On June 19, 2025, the Joint Session of both Chambers of Rwanda’s Parliament convened at the Parliamentary Buildings, where Prime Minister Dr Edouard Ngirente highlighted the critical gains made in the overall well-being of Rwandans driven by various government initiatives between 2017 and 2024 

The Prime Minister noted that strategic investments in key sectors—agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare, and education — have yielded strong socio-economic development outcomes for the country.

Some of the key achievements mentioned by the Premier include the poverty rate which fell from 39.8% to 27.4, the extreme poverty which dropped from 11.3% to 5.4%, the life expectancy of Rwandans has risen to 70 years as well as the electricity access rose from 34% in 2017 to 72% Over the past seven years.

The Prime Minister attributed this progress to several government initiatives, including the Girinka program, the distribution of small livestock, The Vision Umurenge Programme (VUP), and the government’s policy of covering Community Based Health Insurance scheme (Mutuelle de santé) payments for the most vulnerable.

He also addressed the issue of unemployment, acknowledging the steps taken to address it by expanding infrastructure and development opportunities for communities.

He stated: “When you look at the unemployment rate, it has slightly decreased from 17.3% to 14% but that still shows the long journey ahead. Even 14% is still high; we want it to continue going down.”

He added that the number of unemployed people remains high, at around 780,000. However, he expressed confidence that ongoing government efforts, particularly those promoting job creation and entrepreneurship, would help reduce this number over time.

The Prime Minister highlighted a 75.1% increase in the number of private sector operators, rising from 760,000 to 1.3 million. This expansion, he said, demonstrates the private sector’s growing contribution to job creation. 

He remarked: “As the number of private operators continues to grow, it means they can create jobs and pass on employment opportunities to others.”

In the health sector, there was a notable increase in healthcare infrastructure, including the construction of hospitals, medicalised Health centres and health posts and an increase in the number of doctors, nurses, and midwives. The variety of medications covered under the community-based health insurance scheme (Mutuelle de Santé) also expanded from 800 to 1,500. These changes contributed to the reduction in maternal and child mortality rates, especially as more women are now giving birth in health facilities.

In the education sector, the construction of new classrooms helped reduce overcrowding, shortened the distance students had to walk to school, and reduced dropout rates among schoolchildren.

The Prime Minister concluded by emphasizing that despite the significant progress made, there remains a need for collective action among all key stakeholders, including citizens, to advance the country's bold ambitions. He highlighted the importance of expanding employment opportunities as a cornerstone for improving overall well-being.