ABSTRACT
During the 1950s and early 1980s The World Bank, multilateral agencies, and bilateral donors regarded Rwanda as an economic success when compared to other African countries. With the help of economic aid and a strong market for its coffee exports, Rwanda's gross national product rose steadily. Still, it remained one of the world's poorest countries. By the late 1980s, Rwanda's economy began to deteriorate rapidly. A population growth rate of about three per cent, a decline in coffee prices, severe drought, and government corruption contributed to the decline.
