Rwanda Economy 1997

Economy - overview Rwanda is a poor African nation suffering bitterly from ethnic-basedcivil war. The agricultural sector dominates the economy; coffee and tea normallymake up 80%-90% of exports. The amount of fertile land is limited, however,and deforestation and soil erosion continue to reduce the production potential.Manufacturing focuses mainly on the processing of agricultural products. Astructural adjustment program with the World Bank began in October 1990. Ethnic-basedinsurgency since 1990 has devastated wide areas, especially in the north,and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. A peace accord in mid-1993temporarily ended most of the fighting, but resumption of large-scale civilwarfare in April 1994 in the capital city Kigali and elsewhere took 500,000lives in that year alone and severely damaged already poor economic prospects.Sketchy data suggest that GDP dropped 50% in 1994 and came back partially,by 25%, in 1995. Plentiful rains helped agriculture in 1996, and outside aidcontinued to support this desperately poor economy. The economy continuesto suffer massively from failure to maintain the infrastructure, looting,neglect of important cash crops, and lack of health care facilities. Becauseof the accumulated damage to capital plant and the decline in public discipline,recovery of domestic production will proceed slowly.

GDP purchasing power parity - $3.8 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate NA%

GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $400 (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector
agriculture : 52%
industry: 13%
services: 35% (1994 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index 22% (1995 est.)

Labor force
total: 3.6 million
by occupation: agriculture 93%, government and services 5%, industry and commerce 2%

Unemployment rate NA%

Budget
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries mining of cassiterite (tin ore) and wolframite (tungsten ore), tin,cement, processing of agricultural products, small-scale beverage production,soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes

Industrial production growth rate NA%

Electricity - capacity 60,000 kW

Electricity - production 190 million kWh

Electricity - consumption per capita 23 kWh (1993 est.)

Agriculture - products coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), bananas,beans, sorghum, potatoes; livestock

Exports
total value: $51.2 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: coffee 63%, tea, cassiterite, wolframite, pyrethrum
partners : Brazil, EU

Imports
total value: $237.3 million (f.o.b.,1995 est.)
commodities: textiles, foodstuffs, machines and equipment, capital goods, steel,petroleum products, cement and construction material
partners: US, EU, Kenya, Tanzania

Debt - external $1 billion (December 1995)

Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $NA
note: in October 1990 Rwanda launched a Structural Adjustment Program withthe IMF; since September 1991, the EU has given $46 million and the US $25million in support of this program (1993)

Currency 1 Rwandan franc (RF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates Rwandan francs (RF) per US$1 - 309.85 (December 1996), 306.82 (1996),262.20 (1995), 144.31 (1993), 133.35 (1992)

Fiscal year calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Rwanda on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Rwanda Economy 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Rwanda Economy 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.