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EIU Rwanda

Overview

The president, Paul Kagame, is expected to win re-election in August 2010 by a massive majority and there will be little real political opposition to the governing Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). Diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will be warmer but it is increasingly unlikely that the Congolese government will invite the Rwandan army back into eastern DRC to combat the Forces democratiques de liberation du Rwanda (FDLR; an anti-Rwandan government militia), which will slowly rebuild its strength. Real GDP growth is forecast at 6% in 2010, picking up to 7.5% in 2011 on the back of increased agricultural production and higher external demand. The inflation rate is forecast to average 8.5% in 2010-11 but this remains vulnerable to changing weather patterns and the risk is on the upside. Trade, particularly with the East African Community, will pick up and the current-account deficit is forecast to remain at around 6% of GDP in 2010-11.

Key Reports Available for Rwanda
  • Country Report
  • Country Profile
  • Basic Data

    Land area
    26,338 sq km
    Population
    9.2m (World Bank estimate, 2006)
    Population density
    349 people per sq km
    Main town
    Kigali (capital), population 750,000 (2001 estimate)
    Climate
    Tropical, moderated by altitude
    Weather in Kigali
    Average annual temperature, 19°C; average monthly rainfall, 85 mm
    Languages
    English, French and Kinyarwanda
    Religion
    Catholic (56.5% in 2001); Protestant (26%); Adventist (11.1%); Muslim (4.6%); indigenous beliefs (0.1%); none (1.7%)
    Measures
    Metric system
    Currency
    Rwandan franc (Rwfr). Average exchange rate in 2007: Rwfr551.7:US$1; exchange rate on March 7th 2008: Rwfr54.4:US$1
    Fiscal Year
    January-December
    Time
    2 hours ahead of GMT
    Public holidays
    Fixed: January 1st (New Year's Day), Jan 28th (Democracy Day), April 7th (Genocide Memorial Day), May 1st (Labour Day), July 1st (Independence Day), July 4th (Liberation Day), August 15th (Assumption), September 25th (Kamarampaka/Republic Day), October 1st (Patriotism Day), November 1st (All Saints' Day), December 25th-26th (Christmas)
    Moveable: March 21st-24th 2008 (Easter)
    SOURCE: Country Profile


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