 Bujumbura, Burundi's largest city | |
| Currency | Burundian franc (BIF, FBu) |
|---|---|
| Calendar year | |
Trade organisations | AU,AfCFTA (signed),WTO |
Country group |
|
| Statistics | |
| GDP | |
| GDP rank | |
GDP growth | |
GDP per capita | |
GDP per capita rank | |
GDP by sector | agriculture (32.9%),industry (21.3%),services (45.8%) (2008[update]) |
| 200% (2024 est.)[4] | |
Population belowpoverty line | 1% (2010[update]) |
Labour force | 4.08 million (2010[update]) |
Labour force by occupation | agriculture (89%),industry (5.3%,services (4.1%) (2002[update]) |
| Unemployment | 90% (2023) |
Main industries | light consumer goods such asblankets,shoes,soap, assembly of imported components, public worksconstruction,food processing Agriculture:coffee,cotton,tea,corn,sorghum,sweet potatoes,bananas,manioc (tapioca);beef,milk,hides |
| External | |
| Exports | $208 million (2022[update]) |
Export goods | coffee,tea,sugar,cotton,hides |
Main export partners |  Germany 15.2% Pakistan 9.3% Kenya 8.5% China 7.8% Sweden 7.3% Belgium 5.3% Canada 4.6% Rwanda 4.5% United States 4.2% (2018 est.)[7] |
| Imports | $1.260 billion (2022[update]) |
Import goods | capital goods,petroleum products, foodstuffs |
Main import partners |  Saudi Arabia 17.3%China 8.1% Uganda 7.8%Belgium 7.2%Kenya 6.9% Zambia 6.7% India 5.6% United Arab Emirates 5.3% (2018 est.)[8] |
Grossexternal debt | $820 million (2010[update]) |
| Public finances | |
| $412.2 million | |
| Revenues | $350.4 million (2018[update]) |
| Expenses | $351.3 million (2017[update]) |
| Economic aid | $90.7 million (2010[update]) |
All values, unless otherwise stated, are inUS dollars. | |
Theeconomy of Burundi is $9.21 billion bygross domestic product as of 2026, being heavily dependent onagriculture, which accounts for 32.9% ofgross domestic product as of 2008.Burundi itself is alandlocked country lacking resources, and with almost nonexistent industrialization. Agriculture supports more than 70% of the labor force, the majority of whom aresubsistence farmers.
Although Burundi is potentially self-sufficient in food production, issues such ascivil unrest,overpopulation, andsoil erosion have contributed to the contraction of thesubsistence economy by 25% in recent years. Large numbers ofinternally displaced persons have been unable to produce their own food and are largely dependent on international humanitarian assistance. Burundi is a net food importer, with food accounting for 17% of imports in 1997. Burundi is aleast developed country according to theUnited Nations.
Burundi produced in 2022:
In addition to smaller productions of other agricultural products, likesorghum (25 thousand tons) andcoffee (17 thousand tons).[9]
Little industry exists except for the processing of agricultural exports. Although potential wealth inpetroleum,nickel,copper, and other natural resources is being explored, the uncertain security situation has prevented meaningful investor interest. Industrial development also is hampered by Burundi's distance from the sea and high transport costs.Lake Tanganyika remains an important trading point. The tradeembargo, lifted in 1999, negatively impacted trade and industry. Since October 1993 the nation has suffered from massive ethnic-based violence which has resulted in the death of perhaps 250,000 people and the displacement of about 800,000 others. Foods, medicines, and electricity remain in short supply.
Burundi is heavily dependent on bilateral and multilateral aid, with external debt totaling $1.247billion (1.247 G$) in 1997. A series of largely unsuccessful 5-year plans initiated in July 1986 in partnership with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund attempted to reform the foreign exchange system, liberalize imports, reduce restrictions on international transactions, diversify exports, and reform the coffee industry.
IMF structural adjustment programs in Burundi were suspended following the outbreak of the crisis in 1993. The World Bank has identified key areas for potential growth, including the productivity of traditional crops and the introduction of new exports, light manufactures, industrial mining, and services. Other serious problems include the state's role in the economy, the question of governmental transparency, and debt reduction.
To protest the1996 coup by PresidentPierre Buyoya, neighboring countries imposed an economic embargo on Burundi. Although the embargo was never officially ratified by theUnited Nations Security Council, most countries refrained from official trade with Burundi. Following the coup, theUnited States also suspended all but humanitarian aid to Burundi. The regional embargo was lifted on January 23, 1999, based on progress by the government in advancing national reconciliation through the Burundi peace process.
In an article titled "The Blood Cries Out,"Foreign Policy (FP) reported that the Burundianpopulation growth rate is 2.5 percent per year, more than double the average global pace, and that a Burundian woman has on average 6.3 children, nearly triple the internationalfertility rate.FP further reported that "The vast majority of Burundians rely on subsistence farming, but under the weight of a booming population and in the long-standing absence of coherent policies governing land ownership, many people barely have enough earth to sustain themselves." In 2014, the average size for a farm was about one acre.FP added that "The consequence is remarkable scarcity: In the 2013Global Hunger Index, Burundi had the severest hunger and malnourishment rates of all 120 countries ranked."[10]
Burundi is one of the least electrified countries in the world, only about 10% of the country's population has access to electricity.[11][12] In 2022, the country produced a total of 565 GWh of electricity, 50% of which was generated viafossil fuels while the other 50% was generated viarenewables.Oil is the main fossil fuel in use, while the renewable energy is sourced primarily fromhydropower and to a much lesser degree fromsolar energy as well asbioenergy. This domestic production however does not fulfil Burundi's demand and it imports sizeable amount of energy from neighbouring countries.[13]
By October 2025, Burundi has faced a severe fuel shortage for nearly five years, accompanied by widespread power outages and drinking-water scarcity that have disrupted daily life in Bujumbura, Gitega and other urban centres. These combined crises have affected households, schools, hospitals and businesses, many of which cannot operate without electricity or fuel. Media outlets have been forced to suspend broadcasts, students struggle to study, and small traders report major financial losses as they are unable to keep goods refrigerated or equipment running. The lack of water has further undermined sanitation, compounding public-health risks such ascholera outbreaks. Economists describe the situation as one of the worst crises in Burundi’s recent history, even compared with the embargo of the 1990s, while residents and civil-society voices continue to call for urgent measures to restore essential services.[14]
The opening of theRusumo Hydroelectric Power Station in 2023 added 27 MW to Burundi’s grid and helped provide the capital city ofGitega with a more reliable power supply, allowing the government to shut down an older oil-fired plant and reduce costs.[15] The power generated will be shared equally among the countries of Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania.[16] Burundi is also developing a much larger hydropower project atRubirizi, expected to produce 160 MW upon completion, which would become the country’s largest power plant and improve electricity access to 7% of the country's population.[15]
The following table shows the main economic indicators in 1980–2024.[17]
| Year | GDP (in bil. US$ PPP) | GDP per capita (in US$ PPP) | GDP (in bil. US$ nominal) | GDP Growth (real) | Inflation rate (in Percent) | Government debt (Percentage of GDP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1.54 | 375 | 0.95 | −6.8% | 1.2% | n/a |
| 1981 | 1.88 | 448 | 0.99 | 12.2% | 12.2% | n/a |
| 1982 | 1.98 | 457 | 1.05 | -1.1% | 5.9% | n/a |
| 1983 | 2.13 | 478 | 1.11 | 3.7% | 8.2% | n/a |
| 1984 | 2.21 | 482 | 1.01 | 0.2% | 14.3% | n/a |
| 1985 | 2.55 | 540 | 1.17 | 11.8% | 3.8% | n/a |
| 1986 | 2.69 | 553 | 1.23 | 3.3% | 1.7% | n/a |
| 1987 | 2.91 | 581 | 1.16 | 5.5% | 7.1% | n/a |
| 1988 | 3.16 | 614 | 1.09 | 5.0% | 4.5% | n/a |
| 1989 | 3.33 | 628 | 1.13 | 1.3% | 11.7% | n/a |
| 1990 | 3.57 | 655 | 1.13 | 3.5% | 7.0% | n/a |
| 1991 | 3.91 | 696 | 1.17 | 5.8% | 9.0% | n/a |
| 1992 | 4.04 | 699 | 1.08 | 1.0% | 1.8% | n/a |
| 1993 | 3.88 | 672 | 0.94 | −6.2% | 9.7% | n/a |
| 1994 | 3.81 | 649 | 0.92 | −3.8% | 14.9% | n/a |
| 1995 | 3.58 | 599 | 1.00 | −7.9% | 19.2% | n/a |
| 1996 | 3.35 | 551 | 0.87 | −8.0% | 26.5% | n/a |
| 1997 | 3.43 | 553 | 0.97 | 0.4% | 31.1% | n/a |
| 1998 | 3.63 | 576 | 0.89 | 4.8% | 12.5% | n/a |
| 1999 | 3.72 | 574 | 0.87 | 1.2% | 3.5% | n/a |
| 2000 | 3.87 | 580 | 0.87 | 1.8% | 25.5% | 136.4% |
| 2001 | 4.03 | 585 | 0.88 | 1.7% | 7.9% | 127.4% |
| 2002 | 4.19 | 590 | 0.83 | 2.4% | -1.3% | 159.1% |
| 2003 | 4.37 | 603 | 0.79 | 2.5% | 10.6% | 172.0% |
| 2004 | 4.66 | 623 | 0.92 | 3.8% | 8.2% | 172.7% |
| 2005 | 5.02 | 668 | 1.12 | 4.4% | 13.3% | 137.0% |
| 2006 | 5.45 | 705 | 1.27 | 5.4% | 2.7% | 130.3% |
| 2007 | 5.79 | 727 | 1.36 | 3.5% | 8.4% | 129.6% |
| 2008 | 6.19 | 752 | 1.61 | 4.9% | 24.4% | 102.5% |
| 2009 | 6.47 | 761 | 1.78 | 3.8% | 10.6% | 25.7% |
| 2010 | 6.88 | 784 | 2.03 | 5.1% | 6.5% | 46.9% |
| 2011 | 7.31 | 808 | 2.24 | 4.0% | 9.6% | 42.7% |
| 2012 | 7.77 | 833 | 2.33 | 4.4% | 18.2% | 41.4% |
| 2013 | 8.30 | 863 | 2.46 | 4.9% | 7.9% | 37.9% |
| 2014 | 8.80 | 888 | 2.71 | 4.2% | 4.4% | 38.0% |
| 2015 | 8.53 | 836 | 3.10 | −3.9% | 5.6% | 39.9% |
| 2016 | 8.56 | 813 | 2.96 | −0.6% | 5.5% | 46.1% |
| 2017 | 8.76 | 806 | 3.17 | 0.5% | 16.6% | 46.9% |
| 2018 | 8.94 | 798 | 3.04 | 1.6% | −2.8% | 53.0% |
| 2019 | 9.55 | 828 | 3.01 | 1.8% | −0.7% | 60.0% |
| 2020 | 9.92 | 836 | 3.09 | 0.3% | 7.3% | 66.0% |
| 2021 | 10.85 | 887 | 3.35 | 3.1% | 8.3% | 66.6% |
| 2022 | 11.83 | 939 | 3.92 | 1.8% | 18.9% | 68.4% |
| 2023 | 12.59 | 970 | 4.24 | 2.7% | 27.0% | 62.4% |
| 2024 | 13.17 | 986 | 4.29 | 2.2% | 20.0% | 86.8% |
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromThe World Factbook (2025 ed.).CIA.
