By Senior Editor, China Africa News
Kigali, June 22,2026 — Rwanda’s mining and quarrying sector registered a remarkable recovery in the first quarter of 2026, recording a 20 percent year-on-year growth following a contraction in the corresponding period of the previous year. The performance underscores the sector’s resilience and its growing contribution to the country’s industrial development and economic transformation agenda.
According to data from the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), the mining and quarrying industry emerged as one of the strongest-performing segments within the broader industrial sector during the first quarter of 2026. The sector’s rebound contributed significantly to overall industrial growth, which expanded by 13 percent during the same period.
Mining and quarrying encompass the extraction of both mineral resources and construction materials. While mining focuses on minerals such as tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold, quarrying involves the extraction of materials such as stone, sand, gravel, clay, and limestone that are essential for construction and infrastructure development.
The sector’s strong performance reflects increased production activities, rising investment, and sustained demand for both mineral exports and construction materials. Rwanda has continued to prioritize the development of its mining industry as a key pillar of economic growth, export diversification, and foreign exchange earnings.
The positive growth in mining and quarrying also aligns with Rwanda’s broader economic momentum. During the first quarter of 2026, the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expanded by 10 percent compared to the same period in 2025, driven by robust performance across industry, services, and agriculture.
Industry remained the fastest-growing sector of the economy, supported by notable gains in mining and quarrying, manufacturing, and construction. Manufacturing grew by 15 percent, while construction expanded by 11 percent, highlighting continued investment in productive sectors and infrastructure development.
As Rwanda advances its ambition to become a regional hub for responsible mining and value addition, the strong recovery recorded in the first quarter of 2026 signals renewed confidence in the sector’s long-term prospects. Continued investments, enhanced regulatory frameworks, and efforts to increase mineral processing capacity are expected to further strengthen the industry’s contribution to national economic growth.
The mining and quarrying sector remains an important source of employment, export revenues, and industrial development, positioning it as a strategic driver of Rwanda’s sustainable economic transformation.
