| Economy - overview | Rwanda is a poor rural country with about 90% of the population engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture. It is the most densely populated country in Africa and is landlocked with few natural resources and minimal industry. Primary foreign exchange earners are coffee and tea. The 1994 genocide decimated Rwanda's fragile economic base, severely impoverished the population, particularly women, and eroded the country's ability to attract private and external investment. However, Rwanda has made substantial progress in stabilizing and rehabilitating its economy to pre-1994 levels, although poverty levels are higher now. GDP has rebounded and inflation has been curbed. Despite Rwanda's fertile ecosystem, food production often does not keep pace with population growth, requiring food imports. Rwanda continues to receive substantial aid money and obtained IMF-World Bank Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative debt relief in 2005-06. Rwanda also received Millennium Challenge Account Threshold status in 2006. Kigali's high defense expenditures have caused tension between the government and international donors and lending agencies. Energy shortages, instability in neighboring states, and lack of adequate transportation linkages to other countries continue to handicap growth. |
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| GDP | 2.9% (2005 est.) |
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| GDP - real growth rate | 5.8% (2006 est.) |
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| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 39.4%
industry: 23.3%
services: 37.3% (2006 est.) |
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| Population below poverty line | 60% (2001 est.) |
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Household income or consumption
by percentage share | lowest 10%: 4.2%
highest 10%: 24.2% (1985) |
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Distribution of family income
- Gini index | 28.9 (1985) |
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| Labor force | 4.6 million (2000) |
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| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 90%
industry and services: 10% |
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| Unemployment rate | NA% |
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| Budget | revenues: $560.9 million
expenditures: $654 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) |
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| Industries | cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes |
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| Industrial production growth rate | 7% (2001 est.) |
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Electricity -
production | 93 million kWh (2004) |
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Electricity -
production by source | fossil fuel: 2.3%
hydro: 97.7%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity -
consumption | 196.5 million kWh (2004) |
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Electricity -
exports | 10 million kWh (2004) |
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Electricity -
imports | 120 million kWh (2004) |
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| Oil - production | 0 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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| Oil - consumption | 5,400 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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| Oil - exports | NA bbl/day |
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| Oil - imports | NA bbl/day |
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| Oil - proved reserves | 0 bbl (1 January 2002) |
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| Agriculture - products | coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; livestock |
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| Exports | $135.4 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) |
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| Exports - commodities | coffee, tea, hides, tin ore |
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| Exports - partners | Germany 11%, China 6.5%, Belgium 4.5% (2005) |
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| Imports | $390.4 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) |
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| Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material |
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| Imports - partners | Kenya 18.9%, Uganda 6.6%, Belgium 5.8%, Germany 5.6%, Israel 4.3% (2005) |
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| Debt - external | $1.4 billion (2004 est.) |
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| Economic aid - recipient | $425 million (2003) |
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| Currency code | RWF |
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| Exchange rates | Rwandan francs per US dollar - 560 (2006), 610 (2005), 574.62 (2004), 537.66 (2003), 476.33 (2002) |
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| Fiscal year | calendar year |
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