2020 Edition
factbook.json (GitHub)
Introduction
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
Area
- land
- 25,680 sq km
- total
- 27,830 sq km
- water
- 2,150 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Maryland
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)
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
- highest point
- unnamed elevation on Mukike Range 2,685 m
- lowest point
- Lake Tanganyika 772 m
- mean elevation
- 1,504 m
Geographic coordinates
3 30 S, 30 00 E
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
Irrigated land
230 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
- border countries
- Democratic Republic of the Congo 236 km; Rwanda 315 km; Tanzania 589 km
- total
- 1,140 km
Land use
- agricultural land
- 83.9% (2023 est.)
- agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 51.4% (2023 est.)
- agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 13.6% (2023 est.)
- agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 18.8% (2023 est.)
- forest
- 10.9% (2023 est.)
- other
- 5.2% (2023 est.)
Location
Central Africa, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, west of Tanzania
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)
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
flooding; landslides; drought
Natural resources
nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone
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
Terrain
hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains
People and Society
Age structure
- 0-14 years
- 42.3% (male 2,895,275/female 2,848,286)
- 15-64 years
- 54.4% (male 3,662,688/female 3,727,022)
- 65 years and over
- 3.4% (2024 est.) (male 197,493/female 259,338)
Alcohol consumption per capita
- beer
- 1.84 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- other alcohols
- 2.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- spirits
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- total
- 4.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- wine
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Birth rate
35.91 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Child marriage
- men married by age 18
- 1.4% (2017)
- women married by age 15
- 2.8% (2017)
- women married by age 18
- 19% (2017)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
28.3% (2024 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
58.2% (2017 est.)
Death rate
5.51 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Dependency ratios
- elderly dependency ratio
- 6.2 (2024 est.)
- potential support ratio
- 16.2 (2024 est.)
- total dependency ratio
- 83.9 (2024 est.)
- youth dependency ratio
- 77.7 (2024 est.)
Drinking water source
- improved: rural
- rural: 57.7% of population (2022 est.)
- improved: total
- total: 62.4% of population (2022 est.)
- improved: urban
- urban: 90.7% of population (2022 est.)
- unimproved: rural
- rural: 42.3% of population (2022 est.)
- unimproved: total
- total: 37.6% of population (2022 est.)
- unimproved: urban
- urban: 9.3% of population (2022 est.)
Education expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 4.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 14.4% national budget (2025 est.)
Ethnic groups
Hutu, Tutsi, Twa, South Asian
Gross reproduction rate
2.43 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 9.1% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 4.7% of national budget (2022 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- female
- 31.5 deaths/1,000 live births
- male
- 39.7 deaths/1,000 live births
- total
- 35.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Languages
- Languages
- Kirundi (official), French (official), English (official, least spoken), Swahili (2008 est.)
- 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.
Life expectancy at birth
- female
- 70.3 years
- male
- 66 years
- total population
- 68.1 years (2024 est.)
Literacy
- female
- 66.2% (2020 est.)
- male
- 78.2% (2020 est.)
- total population
- 71.4% (2020 est.)
Major urban areas - population
1.207 million BUJUMBURA (capital) (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio
392 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Median age
- female
- 18.7 years
- male
- 18 years
- total
- 17.6 years (2025 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
21.5 years (2016/17 est.)
Nationality
- adjective
- Burundian
- noun
- Burundian(s)
Net migration rate
-0.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
5.4% (2016)
Physician density
0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Population
- female
- 6,834,646
- male
- 6,755,456
- total
- 13,590,102 (2024 est.)
Population growth rate
2.96% (2025 est.)
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.)
Sanitation facility access
- improved: rural
- rural: 53.7% of population (2022 est.)
- improved: total
- total: 58.6% of population (2022 est.)
- improved: urban
- urban: 87.4% of population (2022 est.)
- unimproved: rural
- rural: 46.3% of population (2022 est.)
- unimproved: total
- total: 41.4% of population (2022 est.)
- unimproved: urban
- urban: 12.6% of population (2022 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
- female
- 10 years (2018 est.)
- male
- 10 years (2018 est.)
- total
- 10 years (2018 est.)
Sex ratio
- 0-14 years
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years
- 0.98 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over
- 0.76 male(s)/female
- at birth
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- total population
- 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Tobacco use
- female
- 4.3% (2025 est.)
- male
- 14% (2025 est.)
- total
- 9.1% (2025 est.)
Total fertility rate
4.94 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- rate of urbanization
- 5.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
- urban population
- 14.8% of total population (2023)
Government
Administrative divisions
5 provinces: Buhumuza, Bujumbura, Burunga, Butanyerera, Gitega
Capital
- etymology
- the origin of the name Bujumbura is unclear, but "bu-" is a Bantu prefix meaning "place"
- geographic coordinates
- 3 25 S, 29 55 E
- name
- Gitega (political capital), Bujumbura (commercial capital)
- time difference
- UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Citizenship
- citizenship by birth
- no
- citizenship by descent only
- the father must be a citizen of Burundi
- dual citizenship recognized
- no
- residency requirement for naturalization
- 10 years
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
- history
- several previous, ratified by referendum 28 February 2005
Country name
- conventional long form
- Republic of Burundi
- conventional short form
- Burundi
- 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
- former
- Urundi, German East Africa, Ruanda-Urundi, Kingdom of Burundi
- local long form
- République du Burundi (French)/ Republika y'u Burundi (Kirundi)
- local short form
- Burundi
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission
- Ambassador Lisa PETERSON (since 27 June 2024)
- email address and website
- BujumburaC@state.gov https://bi.usembassy.gov/
- embassy
- No 50 Avenue Des Etats-Unis, 110-01-02, Bujumbura
- FAX
- [257] 22-222-926
- mailing address
- 2100 Bujumbura Place, Washington DC 20521-2100
- telephone
- [257] 22-207-000
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chancery
- 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
- chief of mission
- Ambassador Jean Bosco BAREGE (since 27 February 2024)
- email address and website
- burundiembusadc@gmail.com Burundi Embassy Washington D.C. (burundiembassy-usa.com)
- FAX
- [1] (202) 342-2578
- telephone
- [1] (202) 342-2574
Executive branch
- cabinet
- Council of Ministers appointed by president
- chief of state
- President Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE (since 18 June 2020)
- 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%
- 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
- expected date of next election
- May 2027
- head of government
- Prime Minister Nestor NTAHONTUYE (since 5 August 2025)
- most recent election date
- 20 May 2020
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
Government type
presidential republic
Independence
1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; withdrew from ICCt in October 2017
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
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)
- 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
- subordinate courts
- Courts of Appeal; County Courts; Courts of Residence; Martial Court; Commercial Court
Legal system
mixed legal system of Belgian civil law and customary law
Legislative branch
- legislative structure
- bicameral
- legislature name
- Parliament (Parlement)
Legislative branch - lower chamber
- chamber name
- National Assembly (Inama Nshingamateka)
- electoral system
- proportional representation
- expected date of next election
- June 2030
- most recent election date
- 6/5/2025
- number of seats
- 111 (all directly elected)
- parties elected and seats per party
- National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) (108); Other (3)
- percentage of women in chamber
- 39.6%
- scope of elections
- full renewal
- term in office
- 5 years
Legislative branch - upper chamber
- chamber name
- Senate (Inama Nkenguzamateka)
- expected date of next election
- July 2030
- most recent election date
- 7/23/2025
- number of seats
- 13 (all indirectly elected)
- parties elected and seats per party
- National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) (10)
- percentage of women in chamber
- 46.2%
- scope of elections
- full renewal
- term in office
- 5 years
National anthem(s)
- history
- adopted 1962
- lyrics/music
- Jean-Baptiste NTAHOKAJA/Marc BARENGAYABO
- title
- "Burundi Bwacu" (Our Beloved Burundi)
National color(s)
red, white, green
National holiday
Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
National symbol(s)
lion
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agricultural products
cassava, bananas, sweet potatoes, beans, maize, vegetables, potatoes, rice, sugarcane, fruits (2023)
Budget
- expenditures
- $737.898 million (2021 est.)
- revenues
- $713.694 million (2021 est.)
Current account balance
- Current account balance 2021
- -$393.88 million (2021 est.)
- Current account balance 2022
- -$621.969 million (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- -$625.597 million (2023 est.)
Debt - external
- Debt - external 2023
- $805.174 million (2023 est.)
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
Exchange rates
- Currency
- Burundi francs (BIF) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2019
- 1,845.623 (2019 est.)
- Exchange rates 2020
- 1,915.046 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 1,975.951 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 2,034.307 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 2,574.052 (2023 est.)
Exports
- Exports 2021
- $302.752 million (2021 est.)
- Exports 2022
- $333.637 million (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $378.229 million (2023 est.)
Exports - commodities
gold, coffee, tea, tin ores, iron bars (2023)
Exports - partners
UAE 59%, Uganda 8%, China 5%, Germany 5%, USA 3% (2023)
GDP - composition, by end use
- exports of goods and services
- 5.3% (2023 est.)
- government consumption
- 30.7% (2023 est.)
- household consumption
- 75.9% (2023 est.)
- imports of goods and services
- -24.4% (2023 est.)
- investment in fixed capital
- 13.1% (2023 est.)
- investment in inventories
- 0% (2023 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
- agriculture
- 25.3% (2023 est.)
- industry
- 9.6% (2023 est.)
- services
- 49% (2023 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$2.162 billion (2024 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
- highest 10%
- 29.9% (2020 est.)
- lowest 10%
- 2.9% (2020 est.)
Imports
- Imports 2021
- $1.166 billion (2021 est.)
- Imports 2022
- $1.42 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $1.433 billion (2023 est.)
Imports - commodities
fertilizers, cement, packaged medicine, plastic products, cars (2023)
Imports - partners
Tanzania 26%, China 15%, Uganda 10%, Kenya 10%, India 6% (2023)
Industrial production growth rate
-0.2% (2024 est.)
Industries
light consumer goods (sugar, shoes, soap, beer); cement, assembly of imported components; public works construction; food processing (fruits)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 18.8% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 26.9% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 20.2% (2024 est.)
Labor force
6.107 million (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line
51% (2020 est.)
Public debt
- Public debt 2016
- 48.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $11.048 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $11.343 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $11.739 billion (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 1.8% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 2.7% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 3.5% (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $800 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $800 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $800 (2024 est.)
Remittances
- Remittances 2021
- 6.1% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Remittances 2022
- 4.9% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 7.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021
- $266.164 million (2021 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $158.53 million (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $90.35 million (2023 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
15.6% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
Unemployment rate
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 1% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 1% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 1% (2024 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
- female
- 1.2% (2024 est.)
- male
- 2.1% (2024 est.)
- total
- 1.6% (2024 est.)
Energy
Coal
- consumption
- 1,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- imports
- 10,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Electricity
- consumption
- 444.018 million kWh (2023 est.)
- imports
- 100 million kWh (2023 est.)
- installed generating capacity
- 131,000 kW (2023 est.)
- transmission/distribution losses
- 39.994 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity access
- electrification - rural areas
- 1.7%
- electrification - total population
- 10.3% (2022 est.)
- electrification - urban areas
- 64%
Electricity generation sources
- biomass and waste
- 1.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- fossil fuels
- 31.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- hydroelectricity
- 66.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- solar
- 0.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 946,000 Btu/person (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- refined petroleum consumption
- 6,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Communications
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
- subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- (2023 est.) less than 1
- total
- 3,000 (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.)
Telephones - fixed lines
- subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- (2023 est.) less than 1
- total subscriptions
- 14,000 (2023 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
- subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 63 (2023 est.)
- total subscriptions
- 8,646,690 (2023 est.)
Transportation
Airports
6 (2025)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
9U
Military and Security
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)
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 and security service personnel strengths
limited available information; estimated 25-30,000 active-duty Defense Force troops (2025)
Military deployments
770 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); up to 10,000 Democratic Republic of the Congo (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 expenditures
- Military Expenditures 2020
- 2.1% of GDP (2020 est.)
- Military Expenditures 2021
- 2% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military Expenditures 2022
- 2.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military Expenditures 2023
- 3% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military Expenditures 2024
- 3.5% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (2025)
Transnational Issues
Refugees and internally displaced persons
- IDPs
- 92,174 (2024 est.)
- refugees
- 91,164 (2024 est.)
- stateless persons
- 791 (2024 est.)
Environment
Carbon dioxide emissions
- from coal and metallurgical coke
- 32,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- from petroleum and other liquids
- 806,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- total emissions
- 838,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
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
- signed, but not ratified
- Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
Particulate matter emissions
26.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources
12.536 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Total water withdrawal
- agricultural
- 222 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- industrial
- 15 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- municipal
- 43.1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Waste and recycling
- municipal solid waste generated annually
- 1.872 million tons (2024 est.)
- percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 7.1% (2022 est.)