Burundi

Location

• Central Africa, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, west of Tanzania
• landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote headstream of the White Nile

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Bujumbura	769,317
Gitega	64,904	Capital
Ngozi	61,716
Rumonge	55,599
Cibitoke	36,959
Kayanza	33,682
Bubanza	30,996
Vyanda	29,685
Zanandore	27,867
Gatumba	18,104

Size

• 10,745 square miles
• 27,830 square kilometers
• slightly smaller than Maryland

History

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.

Climate

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)

Terrain

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

Languages

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

Religions

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.)

Government

presidential republic

• Constitution: history: several previous, ratified by referendum 28 February 2005amendment 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
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: mixed legal system of Belgian civil law and customary law
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE (since 18 June 2020)head of government: Prime Minister Nestor NTAHONTUYE (since 5 August 2025)                cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by presidentelection/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 Parliamentmost recent election date: 20 May 2020election 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%expected date of next election: May 2027
• Judicial Branch: 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 termssubordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; County Courts; Courts of Residence; Martial Court; Commercial Court
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Parliament (Parlement)legislative structure: bicameral

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• 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
• Budget: revenues: $713.694 million (2021 est.)expenditures: $737.898 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
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone
• Industries: light consumer goods (sugar, shoes, soap, beer); cement, assembly of imported components; public works construction; food processing (fruits)
• Agricultural Products: cassava, bananas, sweet potatoes, beans, maize, vegetables, potatoes, rice, sugarcane, fruits (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 82.8% (2022 est.)arable land: 50.4% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 13.6% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 18.8% (2022 est.)forest: 10.9% (2022 est.)other: 6.3% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: fertilizers, cement, packaged medicine, plastic products, cars (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: Tanzania 26%, China 15%, Uganda 10%, Kenya 10%, India 6% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: gold, coffee, tea, tin ores, iron bars (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: UAE 59%, Uganda 8%, China 5%, Germany 5%, USA 3% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports