Burundi vs Rwanda
Burundi vs Rwanda: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 42% of GDP in Burundi and 64.7% of GDP in Rwanda, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Rwanda, by 22.7 percentage points, or 1.54 times that in Burundi.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Rwanda has been higher since 2023, when it overtook Burundi.
- In 2025, Burundi ranked 99 and Rwanda ranked 48 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Burundi at 37.5% of GDP and Rwanda at 59.9% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Burundi | Rwanda |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 42 | 64.7 |
| 2024 | 53.8 | 63.4 |
| 2023 | 60.4 | 61.6 |
| 2022 | 68.5 | 59 |
| 2021 | 66.4 | 66.2 |
| 2020 | 65.9 | 66.7 |
| 2019 | 60.1 | 52.8 |
| 2018 | 53 | 49.2 |
| 2017 | 46.9 | 46.1 |
| 2016 | 46.1 | 41.5 |
| 2015 | 39.9 | 33.5 |
| 2014 | 37.9 | 29.5 |
| 2013 | 37.9 | 27 |
| 2012 | 41.4 | 19.3 |
| 2011 | 42.7 | 18.9 |
| 2010 | 46.9 | 19 |
| 2009 | 25.7 | 18.7 |
| 2008 | 102.5 | 18.5 |
| 2007 | 129.6 | 22.4 |
| 2006 | 130.3 | 22.8 |
| 2005 | 137 | 58.9 |
| 2004 | 166.1 | 80.9 |
| 2003 | 159.9 | 79.5 |
| 2002 | 144.8 | 92 |
| 2001 | 113.6 | 84 |
| 2000 | 120 | 86 |
| 1999 | – | 78.4 |
| 1998 | – | 70.1 |
| 1997 | – | 72.2 |
| 1996 | – | 83.5 |
| 1995 | – | 100.8 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Burundi | Rwanda |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 40.4 | 63.4 |
| 2027 | 41.1 | 63.4 |
| 2028 | 39.1 | 63.4 |
| 2029 | 37.6 | 62 |
| 2030 | 37.9 | 61 |
| 2031 | 37.5 | 59.9 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Burundi vs Rwanda
Health
- Life expectancyBurundi: 63.7 years in 2023Rwanda: 67.8 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBurundi: 4.7 per 100 live births in 2024Rwanda: 3.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBurundi: 35.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023Rwanda: 27.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBurundi: 3.72% in 2017Rwanda: 3.87% in 2017
- Suicide rateBurundi: 12.6 per 100,000 people in 2017Rwanda: 11 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBurundi: 13.7 million people in 2023Rwanda: 14 million people in 2023
- Population growthBurundi: 2.71% a year in 2023Rwanda: 2.18% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBurundi: 4.88 births per woman in 2023Rwanda: 3.7 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBurundi: 25.7% in 2025Rwanda: 30.9% in 2025
- Median ageBurundi: 15.9 years in 2023Rwanda: 19.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBurundi: 2.5% in 2023Rwanda: 3.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateBurundi: 0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Rwanda: -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBurundi: 3.24% of GDP in 2025Rwanda: 1.29% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBurundi: $169M in 2025Rwanda: $194M in 2025
- Military spending per personBurundi: $16 in 2025Rwanda: $13 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBurundi: 14.9% of government spending in 2025Rwanda: 4.7% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBurundi: 31,000 people in 2020Rwanda: 35,000 people in 2020
- National powerBurundi: 0.06% of world capability in 2022Rwanda: 0.07% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBurundi: 0.59% of the labour force in 2020Rwanda: 0.7% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBurundi: 2 million TIV in 2019Rwanda: 37 million TIV in 2023