Burundi vs Rwanda
Rwanda has about the same population as Burundi: 14,569,341 vs 14,390,003, a gap of 179,338. Burundi is growing faster (+2.41% vs +2.17% a year), adding about 346,352 people a year against +316,180. Using continuous exponential growth from the stated base year, if these rates held, Burundi would overtake Rwanda in about 5 years (from the 2025 population bases, around 2030) — a projection, not a forecast. Rwanda is the older society: 4.0% aged 65+ against 2.5% in Burundi, while Burundi has more children (44.0% under 15 vs 37.0%). People in Rwanda live 4.2 years longer on average (68.0 vs 63.8). GDP per capita is 4.8× higher in Rwanda ($1,124 vs $234).
Country/territory population bases: World Bank 2025 (Burundi) and 2025 (Rwanda); growth years 2025 / 2025. Annual source values, not live counts; years may differ. Growth is national, not local.
Burundi vs Rwanda — side by side
 Burundi |  Rwanda | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,390,0032025 | 14,569,3412025 |
| Growth rate / yr | +2.41%2025 | +2.17%2025 |
| Births per 1,000 | 33.22024 | 28.12024 |
| Deaths per 1,000 | 6.72024 | 5.92024 |
| Children per woman | 4.792024 | 3.652024 |
| Life expectancy | 63.8 yrs2024 | 68.0 yrs2024 |
| Aged 0–14 | 44.0%2025 | 37.0%2025 |
| Aged 65+ | 2.5%2025 | 4.0%2025 |
| Density | 533.1 /km²2023 | 565.6 /km²2023 |
| Area | 27,830 km²2023 | 26,338 km²2023 |
| Urban population | 25.7%2025 | 30.9%2025 |
| Net migration / yr | -34,7272025 | +6,2822025 |
| GDP per capita | $2342025 | $1,1242025 |
| Country population rank (available records) | #77 | #76 |
| Base / world population (World Bank 2025) | 0.18% | 0.18% |
Highlighted cell = the higher value (not "better"). Small print under each value is its own data year. Source: World Bank; country/territory population bases may have different years. These are not live counts.
Population since 1960
World Bank population history (not the separate UN WPP timeline). Burundi: 5.2× from 1960 to 2025; Rwanda: 4.8× from 1960 to 2025. Left: absolute population. Right: each series indexed to its own first available year = 100; baseline years may differ.
More comparisons
Region: Sub-Saharan Africa · rankings
Burundi: Burundi vs Guinea, Burundi vs Benin, Burundi vs Rwanda, Burundi vs Bolivia, Burundi vs Tunisia, Burundi vs South Sudan.
Rwanda: Rwanda vs Zimbabwe, Rwanda vs Guinea, Rwanda vs Benin, Rwanda vs Burundi, Rwanda vs Bolivia, Rwanda vs Tunisia.
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This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.