Reference Value Report: Living Wage Report and 2024 Update for Rural Rwanda

This report updates the Anker Living Wage Reference Value for rural Rwanda to June 2024. The Living Wage was RWF 147,111 (USD 160) in the original report for 2020.2 The updated Anker Living Wage for 2024 is RWF 197,848 (USD 151), compromised of a Net Living Wage of RWF 167,319 (USD 128) plus social security and income tax of RWF 30,529 (USD 23)3. This update takes into account the national inflation rate from June 2023 to June 2024, 1.1%.4 Thus, the Net Living Wage, the take-home pay that workers need to achieve a basic but decent standard of living for them and their families increased with the general cost of living by 1.1% during this period. The Anker Living Wage is lower in 2024 than in 2023, however, because marginal income tax rates were reduced this year, and thus income tax payments on the living wage are correspondingly lower. Social security contributions, which are calculated over the gross wage, are also lower as a consequence.