Burundi Facts, Map, Population, GDP

Capital

Gitega (political capital), Bujumbura (commercial capital)

Population

13,590,102 (2024 est.)

Area

27,830 sq km

Location

Central Africa, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, west of Tanzania

🧭 Background

Established in the 1600s, the Burundi Kingdom has had borders similar to those of modern Burundi since the 1800s. Burundi’s two major ethnic groups, the majority Hutu and minority Tutsi, share a common language and culture and largely lived in peaceful cohabitation under Tutsi monarchs in pre-colonial Burundi. Regional, class, and clan distinctions contributed to social status in the Burundi Kingdom, yielding a complex class structure. German colonial rule in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and Belgian rule after World War I preserved Burundi’s monarchy. Seeking to simplify administration, Belgian colonial officials reduced the number of chiefdoms and eliminated most Hutu chiefs from positions of power. In 1961, the Burundian Tutsi king’s oldest son, Louis RWAGASORE, was murdered by a competing political faction shortly before he was set to become prime minister, triggering increased political competition that contributed to later instability. Burundi gained its independence from Belgium in 1962 as the Kingdom of Burundi. Revolution in neighboring Rwanda stoked ethnic polarization as the Tutsi increasingly feared violence and loss of political power. A failed Hutu-led coup in 1965 triggered a purge of Hutu officials and set the stage for Tutsi officers to overthrow the monarchy in 1966 and establish a Tutsi-dominated republic. A Hutu rebellion in 1972 resulted in the deaths of several thousand Tutsi civilians and sparked brutal Tutsi-led military reprisals against Hutu civilians which ultimately killed 100,000-200,000 people. International pressure led to a new constitution in 1992 and democratic elections in 1993. Tutsi military officers feared Hutu domination and assassinated Burundi's first democratically elected president, Hutu Melchior NDADAYE, in 1993 after only 100 days in office, sparking a civil war. In 1994, his successor, Cyprien NTARYAMIRA, died when the Rwandan president’s plane he was traveling on was shot down, which triggered the Rwandan genocide and further entrenched ethnic conflict in Burundi. The internationally brokered Arusha Agreement, signed in 2000, and subsequent cease-fire agreements with armed movements ended the 1993-2005 civil war. Burundi’s second democratic elections were held in 2005, resulting in the election of Pierre NKURUNZIZA as president. He was reelected in 2010 and again in 2015 after a controversial court decision allowed him to circumvent a term limit. President Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE -- from NKURUNZIZA’s ruling party -- was elected in 2020.

🗺️ Geography

Location

Central Africa, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, west of Tanzania

Geographic coordinates

3 30 S, 30 00 E

Map references

Africa

Area — total

27,830 sq km

Area — land

25,680 sq km

Area — water

2,150 sq km

Area - comparative

Slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries — total

1,140 km

Land boundaries — border countries

Democratic Republic of the Congo 236 km; Rwanda 315 km; Tanzania 589 km

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims

None (landlocked)

Climate

Equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees Celsius but is generally moderate; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm with two wet seasons (February to May and September to November) and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January)

Terrain

Hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains

Elevation — highest point

Unnamed elevation on Mukike Range 2,685 m

Elevation — lowest point

Lake Tanganyika 772 m

Elevation — mean elevation

1,504 m

Natural resources

Nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone

Land use — agricultural land

83.9% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 51.4% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 13.6% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 18.8% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

10.9% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

5.2% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

230 sq km (2012)

Major lakes (area sq km) — fresh water lake(s)

Lake Tanganyika (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia) - 32,000 sq km

Major watersheds (area sq km) — Atlantic Ocean drainage

Congo (3,730,881 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)

Population distribution

One of Africa's most densely populated countries; concentrations tend to be in the north and along the northern shore of Lake Tanganyika in the west; most people live on farms near areas of fertile volcanic soil, as shown in this population distribution map

Natural hazards

Flooding; landslides; drought

Geography - note

Landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote headstream of the White Nile

👥 People and Society⬆️ Top

Population — total

13,590,102 (2024 est.)

Population — male

6,755,456

Population — female

6,834,646

Nationality — noun

Burundian(s)

Nationality — adjective

Burundian

Ethnic groups

Hutu, Tutsi, Twa, South Asian

Languages — Languages

Kirundi (official), French (official), English (official, least spoken), Swahili (2008 est.)

Languages — major-language sample(s)

Igitabo Mpuzamakungu c'ibimenyetso bifatika, isoko ntabanduka ku nkuru z'urufatiro. (Kirundi) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

Christian 93.9% (Roman Catholic 58.6%, Protestant 35.3% [includes Adventist 2.7% and other Protestant religions 32.6%]), Muslim 3.4%, other 1.3%, none 1.3% (2016-17 est.)

Age structure — 0-14 years

42.3% (male 2,895,275/female 2,848,286)

Age structure — 15-64 years

54.4% (male 3,662,688/female 3,727,022)

Age structure — 65 years and over

3.4% (2024 est.) (male 197,493/female 259,338)

Dependency ratios — total dependency ratio

83.9 (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios — youth dependency ratio

77.7 (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios — elderly dependency ratio

6.2 (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios — potential support ratio

16.2 (2024 est.)

Median age — total

17.6 years (2025 est.)

Median age — male

18 years

Median age — female

18.7 years

Population growth rate

2.96% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

35.91 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

5.51 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

-0.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population distribution

One of Africa's most densely populated countries; concentrations tend to be in the north and along the northern shore of Lake Tanganyika in the west; most people live on farms near areas of fertile volcanic soil, as shown in this population distribution map

Urbanization — urban population

14.8% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

5.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.207 million BUJUMBURA (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio — at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 15-64 years

0.98 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 65 years and over

0.76 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.5 years (2016/17 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

392 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate — total

35.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate — male

39.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Infant mortality rate — female

31.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth — total population

68.1 years (2024 est.)

Life expectancy at birth — male

66 years

Life expectancy at birth — female

70.3 years

Total fertility rate

4.94 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

2.43 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: urban

Urban: 90.7% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: rural

Rural: 57.7% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: total

Total: 62.4% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: urban

Urban: 9.3% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: rural

Rural: 42.3% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: total

Total: 37.6% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

9.1% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

4.7% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Sanitation facility access — improved: urban

Urban: 87.4% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: rural

Rural: 53.7% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: total

Total: 58.6% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: urban

Urban: 12.6% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: rural

Rural: 46.3% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: total

Total: 41.4% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

5.4% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita — total

4.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — beer

1.84 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — spirits

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — other alcohols

2.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use — total

9.1% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — male

14% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — female

4.3% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

28.3% (2024 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

58.2% (2017 est.)

Child marriage — women married by age 15

2.8% (2017)

Child marriage — women married by age 18

19% (2017)

Child marriage — men married by age 18

1.4% (2017)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% GDP)

4.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% national budget)

14.4% national budget (2025 est.)

Literacy — total population

71.4% (2020 est.)

Literacy — male

78.2% (2020 est.)

Literacy — female

66.2% (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — total

10 years (2018 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — male

10 years (2018 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — female

10 years (2018 est.)

🌿 Environment⬆️ Top

Environmental issues

Soil erosion from overgrazing and agricultural expansion; deforestation; wildlife habitat loss

International environmental agreements — party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

International environmental agreements — signed, but not ratified

Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Climate

Equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees Celsius but is generally moderate; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm with two wet seasons (February to May and September to November) and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January)

Land use — agricultural land

83.9% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 51.4% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 13.6% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 18.8% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

10.9% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

5.2% (2023 est.)

Urbanization — urban population

14.8% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

5.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — total emissions

838,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from coal and metallurgical coke

32,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from petroleum and other liquids

806,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

26.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Waste and recycling — municipal solid waste generated annually

1.872 million tons (2024 est.)

Waste and recycling — percent of municipal solid waste recycled

7.1% (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — municipal

43.1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — industrial

15 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — agricultural

222 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total renewable water resources

12.536 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

🏛️ Government⬆️ Top

Country name — conventional long form

Republic of Burundi

Country name — conventional short form

Burundi

Country name — local long form

République du Burundi (French)/ Republika y'u Burundi (Kirundi)

Country name — local short form

Burundi

Country name — former

Urundi, German East Africa, Ruanda-Urundi, Kingdom of Burundi

Country name — etymology

Name dates from 1966 and is derived from the name of the local Bantu people, the Rundi or Barundi; ba- is the prefix for the people, and bu- is the prefix for the country; the former name, Urundi, is the Swahili version

Government type

Presidential republic

Capital — name

Gitega (political capital), Bujumbura (commercial capital)

Capital — geographic coordinates

3 25 S, 29 55 E

Capital — time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Capital — etymology

The origin of the name Bujumbura is unclear, but "bu-" is a Bantu prefix meaning "place"

Administrative divisions

5 provinces: Buhumuza, Bujumbura, Burunga, Butanyerera, Gitega

Legal system

Mixed legal system of Belgian civil law and customary law

Constitution — history

Several previous, ratified by referendum 28 February 2005

Constitution — amendment process

Proposed by the president of the republic after consultation with the government or by absolute majority support of the membership in both houses of Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Senate membership and at least four-fifths majority vote by the National Assembly; the president can opt to submit amendment bills to a referendum; constitutional articles including those on national unity, the secularity of Burundi, its democratic form of government, and its sovereignty cannot be amended

International law organization participation

Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; withdrew from ICCt in October 2017

Citizenship — citizenship by birth

No

Citizenship — citizenship by descent only

The father must be a citizen of Burundi

Citizenship — dual citizenship recognized

No

Citizenship — residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch — chief of state

President Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE (since 18 June 2020)

Executive branch — head of government

Prime Minister Nestor NTAHONTUYE (since 5 August 2025)

Executive branch — cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by president

Executive branch — election/appointment process

President directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); vice presidents nominated by the president, endorsed by Parliament

Executive branch — most recent election date

20 May 2020

Executive branch — election results

2020: Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE elected president; percent of vote - Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE (CNDD-FDD) 71.5%, Agathon RWASA (CNL) 25.2%, Gaston SINDIMWO (UPRONA) 1.7%, other 1.6% 2015: Pierre NKURUNZIZA reelected president; percent of vote - Pierre NKURUNZIZA (CNDD-FDD) 69.4%, Agathon RWASA (Hope of Burundians - Amizerio y'ABARUNDI) 19%, other 11.6%

Executive branch — expected date of next election

May 2027

Legislative branch — legislature name

Parliament (Parlement)

Legislative branch — legislative structure

Bicameral

Legislative branch - lower chamber — chamber name

National Assembly (Inama Nshingamateka)

Legislative branch - lower chamber — number of seats

111 (all directly elected)

Legislative branch - lower chamber — electoral system

Proportional representation

Legislative branch - lower chamber — scope of elections

Full renewal

Legislative branch - lower chamber — term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - lower chamber — most recent election date

6/5/2025

Legislative branch - lower chamber — parties elected and seats per party

National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) (108); Other (3)

Legislative branch - lower chamber — percentage of women in chamber

39.6%

Legislative branch - lower chamber — expected date of next election

June 2030

Legislative branch - upper chamber — chamber name

Senate (Inama Nkenguzamateka)

Legislative branch - upper chamber — number of seats

13 (all indirectly elected)

Legislative branch - upper chamber — scope of elections

Full renewal

Legislative branch - upper chamber — term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber — most recent election date

7/23/2025

Legislative branch - upper chamber — parties elected and seats per party

National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) (10)

Legislative branch - upper chamber — percentage of women in chamber

46.2%

Legislative branch - upper chamber — expected date of next election

July 2030

Judicial branch — highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of 9 judges and organized into judicial, administrative, and cassation chambers); Constitutional Court (consists of 7 members)

Judicial branch — judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges nominated by the Judicial Service Commission, a 15-member body of judicial and legal profession officials), appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate and serve 6-year nonrenewable terms

Judicial branch — subordinate courts

Courts of Appeal; County Courts; Courts of Residence; Martial Court; Commercial Court

Political parties

Council for Democracy and the Sustainable Development of Burundi or CODEBU Front for Democracy in Burundi-Sahwanya or FRODEBU-Sahwanya National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD-FDD National Congress for Liberty or CNL National Liberation Forces or FNL Union for National Progress (Union pour le Progress Nationale) or UPRONA

Diplomatic representation in the US — chief of mission

Ambassador Jean Bosco BAREGE (since 27 February 2024)

Diplomatic representation in the US — chancery

2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

Diplomatic representation in the US — telephone

[1] (202) 342-2574

Diplomatic representation in the US — FAX

[1] (202) 342-2578

Diplomatic representation in the US — email address and website

Burundiembusadc@gmail.com Burundi Embassy Washington D.C. (burundiembassy-usa.com)

Diplomatic representation from the US — chief of mission

Ambassador Lisa PETERSON (since 27 June 2024)

Diplomatic representation from the US — embassy

No 50 Avenue Des Etats-Unis, 110-01-02, Bujumbura

Diplomatic representation from the US — mailing address

2100 Bujumbura Place, Washington DC 20521-2100

Diplomatic representation from the US — telephone

[257] 22-207-000

Diplomatic representation from the US — FAX

[257] 22-222-926

Diplomatic representation from the US — email address and website

BujumburaC@state.gov https://bi.usembassy.gov/

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, ATMIS, AU, CEMAC, CEPGL, CICA, COMESA, EAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICGLR, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Independence

1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

Flag

Description: divided by a white diagonal cross into red triangles (top and bottom) and green triangles (on each side) with a white disk at the center bearing three six-pointed red stars outlined in green and arranged in a triangular design meaning: green stands for hope and optimism, white for purity and peace, and red for the blood shed in the struggle for independence; the three stars represent the major ethnic groups (Hutu, Twa, Tutsi), as well as unity, work, and progress

National symbol(s)

Lion

National color(s)

Red, white, green

National anthem(s) — title

"Burundi Bwacu" (Our Beloved Burundi)

National anthem(s) — lyrics/music

Jean-Baptiste NTAHOKAJA/Marc BARENGAYABO

National anthem(s) — history

Adopted 1962

💹 Economy⬆️ Top

Economic overview

Highly agrarian, low-income Sub-Saharan economy; declining foreign assistance; increasing fiscal insolvencies; dense and still growing population; COVID-19 weakened economic recovery and flipped two years of deflation

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$11.739 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$11.343 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$11.048 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2024

3.5% (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2023

2.7% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2022

1.8% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2024

$800 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2023

$800 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2022

$800 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.162 billion (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

20.2% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

26.9% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

18.8% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — agriculture

25.3% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — industry

9.6% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — services

49% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — household consumption

75.9% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — government consumption

30.7% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in fixed capital

13.1% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in inventories

0% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — exports of goods and services

5.3% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — imports of goods and services

-24.4% (2023 est.)

Agricultural products

Cassava, bananas, sweet potatoes, beans, maize, vegetables, potatoes, rice, sugarcane, fruits (2023)

Industries

Light consumer goods (sugar, shoes, soap, beer); cement, assembly of imported components; public works construction; food processing (fruits)

Industrial production growth rate

-0.2% (2024 est.)

Labor force

6.107 million (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2024

1% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2023

1% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2022

1% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — total

1.6% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — male

2.1% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — female

1.2% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

51% (2020 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income — Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2020

37.5 (2020 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share — lowest 10%

2.9% (2020 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share — highest 10%

29.9% (2020 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2023

7.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2022

4.9% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2021

6.1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Budget — revenues

$713.694 million (2021 est.)

Budget — expenditures

$737.898 million (2021 est.)

Public debt — Public debt 2016

48.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

15.6% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2023

-$625.597 million (2023 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2022

-$621.969 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2021

-$393.88 million (2021 est.)

Exports — Exports 2023

$378.229 million (2023 est.)

Exports — Exports 2022

$333.637 million (2022 est.)

Exports — Exports 2021

$302.752 million (2021 est.)

Exports - partners

UAE 59%, Uganda 8%, China 5%, Germany 5%, USA 3% (2023)

Exports - commodities

Gold, coffee, tea, tin ores, iron bars (2023)

Imports — Imports 2023

$1.433 billion (2023 est.)

Imports — Imports 2022

$1.42 billion (2022 est.)

Imports — Imports 2021

$1.166 billion (2021 est.)

Imports - partners

Tanzania 26%, China 15%, Uganda 10%, Kenya 10%, India 6% (2023)

Imports - commodities

Fertilizers, cement, packaged medicine, plastic products, cars (2023)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$90.35 million (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$158.53 million (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$266.164 million (2021 est.)

Debt - external — Debt - external 2023

$805.174 million (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Currency

Burundi francs (BIF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2023

2,574.052 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2022

2,034.307 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2021

1,975.951 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2020

1,915.046 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2019

1,845.623 (2019 est.)

⚡ Energy⬆️ Top

Electricity access — electrification - total population

10.3% (2022 est.)

Electricity access — electrification - urban areas

64%

Electricity access — electrification - rural areas

1.7%

Electricity — installed generating capacity

131,000 kW (2023 est.)

Electricity — consumption

444.018 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — imports

100 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — transmission/distribution losses

39.994 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — fossil fuels

31.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — solar

0.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — hydroelectricity

66.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — biomass and waste

1.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal — consumption

1,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Coal — imports

10,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum — refined petroleum consumption

6,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita — Total energy consumption per capita 2023

946,000 Btu/person (2023 est.)

📡 Communications⬆️ Top

Telephones - fixed lines — total subscriptions

14,000 (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

Telephones - mobile cellular — total subscriptions

8,646,690 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

63 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

State-controlled Radio Television Nationale de Burundi (RTNB) operates a TV station and a national radio network; 3 private TV stations and about 10 privately owned radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available in Bujumbura (2019)

Internet country code

.bi

Internet users — percent of population

11% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — total

3,000 (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

🚚 Transportation⬆️ Top

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

9U

Airports

6 (2025)

🛡️ Military and Security⬆️ Top

Military and security forces

Burundi National Defense Force (BNDF; Force de Defense Nationale du Burundi, FDNB): Land Force (Army), Naval Force, Air Force, Specialized Units Ministry of Interior, Community Development, and Public Security: Burundi National Police (Police Nationale du Burundi, PNB) (2024)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2024

3.5% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2023

3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2022

2.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2021

2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2020

2.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

Limited available information; estimated 25-30,000 active-duty Defense Force troops (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

The military has a mix of mostly older armaments typically of French, Russian, and Soviet origin, and a smaller selection of more modern equipment from such countries as China, Egypt, South Africa, and the US (2025)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (2025)

Military deployments

770 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); up to 10,000 Democratic Republic of the Congo (2025)

Military - note

The National Defense Force (FDNB) is responsible for defending Burundi’s territorial integrity and protecting its sovereignty; it has an internal security role, including maintaining and restoring public order if required; the FDNB also participates in providing humanitarian/disaster assistance, countering terrorism, narcotics trafficking, piracy, and illegal arms trade, and protecting the country’s environment; the FDNB conducts limited training with foreign partners such as Russia and participates in regional peacekeeping missions, most recently in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Somalia; in recent years the FDNB has conducted operations against anti-government rebel groups based in the neighboring DRC that have carried out sporadic attacks in Burundi, such as the such as National Forces of Liberation (FNL), the Resistance for the Rule of Law-Tabara (aka RED Tabara), and Popular Forces of Burundi (FPB or FOREBU); Burundi has accused Rwanda of supporting the RED-Tabara the Arusha Accords that ended the 1993-2005 civil war created a unified military by balancing the predominantly Tutsi ex-Burundi Armed Forces (ex-FAB) and the largely Hutu dominated armed movements and requiring the military to have a 50/50 ethnic mix of Tutsis and Hutus (2025)

🌐 Transnational Issues⬆️ Top

Refugees and internally displaced persons — refugees

91,164 (2024 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons — IDPs

92,174 (2024 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons — stateless persons

791 (2024 est.)