This study aims to quantify the extent to which poor households receiving cash support from the Vision Umurenge Programme (VUP) allocate their income across major spending categories, mainly consumption, savings, household-level investment, and cash transfers for community participation. The...

At the request of the National Bank of Rwanda (NBR), a technical assistance (TA) mission from the Monetary and Capital Markets (MCM) department was conducted from October 9 to 18, 2023, to enhance the NBR's Forecasting and Policy Analysis System (FPAS). The mission aimed to strengthen the...

Voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) have gained prominence in the agri-food sector as marketbased tools to address environmental and social concerns in global supply chains. While third-party certifications like Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade have been extensively studied, company-led...

Voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) have gained prominence in the agri-food sector as marketbased tools to address environmental and social concerns in global supply chains. While third-party certifications like Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade have been extensively studied, company-led...

Rwanda's economy remained resilient in 2024, with GDP growth reaching 8.9 percent, driven by strong performances in services, industry, and a rebound in agriculture. Despite strong export growth, the current account deficit widened due to decline in official transfers. This necessitated...

In this study, we explore the impact of a smart classroom (SCM) programme on student performance in science subjects in a high-stakes national exam for middle-high school students in Rwanda. To do this, we leverage plausibly exogenous variations in programme exposure induced by the staggered...

Increasing food demand will most likely be met with agricultural intensification and land clearing, exacerbating environmental consequences associated with food supply. The mechanisms and trade-offs between agriculture and the environment are heterogeneous and not well understood, yet key to...

Sustainability standards promise not only to promote environmentally friendly production, but also to improve farmers' livelihoods by linking them to high-value markets. While there has been extensive research on how sustainability standards affect farmers' incomes, much less attention has been...

We study the effect of a health insurance premium change on labour supply. Using a matching with difference-in-differences strategy on a pooled nationwide cross-sectional and panel data, we find that both premium waivers and premium increased led to a reduction in labor supply by almost similar...

The Rwandan government emphasizes the role of cooperatives in transforming rural economies from subsistence farming to diversified commercial agriculture, including high-value export horticultural crops. The success of these cooperatives depends significantly on farmers' willingness to join and...

We study the effect of a health insurance premium change on labour supply. Using a matching with difference-in-differences strategy on a pooled nationwide cross-sectional and panel data, we find that both premium waivers and premium increased led to a reduction in labor supply by almost similar...

Extending the power grid into hitherto unconnected areas is high on the policy agenda in Sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, connection rates and electricity consumption remain low in grid connected areas, at least in the short and medium run. This paper provides a long-term follow-up on an evaluation of a...

Economic growth remains robust, with inflation stable at the midpoint of the target range. Supported by the Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI), Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), and the Stand-by Credit Facility (SCF) Rwanda is advancing its structural reforms focused on...

This Technical Assistance followed a request by the Debt Management Directorate of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN) of Rwanda to develop the capacity in public debt projections and analysis. The development and discussion of DDT scenarios by officials contributed to a...

In this study, we explore the impact of a smart classroom (SCM) programme on student performance in science subjects in a high-stakes national exam for middle-high school students in Rwanda. To do this, we leverage plausibly exogenous variations in programme exposure induced by the staggered...

Energy-efficient biomass cookstoves and small solar systems play a vital role in the transition to clean energy. Despite their affordability and scalability, their uptake remains low among households in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper examines the potential contribution of individual-specific...

This study analyzed whether gender is an important factor in explaining the behaviour of taxpayers towards tax compliance. The study extended the theory of planned bahaviour to establish the factors influencing the behaviour of taxpayers towards tax compliance across gender. Primary data was...

Rationale The COVID-19 pandemic along with its devastating impact on human lives has disrupted the socioeconomic situation worldwide. Rwanda has adopted lockdowns and other measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent studies documented the macro-level socio-economic pandemic...

The Rwandan economy continues its robust growth, notwithstanding the challenging external environment, repeated shocks, and ongoing fiscal consolidation. Headline inflation decelerated sharply in recent months owing to appropriately tight monetary policy stance and favorable developments in food...

This country report provides a description of the emergence of a health care system under public responsibility in Rwanda. The inception of the health care system refers to the first legislation stipulating entitlements to medical care. The report also includes a brief description of major...

The livestock-dairy sector in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Rwanda, is experiencing rapid growth due to population expansion, urbanisation, and changing food preferences. The unmet local production demands are causing soil and water pollution, competition for biomass, land, and water, but...

This study assesses and quantifies the economic and financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic during the period of business operation restrictions countrywide (lockdown measures). We examine the strategies adopted by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to reopen their business operations...

The Rwanda Economic Update edition 22 reviews the country's macroeconomic performance and prospects and includes a special section focusing on Mobilizing Domestic Savings to Boost the Private Sector in Rwanda. In 2023, Rwandan economy demonstrated resilience, achieving a 7.6 percent growth in a...

This report presents the findings and conclusions of a case study undertaken under a program of analytical work that investigates the impacts of the global transition to clean energy on the quantity and quality of jobs in low- and middle-income countries. The World Bank supported the government...

This report presents the findings and conclusions of a case study undertaken under a program of analytical work that investigates the impacts of the global transition to clean energy on the quantity and quality of jobs in low- and middle-income countries. The World Bank supported the government...

Improvements in the health outcomes of women, young girls, and children will be key to Rwanda attaining three of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) focused on good health and well-being (SDG3), gender equality (SDG5), and reduced inequalities (SDG10). However, the direct and indirect...

Increasing food demand will most likely be met with agricultural intensification and land clearing, exacerbating environmental consequences associated with food supply. The mechanisms and trade-offs between agriculture and the environment are heterogeneous and not well understood, yet key to...

Sustainability standards promise not only to promote environmentally friendly production, but also to improve farmers' livelihoods by linking them to high-value markets. While there has been extensive research on how sustainability standards affect farmers' incomes, much less attention has been...

Global value chains (GVC) have recently become an important developmental issue and have become prominent within the development community. Empirical studies on the peculiar nature of firms (small-scale) in the GVC are sparse, especially in Africa. Thus, the present study empirically examines...

The persistently high employment share of the informal sector makes entrepreneurship a necessity for youth in many developing countries. We exploit exogenous variation in the implementation of Rwanda's entrepreneurship education reform in secondary schools to evaluate its effect on student...

Establishing an equitable and efficient tax system is essential for reducing poverty, combating inequality, and fostering sustainable economic growth. Rwanda's government has recognized this and implemented significant changes to the personal income tax schedule for 2023 and 2024 as part of...

The role of ethnicity in political behaviour remains unsettled theoretically. Instrumentalist theories emphasize cognitive processes, arguing that political actors strategically employ ethnicity to attain certain goals, while expressivist theories highlight affectual forces, arguing that actors...

This paper examines previously under-explored links between two aid-nurtured ideals. 'National ownership' and 'local participation' both aim to increase recipient influence and thereby address the inherent inequality of the aid relation. Questioning the common assumption of synergy, we analyse...

This paper investigates the causal impact of a randomized video intervention designed to study the determinants of parental time investments in early childhood among low-income parents. We designed and screened a video that provided information and conveyed persuasive messages about the...

We investigate if financial inclusion leads to improved nutrition in rural Rwanda, using Rwandan Integrated Household Living Conditions surveys (2013/14 and 2016/17). Our empirical evidence shows a robust positive impact of financial inclusion efforts undertaken by formal financial institutions,...

Food systems are under increasing pressure. They must meet the food requirements of a growing world population, and socio-economic changes also influence the type of foods which are under demand. At the same time, food systems are a major contributor to global environmental change, and...