Burundi

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. <br><br>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.

Land

25,680 sq km

Total

27,830 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)

Africa

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)

Border countries

Democratic Republic of the Congo 236 km; Rwanda 315 km; Tanzania 589 km

number of neighbors

3

Total

1,140 km

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.)

arable land

51.45%

Forest

10.9% (2023 est.)

Other

5.2% (2023 est.)

permanent crops

13.63%

Yes

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), <em>(Mediterranean Sea)</em> Nile (3,254,853 sq km)

Google Maps

https://goo.gl/maps/RXPWoRrB9tfrJpUG7

OpenStreetMap

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/195269

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

Eastern Africa

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

UTC+02:00

number of time zones

1

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)

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.)

35.91 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Men married by age 18

1.4% (2017)

Women married by age 15

2.8% (2017)

Women married by age 18

19% (2017)

52.8%

28.3% (2024 est.)

58.2% (2017 est.)

5.51 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

adult female

219 per 1,000

adult male

286 per 1,000

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.)

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 (% GDP)

4.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

14.4% national budget (2025 est.)

5 % of GDP

Hutu, Tutsi, Twa, South Asian

2.43 (2025 est.)

9 % of GDP

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

9.1% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

4.7% of national budget (2022 est.)

0.14%

Female

31.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

39.7 deaths/1,000 live births

neonatal

20 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

35.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Kirundi (official), French (official), English (official, least spoken), Swahili (2008 est.)

Major-language sample(s)

<br>Igitabo Mpuzamakungu c'ibimenyetso bifatika, isoko ntabanduka ku nkuru z'urufatiro. (Kirundi)<br><br>The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Note

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

number of languages

2

Female

70.3 years

Male

66 years

Total population

68.1 years (2024 est.)

Female

66.2% (2020 est.)

Male

78.2% (2020 est.)

Total population

71.4% (2020 est.)

1.207 million BUJUMBURA (capital) (2023)

392 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Female

18.7 years

Male

18 years

Total

17.6 years (2025 est.)

21.5 years (2016/17 est.)

note

<strong>note:</strong> data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Adjective

Burundian

Noun

Burundian(s)

-0.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

5.4% (2016)

0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Female

6,834,646

Male

6,755,456

Total

13,590,102 (2024 est.)

2.96% (2025 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: 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.)

Female

10 years (2018 est.)

Male

10 years (2018 est.)

Total

10 years (2018 est.)

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.)

Female

4.3% (2025 est.)

Male

14% (2025 est.)

Total

9.1% (2025 est.)

4.94 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Rate of urbanization

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

Urban population

14.8% of total population (2023)

measles

86%

5 provinces: Buhumuza, Bujumbura, Burunga, Butanyerera, Gitega

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)

Note

<strong>note:</strong> 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

Time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

svg

https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/bi.svg

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

alternative spellings

BI, Republic of Burundi, Republika y'Uburundi, République du Burundi

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; <em>ba</em>- is the prefix for the people, and <em>bu</em>- is the prefix for the country; the former name, Urundi, is the Swahili version

FIFA code

BDI

Former

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

Local long form

R&eacute;publique du Burundi (French)/ Republika y'u Burundi (Kirundi)

local long form (fra)

République du Burundi

Local short form

Burundi

Chief of mission

Ambassador Lisa PETERSON (since 27 June 2024)

Email address and website

<br>BujumburaC@state.gov<br><br>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&nbsp; 20521-2100

Telephone

[257] 22-207-000

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<br><br>Burundi Embassy Washington D.C. (burundiembassy-usa.com)

FAX

[1] (202) 342-2578

Telephone

[1] (202) 342-2574

Cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by president

Chief of state

President Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE (since 18 June 2020)

Election results

<br><em>2020: </em>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%<br><br><em>2015:</em> 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)               <br><br><br> <br>

Most recent election date

20 May 2020

<strong>description:</strong> 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<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> 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

The flag of Burundi is divided by a white diagonal cross into four alternating triangular areas of red at the top and bottom, and green on the hoist and fly sides. A white circle, with three green-edged red six-pointed stars arranged to form a triangle, is superimposed at the center of the cross.

svg

https://flagcdn.com/bi.svg

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

Legislative structure

bicameral

Legislature name

Parliament (Parlement)

Chamber name

National Assembly (Inama Nshingamateka)

Electoral system

proportional representation

Expected date of next election

June 2030

Most recent election date

6/5/2025

Note

<strong>note:</strong> 60% of seats in the National Assembly are allocated to Hutus and 40% to Tutsis; 3 seats are reserved for Twas; 30% of total seats are reserved for women

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

Chamber name

Senate (Inama Nkenguzamateka)

Expected date of next election

July 2030

Most recent election date

7/23/2025

Note

<strong>note:</strong> 3 seats in the Senate are reserved for Twas, and 30% of all votes are reserved for women

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

red, white, green

Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

lion

Council for Democracy and the Sustainable Development of Burundi or CODEBU <br>Front for Democracy in Burundi-Sahwanya or FRODEBU-Sahwanya <br>National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD-FDD <br>National Congress for Liberty or CNL <br>National Liberation Forces or FNL <br>Union for National Progress (Union pour le Progress Nationale) or UPRONA 

Monday

18 years of age; universal

Yes

cassava, bananas, sweet potatoes, beans, maize, vegetables, potatoes, rice, sugarcane, fruits (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Expenditures

$737.898 million (2021 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Revenues

$713.694 million (2021 est.)

code

BIF

name

Burundian franc (BIF) [Fr]

$-474,985,726

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.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$1.02 billion

Debt - external 2023

$805.174 million (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> 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

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 2021

$302.752 million (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$333.637 million (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$378.229 million (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

gold, coffee, tea, tin ores, iron bars (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

UAE 59%, Uganda 8%, China 5%, Germany 5%, USA 3% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

net inflows

$33.32 million

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.)

Note

<strong>note:</strong> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Agriculture

25.3% (2023 est.)

Industry

9.6% (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Services

49% (2023 est.)

$2.162 billion (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

$219

38.6 (2013)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2020

37.5 (2020 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

$3.09 billion

$260

Highest 10%

29.9% (2020 est.)

Lowest 10%

2.9% (2020 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports 2021

$1.166 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$1.42 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$1.433 billion (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

fertilizers, cement, packaged medicine, plastic products, cars (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Tanzania 26%, China 15%, Uganda 10%, Kenya 10%, India 6% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

-0.2% (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> 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)

20.21%

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.)

Note

<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

6.107 million (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total

6.31 million persons

agriculture

85.34%

industry

3.1%

services

11.56%

51% (2020 est.)

note

<strong>note:</strong> % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt 2016

48.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

$16.79 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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.)

4.11%

Note

<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

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.)

$1,195

Note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2022

$800 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$800 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$800 (2024 est.)

$236.89 million

Note

<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

6.1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

4.9% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

7.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

$90.35 million

Note

<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

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.)

14 % of GDP

13 % of GDP

15.6% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

note

<strong>note:</strong> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

0.92%

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2022

1% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

1% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

1% (2024 est.)

Female

1.2% (2024 est.)

Male

2.1% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Total

1.6% (2024 est.)

Consumption

1,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Imports

10,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

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.)

Electrification - rural areas

1.7%

Electrification - total population

10.3% (2022 est.)

Electrification - urban areas

64%

Biomass and waste

1.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Fossil fuels

31.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectric

59.57%

Hydroelectricity

66.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear

0%

renewable

61.3%

Solar

0.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

946,000 Btu/person (2023 est.)

Refined petroleum consumption

6,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

83%

per 100 inhabitants

0 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

Total

3,000 (2023 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

Percent of population

11% (2023 est.)

+257

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

Total subscriptions

14,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100

63 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

63 (2023 est.)

Total subscriptions

8,646,690 (2023 est.)

6 (2025)

9U

Right

RU

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<br><br>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)

Burundi National Defense Force (BNDF; Force de Defense Nationale du Burundi, FDNB): Land Force (Army), Naval Force, Air Force, Specialized Units<br><br>Ministry of Interior, Community Development, and Public Security: Burundi National Police (Police Nationale du Burundi, PNB) (2024)

active duty personnel

31,000

note

<strong>note:</strong> 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

percent of total labor force

0.59 %

limited available information; estimated 25-30,000 active-duty Defense Force troops (2025)

770 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); up to 10,000 Democratic Republic of the Congo (2025)

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)

4 % of GDP

current USD

$171,829,785

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.)

percent of central government expenditure

12.50 %

percent of GDP

3.80 % of GDP

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (2025)

IDPs

92,174 (2024 est.)

Refugees

91,164 (2024 est.)

Stateless persons

791 (2024 est.)

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.)

soil erosion from overgrazing and agricultural expansion; deforestation; wildlife habitat loss

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

26.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

8 % of total land area

2 % of total

12.536 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

3 % of internal resources

Agricultural

222 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Industrial

15 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal

43.1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal solid waste generated annually

1.872 million tons (2024 est.)

Percent of municipal solid waste recycled

7.1% (2022 est.)