Burundi (Republic of Burundi)

https://www.humantruth.info/burundi.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Burundi Republic of Burundi
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	170th best
Capital	Bujumbura
Land Area	25 680km²₁
Location	Africa
Population	11.2m₂
Life Expectancy	61.66yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$0 732 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	BI, BDI, 108₅
Internet Domain	.bi₆
Currency	Franc (BIF)₇
Telephone	+257₈

1. Overview

#rwanda

“Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated in October 1993 after only 100 days in office, triggering widespread ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. More than 200,000 Burundians perished during the conflict that spanned almost a dozen years. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians were internally displaced or became refugees in neighboring countries. An internationally brokered power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated government and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a transition process that led to an integrated defense force, established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a majority Hutu government in 2005. The government of President Pierre NKURUNZIZA, who was reelected in 2010, continues to face many political and economic challenges.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“A pint-sized country with a traumatic past but a forward-looking and welcoming people, Burundi is emerging from the fog of its civil war. Tiny Burundi is an incongruous mix of soaring mountains, languid lakeside communities and a tragic past blighted by ethnic conflict. While similar Hutu-Tutsi conflicts have been soothed in Rwanda by removing historical tribal labels, Burundi has chosen a different path, one of open dialogue and good-hearted debate.
Now the word is out that the war is over, Burundi is receiving a trickle of travellers and the country is safer now than it has been for years. Its steamy capital, Bujumbura, has a lovely location on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, and just outside the city are some of the finest inland beaches on the continent. For those inclined to adventure, its jungle-clad volcanoes offer lung-busting escapades tracking chimpanzees.
Burundians also have an irrepressible joie de vivre, and their smiles are as infectious as a rhythm laid down by any of the Les Tambourinaires drummers for which the country is famous.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Burundi National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
184	Burkina Faso	0.449
185	Mozambique	0.446
186	Mali	0.428
187	Burundi	0.426
188	Central African Rep.	0.404
189	Niger	0.400
190	Chad	0.394
191	S. Sudan	0.385
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
186	Liberia	$1 289
187	Niger	$1 240
188	Mozambique	$1 198
189	Congo, DR	$1 076
190	Somalia	$1 018
191	Central African Rep.	$0 966
192	S. Sudan	$0 768
193	Burundi	$0 732
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
167	Laos	117.2
168	Nauru	117.5
169	Swaziland	117.8
170	Burundi	118.2
171	Guinea	118.6
172	Liberia	118.8
173	Syria	119.1
174	Niger	119.1
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.6
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Burundi's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population:

Burundi's population is predicted to rise to 11.44 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 4.98. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
78	Belgium	11.5m
79	Bolivia	11.4m
80	Cuba	11.3m
81	Burundi	11.2m
82	Haiti	11.1m
83	S. Sudan	11.0m
84	Czechia	10.7m
85	Dominican Rep.	10.6m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
165	Djibouti	62.3
166	Gambia	62.1
167	Afghanistan	62.0
168	Burundi	61.7
169	Angola	61.6
170	Togo	61.6
171	Niger	61.6
172	Kenya	61.4
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
197	Tanzania	4.66
198	Burkina Faso	4.67
199	Benin	4.90
200	Burundi	4.98
201	Nigeria	5.14
202	Angola	5.21
203	Mali	5.87
204	Central African Rep.	5.92
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₅
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
21	Niger	05.8
22=	Congo, DR	05.8
22=	Benin	05.8
24	Burundi	05.9
25=	Liberia	05.9
26	Iraq	06.0
27=	Guinea	06.1
27=	Guinea-Bissau	06.1
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants₁₆
Pos.		2017 %₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
106	Chad	3.3%
107	Tajikistan	3.1%
108	Cape Verde	2.8%
109	Burundi	2.8%
110	Chile	2.7%
111	Micronesia	2.6%
112	Azerbaijan	2.6%
113	Kiribati	2.6%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₇
Pos.		2010 %₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
122	S. Korea	4.3%
123	Belgium	4.2%
124	Syria	4.2%
125	Burundi	4.2%
126	Panama	4.0%
127	Norway	3.8%
128	Bahrain	3.7%
129	Gambia	3.7%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#Burundi #burundi_human_rights #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
176	Central African Rep.	133.1
177	Pakistan	133.7
178	Yemen	134.5
179	Burundi	134.8
180	Guinea	135.5
181	Iran	136.5
	Africa Avg	110.04
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

Burundi is amongst the worst places in the world at ensuring human rights and freedom, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Burundi does better than average in terms of its nominal commitment to Human Rights₁₉. However Burundi performs less well in most areas. It does worse than average in supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₀, supporting press freedom₂₁, opposing gender inequality₂₂ (still good for Africa), freethought₂₃, LGBT equality₂₄ and in its average Freedom in the World rating. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in terms of commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₅ (amongst the lowest in Africa) and in eliminating modern slavery₂₆ (one of the highest in Africa). In 2017, government forces persecuted political opponents, and they and the Imbonerakure "were responsible for numerous killings, disappearances, ab-ductions, acts of torture, rapes, and arbitrary arrests"₂₇ and a Human Rights Council affiliated body stated that it beliefs crimes against humanity have been committed in Burundi since April 2015₂₇

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Burundi

5. Burundi's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #burundi #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)₂₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₈
1	Tunisia	69.2
2	Mauritius	69.2
3	Seychelles	84.8
	...
22	Senegal	144.7
23	Sudan	144.7
24	Swaziland	145.2
25	Burundi	145.3
26	Zimbabwe	145.3
27	Kenya	145.8
28	Congo, (Brazzaville)	146.6
29=	Guinea	148.2
30	Togo	148.2
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)₂₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₈
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
177	Senegal	144.7
178	Sudan	144.7
179	Swaziland	145.2
180	Burundi	145.3
181	Zimbabwe	145.3
182	Kenya	145.8
183	Congo, (Brazzaville)	146.6
184=	Guinea	148.2
	World Avg	96.74
q=212.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₂₉. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₂₉.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₂₉, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₂₉.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Burundi has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Burundi comes in the best 20 in terms of its smoking rate₃₀. It does better than average in terms of its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₁ and in its immunizations take-up₃₂. But, things could still be better. Burundi does worse than average for its alcohol consumption rate₃₃, its adolescent birth rate₃₄ (still low for Africa) and in its average life expectancy₁₁. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in its fertility rate₁₄. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in Burundi in 1990 was the tenth lowest in the world, at 44.9yrs. But it improved greatly, by +17.5yrs, in the 30 years from then, well over double the global average improvement of +7.9yrs. Burundi's peak fertility rate was 7.39 in 1989.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
165	Djibouti	62.3
166	Gambia	62.1
167	Afghanistan	62.0
168	Burundi	61.7
169	Angola	61.6
170	Togo	61.6
171	Niger	61.6
172	Kenya	61.4
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₃
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
108=	Paraguay	7.2
109	Mongolia	7.4
110=	Albania	7.5
110=	Burundi	7.5
110=	Italy	7.5
110=	Norway	7.5
114	Kazakhstan	7.7
115=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	7.8
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
197	Tanzania	4.66
198	Burkina Faso	4.67
199	Benin	4.90
200	Burundi	4.98
201	Nigeria	5.14
202	Angola	5.21
203	Mali	5.87
204	Central African Rep.	5.92
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better₃₀
Pos.		2014₃₀
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
16	Afghanistan	84
17	Lesotho	88
18	Trinidad & Tobago	97
19	Burundi	98
20	Tanzania	101
21	Liberia	104
22	Niger	105
23	Sao Tome & Principe	111
	Africa Avg	340
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₁
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
71	Liberia	71
72	Kazakhstan	72
73	Egypt	73
74=	Burundi	74
74=	Cameroon	74
76	Malta	76
77	Guatemala	77
78	Sri Lanka	78
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2016 %₃₅
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
7	Cambodia	21.7
8=	Niger	22.0
8=	Eritrea	22.0
10	Burundi	22.2
11	Uganda	22.4
12	Afghanistan	23.0
13	Chad	23.1
14	Burkina Faso	23.2
	Africa Avg	33.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₄
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
123	Haiti	51.8
124	Seychelles	52.1
125	Yemen	52.5
126	Burundi	52.6
127	Mexico	53.7
128	Cape Verde	54.0
129	Papua New Guinea	54.3
130	El Salvador	54.5
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₃₂
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₂
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
90	Serbia	93.5
91	Egypt	93.4
92	Cape Verde	93.4
93	Burundi	93.3
94	Chile	93.3
95	Georgia	93.1
96	New Zealand	92.9
97	Nauru	92.9
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Burundi's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #burundi #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)₃₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₆
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
4	Madagascar	52.4
5	Nigeria	55.8
6	Rwanda	56.4
7	Uganda	57.8
8	Kenya	57.9
9	Mauritius	58.1
10	Ghana	58.6
11	Tunisia	60.1
12	Niger	61.3
13	Tanzania	61.6
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₃₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₆
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
4	Morocco	46.5
5	Puerto Rico	47.1
6	Burundi	47.8
7	Nepal	47.9
8	India	49.5
9	Philippines	49.6
10	Costa Rica	49.7
11	Denmark	50.4
12	Mali	51.0
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

" Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

One of the best in Africa Burundi comes 6th-best in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is derived from 6 data sets. Burundi does the second-best in reducing annual meat consumption per person₃₇. It comes in the best 20 when it comes to its forested percent change 2000-2020₃₈ and in energy to GDP efficiency₃₉. It does better than average when it comes to the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₀. But, things could still be better. Burundi does worse than average in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. And finally, it is the worst in its environmental performance₄₁.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₃₈
Pos.		Total₃₈
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
4	Burundi	44.2%
5	Uruguay	43.8%
6	Montenegro	32.1%
7	Malta	31.4%
8	Cuba	31.0%
9	Kuwait	28.9%
10	Uzbekistan	23.3%
11	Algeria	23.1%
12	China	23.0%
	Africa Avg	-8.7%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

After a period of inaction, from 2010 to 2020 Burundi put in some serious effort, and restored its forest cover, adding 44%, and setting an important example for the rest of Africa, and the world.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₁
Pos.		2018₄₁
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
173	Lesotho	33.8
174	Haiti	33.7
175	Madagascar	33.7
176	Nepal	31.4
177	India	30.6
178	Congo, DR	30.4
179	Bangladesh	29.6
180	Burundi	27.4
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₃₉
Pos.		2022 Avg₃₉
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
4	Uganda	0.37
5	Sierra Leone	0.37
6	Malawi	0.37
7	Madagascar	0.38
8	Sri Lanka	0.39
9	Burundi	0.41
10	Central African Rep.	0.41
11	Ethiopia	0.42
12	Afghanistan	0.43
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
130	Congo, (Brazzaville)	53%
131	Jamaica	53%
132	Mali	53%
133	Burundi	53%
134	Iceland	53%
135	Samoa	52%
136	Zimbabwe	52%
137	Suriname	52%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₄₀
Pos.		2011 %₄₀
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
56	Yemen	43.2%
57	Sri Lanka	43.1%
58	Djibouti	42.8%
59	Burundi	42.0%
60	Zambia	41.9%
61	Singapore	41.6%
62	Ukraine	41.5%
63	Jordan	41.4%
	Africa Avg	38.3%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₃₇
Pos.		2021 kg₃₇
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
4	Madagascar	05.4
5	India	05.7
6	Nigeria	07.0
7	Ethiopia	07.1
8	Rwanda	07.6
9	Mali	07.8
10	Niger	08.1
11	Afghanistan	08.7
12	Uganda	09.4
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

In the 2010s, Burundi had the lowest meat consumption per person in the world.₃₇

7. Burundi's Modernity and Learning

#burundi #capitalism #corruption #economics #education #extremism #health #human_development #inequality #intelligence #life_expectancy #modernity #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #research #science #social_development #technology #terrorism #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)₄₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₂
1	S. Africa	56.9
2	Tunisia	70.8
3=	Mauritius	79.6
	...
41	Comoros	147.0
42=	Mauritania	147.0
43	Djibouti	148.0
44	Burundi	148.5
45=	Gambia	155.6
46	Equatorial Guinea	156.7
47	Central African Rep.	160.3
48	Chad	162.1
49	Niger	164.1
	Africa Avg	120.19
q=53.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₄₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₂
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
175=	Mauritania	147.0
176	Afghanistan	147.7
177	Djibouti	148.0
178	Burundi	148.5
179	Solomon Islands	154.5
180=	Haiti	155.6
180=	Gambia	155.6
182	Equatorial Guinea	156.7
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₃. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₃. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₄.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₄₅

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₃, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₃.

For more, see:

" Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education:

In 2001, education in Burundi was the fourth-shortest in the world - the average person could expect just over 4.5 years; just one third of what to expect in most of the rest of the world. In the 2000s, it successfully increased its expected duration of education by over 5 years, more than any other country in that decade, although in 2009 its populace were still three years short of the global average of 12.6 years. ₄₆

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₄₇
2	Israel	4.11₄₇
3	Japan	3.58₄₇
	...
103=	Georgia	0.13₄₈
103=	Gambia	0.13₄₉
105	Tajikistan	0.12₅₀
106=	Burundi	0.12₄₉
107	Madagascar	0.11₄₉
108=	Philippines	0.11₅₁
108=	Myanmar (Burma)	0.11₅₂
110	Peru	0.10₅₃
	Africa Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better₅₄
Pos.		2018₅₄
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
162	Mali	13.1%
163	Papua New Guinea	12.5%
164	Bhutan	12.0%
165	Guinea	11.7%
166	Burundi	9.3%
167	Burkina Faso	8.8%
168	Niger	6.6%
169	Chad	6.0%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₅₅
Pos.		2021 Years₅₅
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
151	Myanmar (Burma)	10.9
152	N. Korea	10.8
153	Benin	10.8
154	Burundi	10.7
155	Kenya	10.7
156	Ivory Coast	10.7
157	Jordan	10.6
158	Guinea-Bissau	10.6
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₁
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
68	Lebanon	68
69	Senegal	69
70	China	70
71	Burundi	71
72	Tunisia	72
73	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	73
74	Chile	74
75	Argentina	75
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

IQ Higher is better₅₆
Pos.		2006₅₆
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
118=	Malawi	69
118=	Niger	69
118=	Mali	69
118=	Burundi	69
118=	Nigeria	69
123	Chad	68
124=	Burkina Faso	68
124=	Somalia	68
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better₅₇
Pos.		2016₅₇
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
194	Myanmar (Burma)	3%
195	Sierra Leone	2%
196	Niger	2%
197	Guinea	2%
198	Somalia	2%
199	Burundi	2%
200	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1%
201	Eritrea	1%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

8. Burundi's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

Compared to Africa (2020)₅₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₈
1	Mauritius	48.3
2	Sao Tome & Principe	67.7
3	Tunisia	74.9
	...
44	Angola	122.2
45	Sudan	122.7
46	Equatorial Guinea	123.0
47	Burundi	123.1
48	Comoros	130.7
49	Chad	132.1
50	Congo, DR	133.7
51	Central African Rep.	137.1
52	S. Sudan	137.8
	Africa Avg	101.84
q=53.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)₅₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₈
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
168	Angola	122.2
169	Sudan	122.7
170	Equatorial Guinea	123.0
171	Burundi	123.1
172	Syria	124.9
173	Yemen	130.3
174	Comoros	130.7
175	Chad	132.1
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

"Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture:

Burundi has a consistently awful long-term record on corruption, one of the worst in the world.

Corruption Higher is better₅₉
Pos.		2022 Points₅₉
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
172	N. Korea	17.0
173=	Libya	17.0
173=	Haiti	17.0
173=	Burundi	17.0
176	Yemen	16.0
177	Venezuela	14.0
178=	S. Sudan	13.0
178=	Syria	13.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₁
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
156	Iraq	156
157	Iran	157
158	Gabon	158
159	Central African Rep.	159
160	Burundi	160
161	Rwanda	161
162	Congo, DR	162
163	Libya	163
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₁
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
89	Central African Rep.	89
90	Botswana	90
91	Guinea-Bissau	91
92	Burundi	92
93	Mozambique	93
94	Guinea	94
95	Ivory Coast	95
96	Peru	96
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better₆₀
Pos.		2023 Score₆₀
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
125=	Zimbabwe	2.30
126	India	2.31
127	Guinea	2.36
128	Burundi	2.39
129	Haiti	2.40
130	S. Africa	2.41
131	USA	2.45
132	Brazil	2.46
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₁
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
122	Guinea	122
123	Israel	123
124	Malta	124
125	Burundi	125
126	Barbados	126
127	Chad	127
128	Montenegro	128
129	Dominican Rep.	129
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₁
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
147	El Salvador	147
148	Bahamas	148
149	Marshall Islands	149
150	Burundi	150
151	Zimbabwe	151
152	Grenada	152
153	Angola	153
154	Guyana	154
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₆₁
Pos.		2019 Score₆₁
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
115	France	5.01
116	Indonesia	5.07
117	Nepal	5.09
118	Burundi	5.10
119	Palestine	5.18
120	Bangladesh	5.21
121	Saudi Arabia	5.24
122	Ethiopia	5.35
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₆₂
Pos.		2019₆₂
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
156	Sudan	27.40
157	Afghanistan	28.30
158=	Gambia	28.50
158=	Burundi	28.50
160	Comoros	28.90
161=	Liberia	29.80
161=	Mozambique	29.80
163	Pakistan	29.90
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₆₃
Pos.		2023 %₆₃
1	Slovakia	24.1%₆₄
2	Slovenia	24.3%₆₄
3	Belarus	24.4%₆₅
	...
100	Solomon Islands	37.1%₆₆
101=	Chad	37.4%₆₇
101=	Burkina Faso	37.4%₆₄
103	Burundi	37.5%₆₅
104	Sri Lanka	37.7%₆₈
105=	Israel	37.9%₆₄
105=	Togo	37.9%₆₄
107	Gabon	38.0%₆₉
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Burundi - only for 4 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₇₀
Pos.		2018 Severity₇₀
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
89	Benin	.368
90	Guinea-Bissau	.372
91	Congo, DR	.389
92	Burundi	.403
93	Mozambique	.411
94	Madagascar	.453
95	Mali	.457
96	Central African Rep.	.465
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion

Disbelief In God (2007)₇₁
Pos.		Higher is better %₇₁
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
86=	Panama	1
87	Somalia	0
88=	Sri Lanka	0
88=	Burundi	0
88=	Burkina Faso	0
88=	Brunei	0
88=	Botswana	0
88=	Syria	0
88=	Sierra Leone	0
88=	Thailand	0
88=	Togo	0
88=	Benin	0
88=	Tunisia	0
88=	Uganda	0
88=	Bangladesh	0
88=	UAE	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₇₂:

Christian	91.5%
Muslim	2.8%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	5.7%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Christian 82.8% (Roman Catholic 61.4%, Protestant 21.4%), Muslim 2.5%, Adventist 2.3%, other 6.5%, unknown 5.9% (2008 census)₇₃.

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