This remarkable growth was driven by strong performances across various sectors of the economy, signaling resilience and growth amidst global challenges.
The figures released by NISR on Wednesday also show that the services sector was the largest contributor to the GDP, accounting for 48% of the total. Agriculture followed with 25%, while industry contributed 21% while net direct taxes accounted for 7%.
The growth was seen throughout the year, with the first quarter growing by 9.7%, the second by 9.8%, the third by 8.1%, and the final quarter showing a growth of 8%.
Looking at the individual sectors, agriculture experienced a 5% increase. This was largely attributed to a good harvest in both agricultural seasons, with food crop production rising by 5%. Season A saw an 8% increase, while Season B recorded a 2% increase.
However, the production of export crops decreased by 1%, with modest increases in coffee and tea offset by declines in other cash crops such as pyrethrum and sugarcane.
The industry sector experienced a notable boost, growing by 10%. Mining and quarrying activities increased by 12%, construction activities also saw a 12% increase, and manufacturing activities grew by 7%.
The growth in manufacturing was particularly driven by significant increases in the production of metal products, machinery and equipment (up 20%), non-metallic mineral products (up 15%), and chemicals, rubber, and plastic products (up 15%). Other areas like textiles, clothing, and leather also saw a 10% increase in manufacturing, while food processing grew by 2%.
The services sector also showed remarkable growth, with a 10% increase overall. Wholesale and retail trade surged by 18%, while transport activities rose by 9%, including an 18% growth in air transport and a 10% increase in land transport.
Other service areas performed well, with hotels and restaurants seeing an 11% growth, information and communication services up by 25%, and financial services growing by 7%. Public administration services increased by 10%, while health services grew by 15%, and education services saw a 5% rise.
Théophile Niyitegeka
