2021 Edition

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 that resulted in the death of several thousand Tutsi civilians sparked a brutal crackdown on Hutu civilians by the Tutsi-led military, which ultimately killed 100,000-200,000 people. International pressure led to a new constitution in 1992 and democratic elections in June 1993. Burundi's first democratically elected president, Hutu Melchior NDADAYE, was assassinated in October 1993 after only 100 days in office by Tutsi military officers fearing Hutu domination, sparking a civil war. His successor, Cyprien NTARYAMIRA, died when the Rwandan president’s plane he was traveling on was shot down in April 1994, which triggered the Rwandan genocide and further entrenched ethnic conflict in Burundi. The internationally brokered Arusha Agreement, signed in 2000, and subsequent ceasefire 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.

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 as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm; 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

Heha 2,670 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

73.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 38.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 15.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 18.8% (2018 est.)

forest

6.6% (2018 est.)

other

20.1% (2018 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

Age structure

0-14 years

43.83% (male 2,618,868/female 2,581,597)

15-24 years

19.76% (male 1,172,858/female 1,171,966)

25-54 years

29.18% (male 1,713,985/female 1,748,167)

55-64 years

4.17% (male 231,088/female 264,131)

65 years and over

3.06% (male 155,262/female 207,899) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

35.48 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

27% (2018/19)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

28.5% (2016/17)

Current Health Expenditure

7.7% (2018)

Death rate

6.07 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Demographic profile

Burundi is a densely populated country with a high population growth rate, factors that combined with land scarcity and poverty place a large share of its population at risk of food insecurity. About 90% of the population relies on subsistence agriculture. Subdivision of land to sons, and redistribution to returning refugees, results in smaller, overworked, and less productive plots. Food shortages, poverty, and a lack of clean water contribute to a 60% chronic malnutrition rate among children. A lack of reproductive health services has prevented a significant reduction in Burundi’s maternal mortality and fertility rates, which are both among the world’s highest. With two-thirds of its population under the age of 25 and a birth rate of about 6 children per woman, Burundi’s population will continue to expand rapidly for decades to come, putting additional strain on a poor country.Historically, migration flows into and out of Burundi have consisted overwhelmingly of refugees from violent conflicts. In the last decade, more than a half million Burundian refugees returned home from neighboring countries, mainly Tanzania. Reintegrating the returnees has been problematic due to their prolonged time in exile, land scarcity, poor infrastructure, poverty, and unemployment. Repatriates and existing residents (including internally displaced persons) compete for limited land and other resources. To further complicate matters, international aid organizations reduced their assistance because they no longer classified Burundi as a post-conflict country. Conditions have deteriorated since renewed violence erupted in April 2015, causing another outpouring of refugees. In addition to refugee out-migration, Burundi has hosted thousands of refugees from neighboring countries, mostly from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and lesser numbers from Rwanda.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.5

potential support ratio

22 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

91

youth dependency ratio

86.4

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 77.8% of population

improved: total

total: 80.3% of population

improved: urban

urban: 97.6% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 22.2% of population

unimproved: total

total: 19.7% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: -1.1% of population

Education expenditures

5.1% of GDP (2018)

Ethnic groups

Hutu, Tutsi, Twa (Pygmy)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1% (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

1,700 (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

83,000 (2020 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.8 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant mortality rate

female

34.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

43.21 deaths/1,000 live births

total

38.96 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

Kirundi only 29.7% (official); French only .3% (official); Swahili only .2%; English only .1% (official); Kirundi and French 8.4%; Kirundi, French, and English 2.4%, other language combinations 2%, unspecified 56.9% (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.

note

note: data represent languages read and written by people 10 years of age or older; spoken Kirundi is nearly universal

Life expectancy at birth

female

69.22 years (2021 est.)

male

64.98 years

total population

67.07 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

61.2% (2017)

male

76.3%

total population

68.4%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

1.075 million BUJUMBURA (capital) (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

548 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

18 years (2020 est.)

male

17.4 years

total

17.7 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.5 years (2016/17 est.)

note

note: median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

adjective

Burundian

noun

Burundian(s)

Net migration rate

7.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

5.4% (2016)

Physicians density

0.1 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

12,241,065 (July 2021 est.)

note

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected

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

Population growth rate

3.68% (2021 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 53.4% of population

improved: total

total: 57.4% of population

improved: urban

urban: 85.2% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 46.6% of population

unimproved: total

total: 42.6% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 14.8% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

11 years (2018)

male

11 years

total

11 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.98 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.87 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.75 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.1 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

2% (2014 est.)

male

4.4%

total

2.9%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

14.1% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

18 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura Mairie, Bujumbura Rural, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Mwaro, Ngozi, Rumonge, Rutana, Ruyigi

Capital

etymology

the naming origins for both Gitega and Bujumbura are obscure; Bujumbura's name prior to independence in 1962 was Usumbura

geographic coordinates

3 25 S, 29 55 E

name

Gitega (political capital), Bujumbura (commercial capital); note - in January 2019, the Burundian parliament voted to make Gitega the political capital of the country while Bujumbura would remain its economic capital; all branches of the government are expected to have moved from Bujumbura to Gitega by 2022

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

amendments

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; amended 2018 (amendments extended the presidential term from 5 to 7 years, reintroduced the position of prime minister, and reduced the number of vice presidents from 2 to 1)

history

several previous, ratified by referendum 28 February 2005

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Burundi

conventional short form

Burundi

etymology

name derived from the pre-colonial Kingdom of Burundi (17th-19th century)

former

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

local long form

Republique du Burundi/Republika y'u Burundi

local short form

Burundi

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Melanie Harris HIGGINS (since 2 March 2021)

email address and website

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

embassy

B.P. 1720, Avenue Des Etats-Unis, 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 de Dieu NDIKUMANA (since 7 July 2021)

email address and website

burundiembusadc@gmail.comhttps://burundiembassy-usa.com/index.php

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); Vice President Prosper BAZOMBANZA (since 24 June 2020); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

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%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 May 2020 (next to be held in 2025); vice presidents nominated by the president, endorsed by Parliament; note - a 2018 constitutional referendum effective for the 2020 election, increased the presidential term from 5 to 7 years with a 2-consecutive-term limit, reinstated the position of the prime minister position, and reduced the number of vice presidents from 2 to 1

head of government

President Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE (since 18 June 2020); Vice President Prosper BAZOMBANZA (since 24 June 2020); Prime Minister Alain-Guillaume BUNYONI (since 24 June 2020)

Flag description

divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom) and green panels (hoist side and fly side) with a white disk superimposed at the center bearing three red six-pointed stars outlined in green arranged in a triangular design (one star above, two stars below); green symbolizes hope and optimism, white purity and peace, and red the blood shed in the struggle for independence; the three stars in the disk represent the three major ethnic groups: Hutu, Twa, Tutsi, as well as the three elements in the national motto: unity, work, 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, AU, CEMAC, CEPGL, CICA, COMESA, EAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest courts

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 independent 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; Court Against Corruption; Commercial Court

Legal system

mixed legal system of Belgian civil law and customary law

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of:Senate or Inama Nkenguzamateka (39 seats in the July 2020 election); 36 members indirectly elected by an electoral college of provincial councils using a three-round voting system, which requires a two-thirds majority vote in the first two rounds and simple majority vote for the two leading candidates in the final round; 3 seats reserved for Twas, and 30% of all votes reserved for women; members serve 5-year terms)National Assembly or Inama Nshingamateka (123 seats in the May 2020 election; 100 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 23 co-opted members; 60% of seats allocated to Hutu and 40% to Tutsi; 3 seats reserved for Twas; 30% of total seats reserved for women; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - CNDD-FDD 87.2%, Twa 7.7%, CNL 2.6%, UPRONA 2.6%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 34, CNL 1, UPRONA 1, Twa 3; composition - men 23, women 16, percent of women 37.2% National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CNDD-FDD 70.9%, CNL 23.4%, UPRONA 2.5%, other (co-opted Twa) 3.2%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 86, CNL 32, UPRONA 2, Twa 3; composition - men 76, women 47, percent of women 38.2%; note - total Parliament percent of women 38%

elections

Senate - last held on 20 July 2020 (next to be held in 2025)National Assembly - last held on 20 May 2020 (next to be held in 2025)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Jean-Baptiste NTAHOKAJA/Marc BARENGAYABO

name

"Burundi Bwacu" (Our Beloved Burundi)

note

note: adopted 1962

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

National symbol(s)

lion; national colors: red, white, green

Political parties and leaders

Front for Democracy in Burundi-Nyakuri or FRODEBU-Nyakuri [Keffa NIBIZI]Front for Democracy in Burundi-Sahwanya or FRODEBU-Sahwanya [Pierre Claver NAHIMANA]National Congress for Liberty or CNL [Agathon RWASA]National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD-FDD [Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE]National Liberation Forces or FNL [Jacques BIGITIMANA]Union for National Progress (Union pour le Progress Nationale) or UPRONA [Abel GASHATSI]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

cassava, bananas, sweet potatoes, plantains, beans, vegetables, potatoes, cashew nuts, maize, taro

Budget

expenditures

729.6 million (2017 est.)

revenues

536.7 million (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-5.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$411 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$418 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$622.4 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$610.9 million (31 December 2017 est.)

Economic overview

Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector. Agriculture accounts for over 40% of GDP and employs more than 90% of the population. Burundi's primary exports are coffee and tea, which account for more than half of foreign exchange earnings, but these earnings are subject to fluctuations in weather and international coffee and tea prices, Burundi is heavily dependent on aid from bilateral and multilateral donors, as well as foreign exchange earnings from participation in the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM). Foreign aid represented 48% of Burundi's national income in 2015, one of the highest percentages in Sub-Saharan Africa, but this figure decreased to 33.5% in 2016 due to political turmoil surrounding President NKURUNZIZA’s bid for a third term. Burundi joined the East African Community (EAC) in 2009.Burundi faces several underlying weaknesses – low governmental capacity, corruption, a high poverty rate, poor educational levels, a weak legal system, a poor transportation network, and overburdened utilities – that have prevented the implementation of planned economic reforms. The purchasing power of most Burundians has decreased as wage increases have not kept pace with inflation, which reached approximately 18% in 2017.Real GDP growth dropped precipitously following political events in 2015 and has yet to recover to pre-conflict levels. Continued resistance by donors and the international community will restrict Burundi’s economic growth as the country deals with a large current account deficit.

Exchange rates

currency

Burundi francs (BIF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

1,546.7 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

1,571.9 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

1,800.495 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

1,876.25 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

1,945 (2020 est.)

Exports

Exports 2017

$315 million (2017 est.)

Exports 2018

$283 million (2018 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold, coffee, tea, raw earth metal ores, wheat flours (2019)

Exports - partners

United Arab Emirates 50%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 7% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

5.5% (2017 est.)

government consumption

20.8% (2017 est.)

household consumption

83% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-25.3% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

16% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

39.5% (2017 est.)

industry

16.4% (2017 est.)

services

44.2% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.027 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2013

38.6 (2013 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

28% (2006)

lowest 10%

4.1%

Imports

Imports 2017

$1.295 billion (2017 est.)

Imports 2018

$927 million (2018 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, packaged medicines, cement, raw sugar, cars (2019)

Imports - partners

China 14%, Saudi Arabia 14%, India 9%, Kenya 7%, United Arab Emirates 7%, Tanzania 5%, Zambia 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

-2% (2017 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) 2017

15.9% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

-2.5% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

-0.6% (2019 est.)

Labor force

5.012 million (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

93.6%

industry

2.3%

services

4.1% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line

64.6% (2014 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

48.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

51.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$8.51 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$8.67 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$8.69 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

-4% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

-1% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

0% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$800 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$800 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$700 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$95.17 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$97.4 million (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

15.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

2% (2014 est.)

male

4.4%

total

2.9%

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

382.7 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

14% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

73% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

14% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

100 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

68,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

304 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

2% (2019)

electrification - total population

11% (2019)

electrification - urban areas

66% (2019)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

1,500 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

1,374 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

less than 1 (2020 est.)

total

4,230 (2020)

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

2.66% (2019 est.)

total

1.61 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

telephone density one of the lowest in the world; fixed-line connections stand at well less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage is 58 per 100 persons (2019)

general assessment

Burundi’s high population density and low telecom penetration rates make it an attractive market for investors; mobile operators have launched 3G and LTE to meet the demand for Internet; mobile subscription remains low; government/World Bank joint project to build a national broadband backbone connecting to submarine cable landings in Kenya and Tanzania; government launched e-health project (2021) (2020)

international

country code - 257; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); the government, supported by the Word Bank, has backed a joint venture with a number of prominent telecoms to build a national fiber backbone network, offering onward connectivity to submarine cable infrastructure landings in Kenya and Tanzania (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

less than 1 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

18,300 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

55.77 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

6,631,154 (2020)

Airports

total

7 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 (2019)

total

1

Airports - with unpaved runways

914 to 1,523 m

4

total

6

under 914 m

2 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

9U

Heliports

1 (2012)

Ports and terminals

lake port(s)

Bujumbura (Lake Tanganyika)

Roadways

paved

1,500 km (2016)

total

12,322 km (2016)

unpaved

10,822 km (2016)

Waterways

(mainly on Lake Tanganyika between Bujumbura, Burundi's principal port, and lake ports in Tanzania, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2011)

Military - note

in addition to its foreign deployments, the FDN as of 2021 was focused on internal security missions, particularly against rebel groups opposed to the regime 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); these groups were based in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo and have carried out sporadic attacks in Burundi

Military and security forces

National Defense Forces (Forces de Defense Nationale, FDN): Army (includes maritime wing, air wing); Ministry of Public Security: National Police (Police Nationale du Burundi) (2021)

Military and security service personnel strengths

the National Defense Forces (FDN) have approximately 25,000 active duty troops, the majority of which are ground forces (2020)

Military deployments

750 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 5,400 Somalia (AMISOM) (Feb 2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the FDN is armed mostly with weapons from Russia and the former Soviet Union, with some Western equipment, largely from France; since 2010, the FDN has received small amounts of mostly second-hand equipment from China, South Africa, and the US (2020)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

2.2% of GDP (2016)

Military Expenditures 2017

1.8% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

1.9% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.8% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

2.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; the armed forces law of 31 December 2004 did not specify a minimum age for enlistment, but the government claimed that no one younger than 18 was being recruited (2019)

Disputes - international

Burundi and Rwanda dispute two sq km (0.8 sq mi) of Sabanerwa, a farmed area in the Rukurazi Valley where the Akanyaru/Kanyaru River shifted its course southward after heavy rains in 1965; cross-border conflicts persist among Tutsi, Hutu, other ethnic groups, associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces in the Great Lakes region

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

109,169 (some ethnic Tutsis remain displaced from intercommunal violence that broke out after the 1,993 coup and fighting between government forces and rebel groups; violence since April 2015) (2021)

refugees (country of origin)

42,136 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2021)

stateless persons

974 (2020)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Burundi and victims from Burundi abroad; traffickers take advantage of Burundians in precarious or desperate situations, including returned refugees; children were reportedly recruited by armed groups and forced to participate in anti-government activities; non-state armed groups allegedly used threats, intimidation, and physical assaults to coerce refugees in a camp in Rwanda to support the Burundian opposition; children and young adults are trafficked by relatives, neighbors, and friends and are subjected to forced labor in agriculture, mining, informal commerce, charcoal production, and fishing; some girls and young women are forced into domestic servitude and sex trafficking in restaurants and bars around Lake Tanganyika; women and girls who go to the Middle East for domestic service jobs report physical and sexual abuse

tier rating

Tier 3 — Burundi does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government worked with an international organization to provide training to immigration officials, identified victims of trafficking abroad, and conducted public awareness campaigns with an international organization; however, authorities did not convict any traffickers for the fifth consecutive year and did not investigate, prosecute, or convict officials allegedly complicit in human trafficking; the government did not have standard operating procedures to identify and refer victims to services and did not have adequate protection services for victims; authorities continued to lack a clear understanding of trafficking despite the government providing training to immigration officials (2020)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.5 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

1.42 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

35.61 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

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 as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm; two wet seasons (February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January)

Environment - current issues

soil erosion as a result of overgrazing and the expansion of agriculture into marginal lands; deforestation (little forested land remains because of uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel); habitat loss threatens wildlife populations

Environment - international 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

Food insecurity

widespread lack of access

due to floods, and lack of rain - about 1 million people are estimated to be severely food insecure in the June−September 2021 period, mainly due to livelihood losses caused by poor rains in northern areas and by floods in western areas bordering Lake Tanganyika; the socio‑economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has put further constraints on livelihoods of vulnerable households. (2021)

Land use

agricultural land

73.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 38.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 15.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 18.8% (2018 est.)

forest

6.6% (2018 est.)

other

20.1% (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

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)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

10.31% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

12.536 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

222 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

15 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

43.1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

14.1% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

1,872,016 tons (2002 est.)