Burundi Population
Burundi had an estimated population of 14,390,003 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 77th most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.18% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of +2.41% a year.
Burundi at a glance
How Burundi's population is changing
Burundi's population is growing fast: +2.41% a year, which works out to about +346,352 people per year, or +948 a day. Births (33.2 per 1,000) and deaths (6.7 per 1,000) alone would give +2.65% a year; net migration removes about 34,727 people a year (−0.24%). Roughly one in every 571 people on Earth lives in Burundi.
Population of Burundi since 1960
In 1960, Burundi had 2,764,258 people. By 2025 that was 14,390,003 — 5.2× larger. The fastest growth came between 2003 and 2013, when the population rose by 48%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2,764,258 | — |
| 1970 | 3,530,432 | +27.7% |
| 1980 | 4,383,706 | +24.2% |
| 1990 | 5,587,052 | +27.5% |
| 2000 | 6,470,194 | +15.8% |
| 2010 | 9,376,444 | +44.9% |
| 2020 | 12,617,036 | +34.6% |
| 2025 | 14,390,003 | +14.1% |
Burundi from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put Burundi at about 899,097 people in 1800; the UN estimates 14,390,015 in 2025 (16× 1800) and projects 37,873,955 for 2100 in its medium scenario. That is still 163% growth over the rest of this century.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 899,097 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 1,402,560 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 1,627,830 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 2,254,942 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 6,470,196 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 14,390,015 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 24,131,721 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 32,760,372 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 37,873,955 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in Burundi
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 14,390,003. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bujumbura | 1,246,960 | UN urban centre | 8.67% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Gitega | 198,363 | UN urban centre | 1.38% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 3 | Ngozi | 167,196 | UN urban centre | 1.16% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 4 | Rumonge | 107,773 | UN urban centre | 0.75% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 5 | Mpanda | 58,913 | GeoNames settlement | 0.41% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 6 | Cibitoke | 36,959 | GeoNames settlement | 0.26% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 7 | Kayanza | 33,682 | GeoNames settlement | 0.23% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 8 | Cendajuru | 32,458 | GeoNames settlement | 0.23% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 9 | Bubanza | 30,996 | GeoNames settlement | 0.22% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 10 | Vyanda | 29,685 | GeoNames settlement | 0.21% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How Burundi compares
Burundi has almost the same population as Rwanda (14,569,341).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs Burundi | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #75 |  Benin | 14,814,460 | +3% | compare → |
| #76 |  Rwanda | 14,569,341 | +1% | compare → |
| #78 |  Bolivia | 12,581,843 | −13% | compare → |
| #79 |  Tunisia | 12,348,573 | −14% | compare → |
Compare Burundi with any country →
Same region (Sub-Saharan Africa): Nigeria, Ethiopia, DR Congo, Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya.
Explore around Burundi
Land neighbours (3)
DR Congo 112,832,473 · 7.8× the population · compare
Tanzania 70,545,865 · 4.9× the population · compare- Rwanda 14,569,341 · about the same population · compare
Burundi's 3 neighbours together hold 197,947,679 people — 13.8× Burundi's population. The most populous is DR Congo (112,832,473).
In its region
Burundi is the 27th most populous of the 48 economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, holding 1.1% of the region's 1,321,654,217 people.
Rankings featuring Burundi
- Fastest-growing countries #25
- Highest birth rates #17
- Highest fertility rates #8
- Youngest populations (share aged 0–14) #9
- Most densely populated countries #22
Cities
Bujumbura, Gitega, Ngozi, Rumonge, Mpanda, Cibitoke, Kayanza, Cendajuru — all Burundi's cities on the map.
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About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
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.