The report was officially launched on Friday, October 31, 2025, at Kigali Serena Hotel, in a ceremony attended by senior government officials, parliamentarians, diplomats, development partners, civil society representatives, and the media.
The Rwanda Governance Scorecard, produced annually by the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), remains the nation's flagship tool for measuring progress in governance, accountability, and service delivery.
Strong performance in safety, inclusion, and rule of law
The Safety and Security pillar remains Rwanda's highest-performing area with a score of 90.02%, reaffirming the country's reputation as one of Africa's safest nations. The report attributes this to consistently high citizen confidence in the Rwanda Defence Force, National Police, and local security structures.
Participation and Inclusiveness ranked second with 86.31%, reflecting broad citizen involvement in public affairs, effective decentralisation, and gender-balanced leadership. The report notes that power sharing and inclusiveness scored a full 100%, while gender equality in leadership reached 82.42%.
Political Rights and Civil Liberties followed with 82.71%, supported by strong results in democratic rights and freedoms (86.36%), respect for human rights (84.11%), and access to public information (81.77%).
The Rule of Law pillar achieved 81.63%, indicating continued public trust in justice institutions. The report highlights high scores in performance of the legislature (90.44%), though it identifies challenges such as case backlogs (50.85%) and limited digitalisation, with only 11% of government services fully automated.
Governance integrity and accountability
Under the Anti-Corruption, Transparency, and Accountability pillar, Rwanda scored 79.25%, driven by transparency (92.35%) and accountability (80.39%). The report acknowledges sustained institutional integrity but notes that anti-corruption mechanisms (67.9%) and training of committees in public and private institutions remain areas for improvement.
The Economic and Corporate Governance pillar scored 74.84%, showing sound macroeconomic management (72.75%) and steady progress in corporate governance (77.67%). However, the report points to weaker results in exports of goods and services (47.95%), credit to the private sector (57.75%), and savings rate (60.23%).
The Quality of Service Delivery pillar registered 71.73%, showing advances in ICT-enabled services (66.9%) but emphasising the need to accelerate full digitalisation, with only a small fraction of services end-to-end automated.
The lowest-performing pillar, Investing in Human and Social Development, stood at 64.69%. The report notes continuing progress in health (74.14%) and education (65.65%), but identifies gaps in nutrition, social protection, and climate resilience, highlighting these as priority areas under the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2).
A renewal of Rwanda's commitment to good governance
Opening the event, Dr. Doris Uwicyeza Picard, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Governance Board, described the Scorecard as more than an annual report, 'a renewal of Rwanda's commitment to good governance.'
'Each edition of the Scorecard is a covenant with our collective pledge to measure ourselves transparently, correct course where needed, and continuously strive for excellence in public service,' Dr. Uwicyeza said.
She noted that the 12th edition reaffirms Rwanda's strong foundation built on trust in institutions, security, and citizen participation, while also highlighting the need to strengthen decentralised service delivery and human development outcomes.
'Our challenge now is to translate governance strength into tangible results felt in citizens' daily lives,' she added. 'The Government of Rwanda has always chosen self-accountability as a pillar of leadership; this Scorecard embodies that principle.'
Dr. Uwicyeza paid tribute to President Paul Kagame, emphasising his leadership vision rooted in unity, ambition, and accountability.
'When President Kagame was asked about Rwanda's secret, he said it lies in three choices: we chose to stay together, to think big, and to be accountable. The Rwanda Governance Scorecard is the embodiment of that accountability.'
Data is the lifeline of governance
Ms. Fatmata Sesay, UNDP Resident Representative in Rwanda, commended the Government and RGB for maintaining 15 years of consistent commitment to data-driven governance.
'Governance data is more than numbers; it is the lifeline of informed decision-making, policy dialogue, and accountability,' she said. 'The Rwanda Governance Scorecard is not just a national tool; it is a global model for how governance data can be systematically collected, analysed, and used to drive transformation.'
She applauded Rwanda's focus on evidence-based policy and citizen-centred governance, emphasising the Scorecard's value as a practical instrument for reform.
'Let us not keep this document until next year's launch,' she urged. 'Let it inform our programs, shape our policies, and strengthen accountability. Governance is not abstractâ€"it's about how services are delivered and how every Rwandan participates in shaping the future.'
Sesay also highlighted the growing role of digital technology and artificial intelligence in public data systems, calling for innovation to enhance citizen feedback mechanisms and real-time data analysis.
Turning insight into action
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Ozonnia Ojielo, UN Resident Coordinator in Rwanda, described the RGS as 'a remarkable homegrown innovation that embodies Rwanda's deep commitment to accountability and continuous improvement.'
'This Scorecard confirms that Rwanda continues to perform strongly in most governance areas, with five out of eight pillars scoring above 80 percent,' Prof. Ojielo said.
He observed that while Rwanda's governance remains robust, modest declines in human and social development, education quality, and economic competitiveness underscore the need for renewed focus under NST2.
The key goals of NST2 include achieving an average annual GDP growth rate of 9.3 percent, creating 1.25 million decent jobs, doubling private investment to USD 4.6 billion, doubling export revenues to USD 7.3 billion, and reducing child stunting from 33 percent to 15 percent by 2029.
'Governance is about values, how a society chooses to hold itself accountable. What we see in Rwanda is not just a technical exercise but a foundational process of reimagining the socio-economic fabric of society,' he remarked.
Prof. Ojielo emphasised that measuring performance drives progress.
'What gets measured gets managed, and what gets measured gets done. Measurement is not just observation; it is a catalyst for transformation.'
He called for stronger investments in digital public services, education, export readiness, and citizen engagement, reinforcing that 'the Scorecard is not just about data, it is about direction.'
A tool for continuous renewal
Now in its 12th edition since its inception in 2010, the Rwanda Governance Scorecard continues to serve as both a mirror and a compass, reflecting the country's governance achievements while guiding future reforms. It benchmarks Rwanda's progress against global indices such as the Mo Ibrahim Index, the Chandler Good Government Index, and the World Justice Project, while remaining firmly grounded in homegrown accountability principles.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
