Minimum wages · Rwanda
Minimum wage in Rwanda 2026: what the law says and what people earn
Rwanda's labour law says an order of the Minister in charge of labour sets the minimum wage. We found no published order with a figure, so we can't give a legal amount.
Article 68 of Law 66/2018, the umushahara fatizo article, says it in one line: an order of the Minister in charge of labour determines the minimum wage. We looked for that order in 814 file titles in the Official Gazette pages from 2019 to October 2026, and found none. A title scan isn't proof that none exists, so we say what we found, not that there isn't one. You'll see figures quoted online. We couldn't find any of them on an official page, so we don't repeat them here.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Median monthly cash income, all paid employees | About RWF 39,000 |
| Paid employees under RWF 20,000 a month | 7.1% |
| Paid employees under RWF 30,000 a month | About 36% |
| Median payment for those last paid for one day | RWF 1,500 |
| Median payment for those last paid for one month | RWF 50,000 |
| Average hourly income, all paid employees | RWF 723 |
Source: NISR, Labour Force Survey 2025. These describe what people earn. None of them is a wage floor set by law. The daily and monthly medians are unweighted, as NISR notes.
What the law says, and who it covers
The law defines the minimum wage as the minimum recognised by law for each category of occupation, and leaves the number to the Minister's order. Article 2 says the minimum wage in categories of occupations, once set by order, also reaches people working in the informal sector. So if an order is published, it could cover more people than those on formal contracts.
How we checked: we listed the gazette files on the Ministry of Justice site for 2019 to October 2026 and read the titles for labour, pay and tax. Folders for 2017 and 2018 didn't list by month, so we couldn't check them in the same way. If you hold a published order, tell us and we'll correct this page.
So what protects your pay?
Your contract does, first of all. Whatever pay it states is what you're owed, and a collective agreement in your sector can give you more. The law also sets how often you must be paid: every day if you're hired by the hour or day, every week if you're hired by the week, every 15 days if hired by the fortnight and every month if hired by the month.
You can ask your employer for a monthly statement showing your basic salary, allowances, deductions and net pay. Keep a record of what you've been paid and for which days.
Is a low wage legal?
We can't answer that for a specific case without a published figure. What we can tell you is what's normal: more than one paid employee in three earned under RWF 30,000 a month in 2025. That shows how common low pay is. It doesn't make any one wage fair. If you've agreed a rate and it isn't being paid, that's a dispute you can raise whatever the rate is.
If you aren't being paid what you agreed
Ask in writing first, with the dates and the amount. Under the labour law, your employees' representatives try to settle it, then the labour inspector for the area where your workplace is, then the competent court. A claim lapses 2 years after the dispute begins.
What deductions apply on low pay
The first RWF 60,000 a month pays no PAYE. If you're a declared employee, RSSB and CBHI still come off. On RWF 50,000 a month, pension takes 3,000, maternity takes 150 and CBHI about 234, so you'd keep about RWF 46,616. Looking for better pay? Applying for a job is free, and nobody should pay for one.
Sources
Checked 2 November 2026. Each figure keeps the period and scope of its source.