 2025 compared to the recent two years driven by remittances and domestic foreign exchange market reforms, according to the National Bank of Rwanda
Presenting the Monetary Policy and Financial Stability Statement, in Kigali, the Rwandan capital on Thursday, the bank’s governor Soraya Hakuziyaremye said positive development in the export sector explains why the country’s currency has stabilized.
“Foreign exchange pressures are easing. The Rwandan franc depreciation against the US dollar moderated at 4.40% in2025 compared to a depreciation of 9.42% in the same period in 2024, and 18% in 2023,” she said.
“The stabilization that we are observing is supported by three things, including strong current account driven by tourism receipts and remittances inflows, the domestic foreign exchange market reforms introduced last year as well as the weakening of the U.S. dollar on the global foreign exchange market,” she added.
Speaking about economic performance, Hakuziyaremye said Rwanda’s international trade performance was strong in 2025, reflecting efforts made in increasing exports, and implementing the national industrial policy.
Merchandise exports in 2025 were up by 11.4%, imports expanded by 5.8% making the trade deficit increase marginally by 2.5%, according to her.
The imports growth was largely due to consumer goods such as cooking oil, rice and sugar as well as capital and intermediary goods, while the exports growth was driven mainly by high traditional exports being coffee, and minerals and non-traditional exports.
Rwanda’s economy maintained a strong growth momentum in 2025 with gross domestic product (GDP) recorded at 9.4%, according to the central bank.
