Urban population in Burundi
Burundi: Urban population was 3.70 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population in Burundi, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
In 2025, urban population in Burundi stood at 3.70 million. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.0% on the previous year and up 128.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in Burundi peaked at 3.70 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 50,823, in 1960.
Burundi ranks 116th of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban population in Burundi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 50,823 | — |
| 1961 | 54,575 | +7.4% |
| 1962 | 58,562 | +7.3% |
| 1963 | 62,516 | +6.8% |
| 1964 | 67,154 | +7.4% |
| 1965 | 72,109 | +7.4% |
| 1966 | 77,321 | +7.2% |
| 1967 | 83,006 | +7.4% |
| 1968 | 88,961 | +7.2% |
| 1969 | 95,115 | +6.9% |
| 1970 | 101,655 | +6.9% |
| 1971 | 108,872 | +7.1% |
| 1972 | 113,730 | +4.5% |
| 1973 | 118,563 | +4.2% |
| 1974 | 126,827 | +7.0% |
| 1975 | 135,531 | +6.9% |
| 1976 | 144,371 | +6.5% |
| 1977 | 154,164 | +6.8% |
| 1978 | 165,013 | +7.0% |
| 1979 | 175,759 | +6.5% |
| 1980 | 190,404 | +8.3% |
| 1981 | 206,114 | +8.3% |
| 1982 | 219,667 | +6.6% |
| 1983 | 234,518 | +6.8% |
| 1984 | 249,646 | +6.5% |
| 1985 | 264,902 | +6.1% |
| 1986 | 280,088 | +5.7% |
| 1987 | 297,078 | +6.1% |
| 1988 | 314,566 | +5.9% |
| 1989 | 331,868 | +5.5% |
| 1990 | 350,134 | +5.5% |
| 1991 | 368,630 | +5.3% |
| 1992 | 389,514 | +5.7% |
| 1993 | 387,550 | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 399,927 | +3.2% |
| 1995 | 434,851 | +8.7% |
| 1996 | 445,350 | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 455,590 | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 475,068 | +4.3% |
| 1999 | 497,911 | +4.8% |
| 2000 | 520,450 | +4.5% |
| 2001 | 546,743 | +5.1% |
| 2002 | 576,713 | +5.5% |
| 2003 | 611,074 | +6.0% |
| 2004 | 652,005 | +6.7% |
| 2005 | 696,561 | +6.8% |
| 2006 | 744,445 | +6.9% |
| 2007 | 797,651 | +7.1% |
| 2008 | 859,617 | +7.8% |
| 2009 | 939,323 | +9.3% |
| 2010 | 1.03 million | +9.6% |
| 2011 | 1.12 million | +9.1% |
| 2012 | 1.23 million | +9.6% |
| 2013 | 1.35 million | +10.0% |
| 2014 | 1.49 million | +10.0% |
| 2015 | 1.62 million | +8.9% |
| 2016 | 1.76 million | +8.3% |
| 2017 | 1.91 million | +9.0% |
| 2018 | 2.10 million | +9.6% |
| 2019 | 2.30 million | +9.8% |
| 2020 | 2.51 million | +9.2% |
| 2021 | 2.74 million | +8.8% |
| 2022 | 2.97 million | +8.6% |
| 2023 | 3.22 million | +8.4% |
| 2024 | 3.49 million | +8.2% |
| 2025 | 3.70 million | +6.0% |
Burundi compared with similar countries
- Burundi's 3.70 million is below the median for low income countries, which is 6.96 million, 53% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Burundi's 3.70 million is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.82 million, 77% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 71,014 | 50,823 | 95,115 | 10 |
| 1970s | 134,448 | 101,655 | 175,759 | 10 |
| 1980s | 258,885 | 190,404 | 331,868 | 10 |
| 1990s | 420,452 | 350,134 | 497,911 | 10 |
| 2000s | 694,458 | 520,450 | 939,323 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.59 million | 1.03 million | 2.30 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.11 million | 2.51 million | 3.70 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Burundi
- 113 Sierra Leone 4.05 million compare
- 114 Malawi 3.91 million compare
- 115 Togo 3.81 million compare
- 117 Turkmenistan 3.59 million compare
- 118 Ireland 3.54 million compare
- 119 Mauritania 3.27 million compare
More climate change data for Burundi
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 7.92 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,926 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 717.2 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,209 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 2.71 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 43.18 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 253.56 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 122.17 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 131.4 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.461 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population in Burundi?
- Urban population in Burundi was 3.70 million in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in Burundi?
- The highest recorded value was 3.70 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in Burundi?
- The lowest recorded value was 50,823 in 1960.
- How does Burundi rank for urban population?
- Burundi ranks 116th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population rising or falling in Burundi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 128.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Burundi data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.