The report was launched by Transparency International Rwanda (TI-Rwanda) during the National Dialogue on Budget Transparency on 14th August 2026.
Rwanda’s budget transparency score increased to 55 out of 100, up from 50 in 2023 and 45 in 2021. However, the country remains below the 61-point level considered by the survey as enough to provide the public with meaningful and complete information about government finances.
The country also improved in public participation. Its score rose from 16 out of 100 in 2023 to 26 in 2025. This is the biggest improvement Rwanda has recorded in a single survey round.
Despite the progress, public participation remains Rwanda’s weakest area. The report says citizens still have limited opportunities to take part in important stages of the national budget process.
Rwanda also improved its budget oversight score, which increased from 56 to 61 out of 100. Legislative oversight rose from 44 to 47, while audit oversight increased significantly from 78 to 89 out of 100.
The survey, which assessed 82 countries, found that Rwanda produces the main budget documents required for transparency. However, some documents are not published on time, while the information provided is sometimes incomplete or difficult for the public to access.
One of the biggest concerns is the delay in publishing year-end financial information. The consolidated financial statements for the 2022/23 financial year were published about 17 months after the end of the financial year, compared with the survey’s recommended maximum of 12 months.
The report also identified gaps in information about government assets, tax exemptions, financial risks and past government spending. It said public participation could also be improved by providing citizens with information before consultations and by clearly showing how their views are considered.
Apollinaire Mupiganyi, Executive Director of Transparency International Rwanda, said the results show that Rwanda is strengthening its budget accountability systems.
He, however, called for more efforts to ensure that budget information is published on time, is complete and easy for citizens to understand, while giving people meaningful opportunities to participate in the budget process.
Regionally, Rwanda ranks sixth in Sub-Saharan Africa with a score of 55. South Africa ranks first with 82, followed by Benin with 77. In East Africa, Rwanda ranks second behind Kenya, which scored 56.
Globally, the average budget transparency score increased from 45 in 2023 to 47 out of 100 in 2025. Public participation also improved from 14 to 18.
The survey says transparency allows citizens to understand government spending priorities, while public participation gives them a chance to influence those priorities. Oversight by parliament and audit institutions helps ensure that public money is used legally, efficiently and effectively.
Overall, the findings show that Rwanda is making progress, but more work is needed to make budget information timely, complete and accessible, and to give citizens a stronger voice in how public money is planned and spent.
