Burundi

total: 4,230 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.04 (2020 est.)

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)

.bi

total: 754,000 (2021 est.) percent of population: 5.8% (2021 est.)

general assessment: Burundi provides an attractive telecom market given its high population density and existing low subscription rates for all services; one downside for investors is that the country has a very low economic output,and an unconducive business environment; disposable income is also very low, and fixed-line infrastructure is poor outside the main urban areas; this is a greater motivation for investors to focus on improving mobile networks than in expanding fixed-line infrastructure; to overcome difficulties associated with the poor telecom infrastructure, the government has supported a number of prominent telcos building a national fiber backbone network; this network offers onward connectivity to submarine cable infrastructure landings in Kenya and Tanzania; the first sections of this network were switched on in early 2014, and additional provinces have since been connected; in addition, the government in early 2018 kick-started the Burundi Broadband project, which aims to deliver national connectivity by 2025; based on this improved infrastructure the government and ITU have developed an ICT strategy to make use of telecoms to promote the country s socio-economic development through to 2028; progress made by Tanzania with its own national backbone network has benefited Burundi, which has been provided with onward connectivity to most countries in the region; International bandwidth capacity has continued to increase in recent years, including a 38% increase in the nine months to September 2021, resulting in lower retail prices for consumers; two of the mobile operators have launched 3G and LTE services to capitalize on the growing demand for internet access; the number of mobile subscribers increased 7% in the third quarter of 2021, quarter-on-quarter; similar growth is expected for the next two years at least, which will help bring the mobile level closer to the average for the region (2022); Burundi s Telecommunications Regulation and Control Agency (ARCT) has recently published its roadmap for the deployment of 5G services in the country, setting out a target of July 2024 for the introduction of commercial services. (2022) domestic: fixed-line connections stand at less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage is about 62 per 100 persons (2021) international: country code - 257; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); the government, supported by the World 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)

total subscriptions: 15,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions: 7.471 million (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 58 (2022 est.)

cassava, bananas, sweet potatoes, vegetables, beans, potatoes, maize, sugarcane, fruits, rice (2022) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

revenues: $713.694 million (2021 est.) expenditures: $506.147 million (2021 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

-$362.645 million (2018 est.) -$373.389 million (2017 est.) -$339.695 million (2016 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$444.292 million (2022 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

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

Burundi francs (BIF) per US dollar - 2,574.052 (2023 est.) 2,034.307 (2022 est.) 1,975.951 (2021 est.) 1,915.046 (2020 est.) 1,845.623 (2019 est.)

$285.105 million (2018 est.) $315 million (2017 est.) $270.686 million (2017 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

gold, coffee, tea, rare earth ores, tobacco (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

UAE 32%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 14%, China 5%, Sudan 5%, Germany 4% (2022) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

$2.642 billion (2023 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

household consumption: 75.6% (2023 est.) government consumption: 30.5% (2023 est.) investment in fixed capital: 13% (2023 est.) exports of goods and services: 5.3% (2023 est.) imports of goods and services: -24.3% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture: 25.2% (2023 est.) industry: 9.6% (2023 est.) services: 48.8% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

37.5 (2020 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

lowest 10%: 2.9% (2020 est.) highest 10%: 29.9% (2020 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

$905.294 million (2018 est.) $885.422 million (2017 est.) $1.295 billion (2017 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, fertilizers, packaged medicine, cement, plastic products (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 15%, UAE 14%, Saudi Arabia 13%, Tanzania 12%, India 7% (2022) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

2.75% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

26.94% (2023 est.) 18.8% (2022 est.) 8.4% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

5.722 million (2023 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

51.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

$11.347 billion (2023 est.) $11.048 billion (2022 est.) $10.848 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

2.7% (2023 est.) 1.85% (2022 est.) 3.1% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

$900 (2023 est.) $900 (2022 est.) $900 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

1.83% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.45% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.74% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

$90.35 million (2023 est.) $158.53 million (2022 est.) $266.164 million (2021 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

15.64% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

0.93% (2023 est.) 0.92% (2022 est.) 1.11% (2021 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

total: 1.7% (2023 est.) male: 2.2% (2023 est.) female: 1.3% (2023 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

800,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 5,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 795,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

imports: 9,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity: 114,000 kW (2022 est.) consumption: 415.198 million kWh (2022 est.) imports: 101 million kWh (2022 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 40 million kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - total population: 10.3% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 64% electrification - rural areas: 1.7%

fossil fuels: 33.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) solar: 2.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) hydroelectricity: 62.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) biomass and waste: 1.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

961,000 Btu/person (2022 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 6,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

particulate matter emissions: 28 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 0.5 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 1.42 megatons (2020 est.)

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)

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

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

widespread lack of access: due to the effects of weather - according to the latest estimates, about 1.2 million people are estimated to be facing Crisis levels of acute food insecurity between June and September 2023, unchanged year on year; the main drivers are the lingering impact of floods in northern areas in late 2022 and high food prices due, in part, to the depreciation of the local currency (2023)

agricultural land: 73.3% (2018 est.) arable land: 38.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 15.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 18.8% (2018 est.) forest: 6.6% (2018 est.) other: 20.1% (2018 est.)

fresh water lake(s): Lake Tanganyika (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia) - 32,000 sq km

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

10.31% of GDP (2018 est.)

12.54 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal: 40 million cubic meters (2020 est.) industrial: 20 million cubic meters (2020 est.) agricultural: 220 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

urban population: 14.8% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 5.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 1,872,016 tons (2002 est.)

total : 27,830 sq km land: 25,680 sq km water: 2,150 sq km

slightly smaller than Maryland

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)

0 km (landlocked)

highest point: unnamed elevation on Mukike Range 2,685 m lowest point: Lake Tanganyika 772 m mean elevation: 1,504 m

3 30 S, 30 00 E

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

230 sq km (2012)

total: 1,140 km border countries (3): Democratic Republic of the Congo 236 km; Rwanda 315 km; Tanzania 589 km

agricultural land: 73.3% (2018 est.) arable land: 38.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 15.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 18.8% (2018 est.) forest: 6.6% (2018 est.) other: 20.1% (2018 est.)

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

fresh water lake(s): Lake Tanganyika (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia) - 32,000 sq km

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)

Africa

none (landlocked)

flooding; landslides; drought

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

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

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

18 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura Mairie, Bujumbura Rural, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Mwaro, Ngozi, Rumonge, Rutana, Ruyigi; note- a law was passed in March 2023 reducing the number of provinces to five: Buhumuza, Bujumbura, Burunga, Butanyerera, Gitega, with full implementation by 2025.

name: Gitega (political capital), Bujumbura (commercial capital) geographic coordinates: 3 25 S, 29 55 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the naming origins for both Gitega and Bujumbura are obscure; Bujumbura's name prior to independence in 1962 was Usumbura note: in January 2019, the Burundian parliament voted to make Gitega the political capital of the country while Bujumbura would remain its economic capital; as of 2023, the government's move to Gitega remains incomplete

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

history: several previous, ratified by referendum 28 February 2005 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)

conventional long form: Republic of Burundi conventional short form: Burundi local long form: R publique du Burundi (French)/ Republika y'u Burundi (Kirundi) local short form: Burundi former: Urundi, German East Africa, Ruanda-Urundi, Kingdom of Burundi etymology: name derived from the pre-colonial Kingdom of Burundi (17th-19th century)

chief of mission: Ambassador Lisa PETERSON (since 27 June 2024) embassy: No 50 Avenue Des Etats-Unis, 110-01-02, Bujumbura mailing address: 2100 Bujumbura Place, Washington DC 20521-2100 telephone: [257] 22-207-000 FAX: [257] 22-222-926 email address and website: BujumburaC@state.gov https://bi.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission: Ambassador Jean Bosco BAREGE (since 27 February 2024) chancery: 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-2574 FAX: [1] (202) 342-2578 email address and website: burundiembusadc@gmail.com Burundi Embassy Washington D.C. (burundiembassy-usa.com)

chief of state: President Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE (since 18 June 2020) head of government: Minister Gervais NDIRAKOBUCA (since 7 September 2022) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president 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 May 2027); 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 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%

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

presidential republic

1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)

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

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

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

mixed legal system of Belgian civil law and customary law

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; 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; members serve 5-year terms) 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) 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, Twa 3, CNL 1, UPRONA 1; composition - men 23, women 16, percentage 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, Twa 3, UPRONA 2; composition - men 76, women 47, percentage women 38.2%; note - total Parliament percentage women 38%

name: "Burundi Bwacu" (Our Beloved Burundi) lyrics/music: Jean-Baptiste NTAHOKAJA/Marc BARENGAYABO note: adopted 1962

Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

lion; national colors: red, white, green

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

18 years of age; universal

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.

the 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; these missions have provided the force some operational experience and funding; 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) 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 (2024)

Burundi National Defense Force (BNDF; Force de Defense Nationale du Burundi or FDNB) : Land Force ( la Force Terrestre ), the Navy Force (la Force de la Marine), the Air Force (la Force A rienne) and Specialized Units (des Unit s Sp cialis es) Ministry of Interior, Community Development, and Public Security: Burundi National Police (Police Nationale du Burundi) (2024) note 1: the Naval Force is responsible for monitoring Burundi s 175-km shoreline on Lake Tanganyika; the Specialized Units include a special security brigade for the protection of institutions (aka BSPI), commandos, special forces, and military police note 2: in 2022, Burundi created a new reserve force (Force de r serve et d appui au d veloppement, FRAD); the FRAD's duties include organizing paramilitary trainings, supporting other components in protecting the integrity of the national territory, conceiving and implementing development projects, and operationalizing national and international partnerships

approximately 30,000 active-duty troops (2024)

760 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); up to 3,000 in Somalia (ATMIS; note - foreign troop contingents under ATMIS are drawing down towards a final exit in December 2024) (2024) note: Burundi deployed military troops to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2022 as part of an East African regional force; as of 2024, as many as 1,000 troops reportedly remained in the DRC

the military has a mix of mostly older weapons and equipment typically of French, Russian, and Soviet origin, and a smaller selection of more modern secondhand equipment from such countries as China, South Africa, and the US (2024)

3.7% of GDP (2023 est.) 2.8% of GDP (2022 est.) 2% of GDP (2021 est.) 2.1% of GDP (2020 est.) 3% of GDP (2019 est.)

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (2023)

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)

total: 4.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 1.84 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 2.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

34.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

women married by age 15: 2.8% women married by age 18: 19% men married by age 18: 1.4% (2017 est.)

27.6% (2022)

28.5% (2016/17)

6.5% of GDP (2020)

54.1% (2023 est.)

5.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

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 almost two-thirds of its population under the age of 25 and a birth rate of about 5 children per woman as of 2022, 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 deteriorated when 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.

total dependency ratio: 95.2 youth dependency ratio: 90.4 elderly dependency ratio: 4.8 potential support ratio: 20.7 (2021 est.)

improved: urban: 98.7% of population rural: 78.9% of population total: 81.6% of population unimproved: urban: 1.3% of population rural: 21.1% of population total: 18.4% of population (2020 est.)

5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Hutu, Tutsi, Twa, South Asian

2.41 (2024 est.)

0.8 beds/1,000 population (2014)

total: 35.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) male: 39.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 31.5 deaths/1,000 live births

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

total population: 68.1 years (2024 est.) male: 66 years female: 70.3 years

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74.7% male: 81.3% female: 68.4% (2021)

1.207 million BUJUMBURA (capital) (2023)

494 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

total: 18.4 years (2024 est.) male: 18 years female: 18.7 years

21.5 years (2016/17 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

noun: Burundian(s) adjective: Burundian

-0.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

5.4% (2016)

0.07 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

total: 13,590,102 male: 6,755,456 female: 6,834,646 (2024 est.)

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

2.81% (2024 est.)

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.)

improved: urban: 87.4% of population rural: 53.7% of population total: 58.4% of population unimproved: urban: 12.6% of population rural: 46.3% of population total: 41.6% of population (2020 est.)

total: 11 years male: 11 years female: 11 years (2018)

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 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 total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total: 11.8% (2020 est.) male: 17.4% (2020 est.) female: 6.1% (2020 est.)

4.9 children born/woman (2024 est.)

urban population: 14.8% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 5.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

refugees (country of origin): 87,157 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2024) IDPs: 76,987 (some ethnic Tutsis remain displaced from intercommunal violence that broke out after the 1993 coup and fighting between government forces and rebel groups; violence since April 2015) (2023) stateless persons: 767 (mid-year 2021)

6 (2024)

9U

total: 12,000 km paved: 1,500 km (2020)

673 km (2022) (mainly on Lake Tanganyika between Bujumbura, Burundi's principal port, and lake ports in Tanzania, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo)