Burundi: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Congo refugees pour into Burundi, conditions dire, says UN • Mar. 7, 2025, 2:13 AM ET (Straits Times)

DR Congo conflict: Men risk drowning to flee conscription by rebels • Mar. 4, 2025, 10:00 PM ET (BBC)

It's been a month since rebels seized an eastern Congo city. Goma residents say they are struggling • Feb. 28, 2025, 9:31 AM ET (AP)

Advance of Rwanda-backed rebels in Congo threatens regional peace, UN officials warn • Feb. 19, 2025, 6:34 PM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As	République du Burundi • Republic of Burundi • Republika y’u Burundi
Head Of Government⁴	Prime minister: Gervais Ndirakobuca
Capital	Gitega⁵
Population	(2025 est.) 13,605,000
Head Of State	President: Evariste Ndayishimiye³, assisted by Vice President: Prosper Bazombanza
Form Of Government	republic with two legislative bodies (Senate [43¹]; National Assembly [121²])
Official Languages	Rundi; French
Official Religion	none
Official Name	Republika y’u Burundi (Rundi); République du Burundi (French) (Republic of Burundi)
Total Area (Sq Km)	27,834
Total Area (Sq Mi)	10,747
Monetary Unit	Burundi franc (FBu)
Population Rank	(2023) 79
Population Projection 2030	13,123,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2025) 1,265.9
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2025) 488.8
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2024) 15.2% • Rural: (2024) 84.8%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2021) 62 years • Female: (2021) 68 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2021) 81% • Female: (2021) 68%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2023) 3,033
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2023) 230
¹Thirty-six seats are indirectly elected; additional seats are designated for the Twa ethnic group (3) and former presidents (4).²Includes 21 appointed or co-opted seats.³After the unexpected death of Pres. Pierre Nkurunziza on June 8, 2020, the inauguration of president-elect Evariste Ndayishimiye was moved up to June 18.⁴The position of prime minister was reinstated under a 2018 constitutional amendment and was filled after the president elected in 2020 took office.⁵The future move of the capital from Bujumbura to Gitega was announced by the president in March 2007. A law passed by Parliament in January 2019 and promulgated by the president the next month formally designated Gitega as the country’s political capital and Bujumbura as the economic capital. The government’s move to Gitega was expected to be concluded in or about 2022; as of September 2024, it was not complete.