Employment rate in Burundi
Burundi: Employment rate was 77.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
77.5%
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
10th
of 186 countries
All-time high
86.7%
in 1991
All-time low
75.0%
in 2006
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Employment rate in Burundi, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Burundi recorded 77.5% for employment rate in 2025.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment rate in Burundi peaked at 86.7% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 75.0%, in 2006.
That places Burundi 10th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment rate in Burundi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 86.7% | — |
| 1992 | 86.2% | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 85.5% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 84.8% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 84.2% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 83.4% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 82.5% | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 81.6% | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 80.8% | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 80.1% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 79.3% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 78.5% | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 77.7% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 76.8% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 76.0% | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 75.0% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 75.8% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 76.6% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 76.9% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 77.2% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 77.3% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 77.4% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 77.6% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 77.7% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 78.3% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 78.8% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 79.1% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 79.1% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 78.9% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 77.7% | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 78.2% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 78.4% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 78.1% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 77.8% | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 77.5% | -0.3% |
Burundi compared with similar countries
- Burundi's 77.5% is above the median for low income countries, which is 64.3%, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Burundi's 77.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 58.8%, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 84.0% | 80.8% | 86.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 77.3% | 75.0% | 80.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 78.2% | 77.2% | 79.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.0% | 77.5% | 78.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Burundi
More work & labour data for Burundi
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.2923 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.2698 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.3134 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 1.39 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 4.44 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 7,183 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 18,579 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 19,365 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 18,509 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 37,874 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment rate in Burundi?
- Employment rate in Burundi was 77.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment rate recorded in Burundi?
- The highest recorded value was 86.7% in 1991.
- What is the lowest employment rate recorded in Burundi?
- The lowest recorded value was 75.0% in 2006.
- How does Burundi rank for employment rate?
- Burundi ranks 10th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rate rising or falling in Burundi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Burundi data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and older) who are employed.