Economy - overview Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly agricultural with roughly 90% of the population dependent on subsistence agriculture. Its economic health depends on the coffee crop, which accounts for 80% of foreign exchange earnings. The ability to pay for imports therefore rests largely on the vagaries of the climate and the international coffee market. Since October 1993 the nation has suffered from massive ethnic-based violence which has resulted in the death of more than 200,000 persons and the displacement of about 800,000 others. Only one in four children go to school, and more than one in ten adults has HIV/AIDS. Foods, medicines, and electricity remain in short supply. Doubts regarding the sustainability of peace continue to impede development. A Geneva donors' conference in November 2001 brought $800 million in pledges, and an IMF-staff-monitored program could lead to a further agreement in 2002.

GDP purchasing power parity - $3.7 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 1.4% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $600 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 50%
industry: 18%
services: 32% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line 70% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3.4%
highest 10%: 26.6% (1992)

Distribution of family income - Gini index 33.3 (1992)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 14% (2001 est.)

Labor force 1.9 million

Labor force - by occupation NA

Unemployment rate NA%

Budget
revenues: $125 million
expenditures: $176 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate 6.3% (1999 est.)

Electricity - production 148 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 0.68%
other: 0% (2000)
hydro: 99.32%
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 166.64 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 29 million kWh
note: supplied by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2000)

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

Exports $24 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)

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

Exports - partners EU 52.5%, US 11.5%, Kenya 11.5%, Switzerland 4.9% (2000 est.)

Imports $125 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)

Imports - commodities capital goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs

Imports - partners EU 37.6%, Tanzania 10.3%, Zambia 4.3%, India 3.4%, China 3.4% (2000 est.)

Debt - external $1.12 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient $74 million (1999)

Currency Burundi franc (BIF)

Currency code BIF

Exchange rates Burundi francs per US dollar - 865.14 (January 2002), 830.35 (2001), 720.67 (2000), 563.56 (1999), 477.77 (1998), 352.35 (1997)

Fiscal year calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Burundi on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Burundi Economy 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Burundi Economy 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.