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The Economy of Burundi

Burundian Economy

Burundi's map

Economy - overview: Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly agricultural with more than 90% of the population dependent on subsistence agriculture. Economic growth depends on coffee and tea exports, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings. The ability to pay for imports rests primarily on weather conditions and international coffee and tea prices. The Tutsi minority, 14% of the population, dominates the coffee trade. An ethnic-based war that lasted for over a decade resulted in more than 200,000 deaths, forced more than 48,000 refugees into Tanzania, and displaced 140,000 others internally. Only one in two children go to school, and approximately one in 15 adults has HIV/AIDS. Food, medicine, and electricity remain in short supply. Burundi's GDP grew around 5% annually in 2006-07, before increasing to 6% in 2008. Political stability and the end of the civil war have improved aid flows and economic activity has increased, but underlying weaknesses - a high poverty rate, poor education rates, a weak legal system, and low administrative capacity - risk undermining planned economic reforms. Burundi will continue to remain heavily dependent on aid from bilateral and multilateral donors; the delay of funds after a corruption scandal cut off bilateral aid in 2007 reduced government's revenues and its ability to pay salaries.

GDP:

GDP - real growth rate: 4.5% (2008 est.) 3.6% (2007 est.) 5.1% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita:

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 32.9% industry: 21.3% services: 45.8% (2008 est.)

Population below poverty line:

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.7% highest 10%: 32.8% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 42.4 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

Labor force: 2.99 million (2002)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 93.6% industry: 2.3% services: 4.1% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues: $292.2 million expenditures: $351.3 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2008 est.)

Industries: light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of imported components; public works construction; food processing

Industrial production growth rate: 8% (2008 est.)

Electricity - production: 87 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

Electricity - consumption: 120.9 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports: 40 million kWh; note - supplied by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2007 est.)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption: 2,956 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports: 0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports: 2,635 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Agriculture - products: coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc (tapioca); beef, milk, hides

Exports: $47 million f.o.b. (2008 est.)

Exports - commodities: coffee, tea, sugar, cotton, hides

Exports - partners: Germany 31.3%, Pakistan 6.8%, Belgium 5.8%, Sweden 4.3%, Rwanda 4.3%, France 4.2%, Sudan 4% (2007)

Imports: $307 million f.o.b. (2008 est.)

Imports - commodities: capital goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs

Imports - partners: Saudi Arabia 17%, Kenya 11.4%, Belgium 8.7%, France 6.1%, Uganda 5.4%, Germany 5.4%, India 4.8%, Pakistan 4.2% (2007)

Debt - external: $1.2 billion (2003)

Economic aid - recipient:

Currency:

Currency code:

Exchange rates: Burundi francs (BIF) per US dollar - 1,198 (2008 est.), 1,065 (2007), 1,030 (2006), 1,138 (2005), 1,100.91 (2004)

Fiscal year: