Fish production in Rwanda increased to 52,439 tonnes in 2025, up from 48,133 tonnes in 2024, marking the fifth consecutive year of growth since 2020, when production stood at 32,756 tonnes. The livestock and fisheries sub-sector contributed about 15.2 per cent of agricultural GDP and roughly 4 per cent of national GDP.

According to allafrica.com, the fishing sector recorded negative growth from late 2022 to mid-2024, with contraction deepening throughout 2023 and reaching minus 10 per cent in the fourth quarter. Growth slowed from 4 per cent in the first quarter of 2022 to zero in the third quarter before turning negative. Signs of recovery emerged in the second half of 2024.

Rwanda's fishing sector grew by 66 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, up from 22 per cent in the corresponding period of 2025, according to allafrica.com. Fingerling production reached 71.6 million in 2025, up 36 per cent from 52.8 million in 2024, reported by africanagribusiness.com. In the 2025 fiscal year, 1,737 fish farmers, including 57 facilitators and 1,680 members of cluster cooperatives, received training in good aquaculture practices, according to africanagribusiness.com.

Aquaculture is becoming an increasingly important contributor to Rwanda’s fish supply, according to africabusinessinsight.com. The country has been expanding aquaculture as part of efforts to strengthen food security, reduce reliance on fish imports, and diversify rural incomes, particularly in areas where access to natural water bodies is limited. Fish farming activity is concentrated around man-made ponds, valley dams, and cage systems installed in lakes, according to africabusinessinsight.com.