Burundi vs Rwanda: Refugee population by country or territory of origin
Burundi
318,291
in 2025
Rwanda
244,415
in 2025
Burundi rank
15th
Rwanda rank
17th
Refugee population by country or territory of origin over time
- Burundi
- Rwanda
How they compare
Burundi currently reports 318,291 against 244,415 in Rwanda, a difference of 73,876.
That makes Burundi's figure about 1.3 times Rwanda's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 56 shared years of data; in 1965 it was Rwanda ahead.
Burundi ranks 15th and Rwanda ranks 17th of 205 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Burundi averaged higher in 3 and Rwanda in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Burundi | Rwanda | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,625 | 157,750 | 156,125 | Rwanda |
| 1970s | 141,181 | 171,133 | 29,952 | Rwanda |
| 1980s | 186,738 | 331,939 | 145,201 | Rwanda |
| 1990s | 418,913 | 645,849 | 226,936 | Rwanda |
| 2000s | 430,074 | 89,366 | 340,708 | Burundi |
| 2010s | 231,269 | 180,833 | 50,436 | Burundi |
| 2020s | 329,650 | 247,870 | 81,780 | Burundi |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugee population by country or territory of origin, Burundi or Rwanda?
- Burundi, at 318,291 against 244,415 in Rwanda as of 2025.
- What is the difference in refugee population by country or territory of origin between Burundi and Rwanda?
- 73,876, with Burundi ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Burundi and Rwanda?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2025.
- How do Burundi and Rwanda rank globally for refugee population by country or territory of origin?
- Burundi ranks 15th and Rwanda ranks 17th of 205 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Refugee population by country or territory of origin. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.