Economy - overview Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country in an early stage of economic development. The economy is predominately 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. As part of its economic reform agenda, launched in February 1991 with IMF and World Bank support, Burundi is trying to diversify its agricultural exports, attract foreign investment in industry, and modernize government budgetary practices. Since October 1993 the nation has suffered from massive ethnic-based violence which has resulted in the death of perhaps 100,000 persons and the displacement of a million others. Foods, medicines, and electricity remain in short supply. An impoverished and disorganized government can hardly implement the needed reform programs.

GDP purchasing power parity - $4 billion (1997 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 4.4% (1997 est.)

GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $660 (1997 est.)

GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 56%
industry: 18%
services: 26% (1995 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index 26% (1996 est.)

Labor force
total: 1.9 million
by occupation: agriculture 93.0%, government 4.0%, industry and commerce 1.5%, services 1.5% (1983 est.)

Unemployment rate NA%

Budget
revenues: $222 million
expenditures: $258 million, including capital expenditures of $92 million (1995 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate NA%

Electricity - capacity 43,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - production 158 million kWh (1995)
note: imports some electricity from Democratic Republic of the Congo

Electricity - consumption per capita 32 kWh (1995)

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

Exports
total value: $40 million (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: coffee 81%, tea, cotton, hides
partners: EU 60%, US 7%, Asia 1%

Imports
total value: $127 million (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities: capital goods 26%, petroleum products, foodstuffs, consumer goods
partners: EU 47%, Asia 25%, US 6%

Debt - external $1.1 billion (1995 est.)

Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency 1 Burundi franc (FBu) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates Burundi francs (FBu) per US$1 - 412.59 (January 1998), 352.35 (1997), 302.75 (1996), 249.76 (1995), 252.66 (1994), 242.78 (1993)

Fiscal year calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Burundi on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Burundi Economy 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Burundi Economy 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.