Rwanda:
Economy

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Other pages in this profile of Rwanda:
Geography, People, Government, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


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.
GDP (purchasing power parity)	$13.7 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)	$1.968 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	5.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita	$1,600 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 39.9% industry: 20.3% services: 39.7% (2006 est.)
Labor force	4.6 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 90% industry and services: 10% (2000)
Unemployment rate	NA%
Population below poverty line	60% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 2.1% highest 10%: 38.2% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index	46.8 (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	8.8% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)	22.5% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $682.4 million expenditures: $714.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; livestock
Industries	cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes
Electricity - production	95 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption	198.4 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	10 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	120 million kWh (2005)
Oil - production	0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption	5,400 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports	NA bbl/day
Oil - imports	NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves	0 bbl (1 January 2006)
Natural Gas - production	0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural Gas - consumption	0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural Gas - proved reserves	54.32 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance	$-174 million (2006 est.)
Exports	$146 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities	coffee, tea, hides, tin ore
Exports - partners	China 10.3%, Germany 9.7%, US 4.3% (2006)
Imports	$436 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities	foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material
Imports - partners	Kenya 19.6%, Germany 7.8%, Uganda 6.8%, Belgium 5.1% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold	$439.7 million (2006 est.)
Debt - external	$1.4 billion (2004 est.)
Economic aid - recipient	$576 million (2005)
Currency (code)	Rwandan franc (RWF)
Exchange rates	Rwandan francs per US dollar - 560 (2006), 610 (2005), 574.62 (2004), 537.66 (2003), 476.33 (2002)
Fiscal year	calendar year

Rwanda: Economy

Rwanda:
Economy