Rwanda

ASM Population: 65,000

Total: As per ARM-18 → 65,000
Min/max: Data in ARM-18 based on field work, therefore low uncertainty → 60,000 - 70,000
Female participation: commonly in the range of 20-25% → 15,000
Gold: Extraction of 3T and Tungsten is predominant. Gold to a minor extent, possibly ~10% → 7,000

Data sources for estimation

2018: 65,000

(ARM-18), Table Annex 3: 65,000
Based on ARM (2018): https://www.responsiblemines.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rwanda_case_study.pdf : 65,000
In 2014, the mining sector reported having approximately 34,000 direct employees. With an estimated number of four family members per miner, 170,000 Rwandans (approximately1.5% of the total population) are directly dependent upon the sector. Because miners are mostly casual workers and the study estimated that the actual number of individual persons directly involved in mining was on a seasonal basis, the number of employees may well have risen as high as 65,000 in 2014.

2014: 73,000

(UBC-14): Gold-only data produced by statistic modelling:

Expected ASM population: 73,000 
Estimated ASM gold production: 1.2 t/a

1999: 10,000

(ILO-99): Employment: 5,000 - 15,000
Number of mines: n/a
Illegal mines: n/a

Publications

ReferenceYearCitationArchived CopyLink
ARM-182018Barreto, M.L.,Schein, P., Hinton, J., Hruschka, F. (2018): The Impact of Small-Scale Mining Operations on Economies and Livelihoods in Low- to Middle-Income Countries. ARM, Envigado, PACT, Westcombe.arm-18.pdfresponsiblemines.org/…
IGF-182018IGF (2018): Global Trends in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM): A review of key numbers and issues. IIED/IISD, London, Winnipeg.igf-18.pdfiisd.org/…
GMA-182018UNEP (2018): Global Mercury Assessment 2018. Technical Background Report E-Annex. Chapter 3.2. UNEP, Geneva.gma-18.pdfwedocs.unep.org/…
UBC-142014Seccatore, J., Veiga, M., et al. (Univ. of British Columbia - UBC) (2014): An estimation of the artisanal small-scale production of gold in the world. Scitotenv. 496.ubc-14.pdfdoi.org/…
ILO-991999Jennings, N. (1999): Social and labour issues in small-scale mines. Report for discussion at the Tripartite Meeting on Social and Labour Issues in Small-scale Mines. ILO, Geneva.ilo-99.pdfilo.org/…

Further Materials

Videos:

Articles:
https://www.responsiblemines.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rwanda_case_study.pdf

Data section

ASM DATA - Country Database Record
Country CodeRWA
CountryRwanda
ASM StatusExisting (data assessed)
Country Count1
Data year2018
Publ. year2018
ASM Miners65,000
- gold7 ,000
Inc. DevMinno
- min.60,000
- max.70,000
- female15 ,000
ASM Commodities3T, gold