Share of population living in rural areas in Burundi
Burundi: Share of population living in rural areas was 15.4% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Burundi, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Burundi recorded 15.4% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 43.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Burundi peaked at 65.3% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 15.4%, in 2020.
Burundi ranks 180th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Burundi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 65.3% | — |
| 1955 | 62.7% | -3.9% |
| 1960 | 60.2% | -4.0% |
| 1965 | 57.0% | -5.3% |
| 1970 | 54.1% | -5.2% |
| 1975 | 52.0% | -3.9% |
| 1980 | 48.5% | -6.7% |
| 1985 | 44.2% | -8.8% |
| 1990 | 41.5% | -6.1% |
| 1995 | 39.3% | -5.3% |
| 2000 | 37.0% | -5.9% |
| 2005 | 34.3% | -7.3% |
| 2010 | 27.3% | -20.5% |
| 2015 | 20.9% | -23.6% |
| 2020 | 15.4% | -26.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 64.0% | 62.7% | 65.3% | 2 |
| 1960s | 58.6% | 57.0% | 60.2% | 2 |
| 1970s | 53.0% | 52.0% | 54.1% | 2 |
| 1980s | 46.3% | 44.2% | 48.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 40.4% | 39.3% | 41.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 35.7% | 34.3% | 37.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 24.1% | 20.9% | 27.3% | 2 |
| 2020s | 15.4% | 15.4% | 15.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Burundi
- 177 Netherlands 15.7% compare
- 178 Afghanistan 15.6% compare
- 179 Guam 15.5% compare
- 181 Sri Lanka 15.3% compare
- 182 Iran, Islamic Republic of 15.3% compare
- 183 Philippines 15.2% compare
More population data for Burundi
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.2923 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.4634 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.2923 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.4079 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 24,209 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.47 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2414 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.3% (2100)
- Population density 1,475 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 2.71 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Burundi?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Burundi was 15.4% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Burundi?
- The highest recorded value was 65.3% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Burundi?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.4% in 2020.
- How does Burundi rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Burundi ranks 180th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Burundi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 43.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Burundi data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.