Table of Contents
Overview
Burundi is a landlocked country in East Africa. The main cities of Burundi include Bujumbura, Buhumuza, Burunga, Butanyerera, and Gitega. It is a country mainly of mountains and plateaus, with a western range of mountains running north-south and continuing into Rwanda. The highest point is Mt. Heha at 2,670 m. The country is popularly known as the ‘the heart of Africa’.
Agriculture
Burundi’s agricultural sector accounted for 25.3% of GDP and major crops include cassava, bananas, sweet potatoes, beans, maize, vegetables, potatoes, rice, sugarcane, and fruits, with coffee and tea as key exports.
Crime
Burundi’s crime rate per 100,000 population in 2016 was 5.82, a 35.52% increase from 2015. Burundi faces significant security challenges, including ethnic tensions between Hutu and Tutsi, which have decreased since the 2005 civil war. Political instability from protests in 2015 and coups in 2022 continues to fuel violence and displacements.
Demographics
Burundi’s population is estimated to be 13.5 million in 2025, ranking 78th worldwide. The country has a population growth rate of 2.96% and a median age of 17.6 years. The main ethnic groups are Hutu, Tutsi, Twa, and South Asians. The official languages are Kirundi, French, English, and Swahili.
Urbanization is low, at 14.8%, with most urbanization concentrated in Bujumbura and Gitega. The fertility rate is 4.94 children per woman, contributing to population growth amid high poverty levels and limited access to services.
Economy
Burundi’s economy, one of Africa’s smallest, had a GDP (PPP) of approximately $11.7 billion in 2024, with 3.5% growth driven by agriculture and aid. Per capita income is $800, and the poverty rate is 51%.
Key sectors include agriculture, industry, and services. Inflation stands at 20.2% amid subsidy cuts. Unemployment is 1%, but underemployment is common. Exports include gold, coffee, and tea to the UAE, Uganda, and China, while imports include fertilizers and cement from Tanzania and China.
Education
Burundi allocates 4.9% of its GDP to education and 14.4% of its budget to education. Despite these efforts, the literacy rate stands at 71.4%, with a notable gender gap: 78.2% for males and 66.2% for females. The average school life expectancy is approximately 10 years; however, conflicts often disrupt access to education, resulting in high dropout rates.
Geography
Burundi covers 27,830 square kilometers in Eastern Africa. It is a landlocked country bordered by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Tanzania.
The terrain consists of hilly mountains that drop to an eastern plateau and plains. The highest elevation in the Mukike Range is 2,685 meters. Burundi’s natural resources include nickel, uranium, rare earth elements, peat, cobalt, and arable land. Approximately 83.9% of the land is used for agriculture, while 10.9% is forested.
Health
The average life expectancy is 68.1 years. Infant mortality stands at 35.3 per 1,000 live births, and maternal mortality is 392 per 100,000 live births. About 28.3% of children are underweight, highlighting concerns about nutrition.
The country allocates 4.7% of its national budget to health care. Yet, access to clean water is limited to 62.4%, sanitation facilities reach only 58.6%, and the physician-to-patient ratio is terrible at 0.08 per 1,000 people.
Military
Burundi’s Defense Force has about 30,000 active personnel serving in the Army, Air Force, and Navy. The military service age for voluntary service is 18 for both men and women.
The country’s defense budget accounts for about 3.5% of its GDP. The military is engaged in various deployments, including around 770 personnel in the Central African Republic as part of MINUSCA peacekeeping efforts, and up to 10,000 soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Miscellaneous
Burundi gained independence from Belgian trusteeship in 1962 and transitioned from a monarchy to a republic in 1966. The country experienced ethnic conflicts that were eventually resolved with the 2005 Arusha Agreement.
Religion
Christians constitute 93.9% of the population, with Roman Catholics accounting for 58.6% and Protestants 35.3%. Muslims constitute 3.4%, and other religions or beliefs account for 1.3%. Additionally, 1.3% of the population reports no religious affiliation, according to 2016-17 CIA Factbook estimates.
Weather
Burundi’s equatorial climate is characterized by significant variations on the high plateau, with annual temperatures ranging from 17 to 23°C.
The country receives approximately 150 cm of rainfall annually. The wet seasons occur from February to May and from September to November, while the dry seasons occur from June to August and from December to January.