Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Burundi is 6% bigger than Rwanda.
Burundi: 27,830 km² (2023) · Rwanda: 26,338 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Burundi: 0 km (2026 edition) · Rwanda: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Rwanda’s highest peak towers 1,834 m above Burundi’s.
Burundi: 2,685 m (2026 edition) · Rwanda: 4,519 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Rwanda has 1% more people than Burundi.
Burundi: 14.4 million (2025) · Rwanda: 14.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Rwanda is 5% more densely populated than Burundi.
Burundi: 560 per km² (2025) · Rwanda: 591 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Burundi are 1.3 cm taller than in Rwanda.
Burundi: 167.3 cm (2019) · Rwanda: 166 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Rwanda are 1.6 cm taller than in Burundi.
Burundi: 155.1 cm (2019) · Rwanda: 156.7 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Rwanda is 3.5 years older than in Burundi.
Burundi: 15.9 years (2023) · Rwanda: 19.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Burundi have 1.1 more children on average than in Rwanda.
Burundi: 4.79 children per woman (2024) · Rwanda: 3.65 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
4.0% of people in Rwanda are 65 or older, versus 2.5% in Burundi.
Burundi: 2.5% (2025) · Rwanda: 4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Burundi and Rwanda are practically level.
Burundi: 0 (2025) · Rwanda: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Rwanda has 3 official languages, Burundi 2.
Burundi: 2 (2026) · Rwanda: 3 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Rwanda’s economy is 4.9 times the size of Burundi’s.
Burundi: $3.36 billion (2025) · Rwanda: $16.4 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Rwanda produces 3.3 times as much per person as Burundi.
Burundi: Int$1,248 (2025) · Rwanda: Int$4,164 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Rwanda than in Burundi (Gini 1.9 points higher).
Burundi: 37.5 (2020) · Rwanda: 39.4 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 11% in Rwanda, versus 0.9% in Burundi.
Burundi: 0.9% (2025) · Rwanda: 11.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Burundi spends 3.8% of its GDP on the military, Rwanda 1.2%.
Burundi: 3.8% (2024) · Rwanda: 1.2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Rwanda’s price level (US = 100) is 1.4× Burundi’s.
Burundi: 19% (2025) · Rwanda: 27% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Rwanda spends 87% more on health per person than Burundi.
Burundi: $28 (2023) · Rwanda: $53 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Rwanda live 4.2 years longer than in Burundi.
Burundi: 63.8 years (2024) · Rwanda: 68 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Burundi is 4% more likely to die before turning one than in Rwanda.
Burundi: 30.5 per 1,000 (2024) · Rwanda: 29.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Rwanda has 15% more doctors per person than Burundi.
Burundi: 0.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Rwanda: 0.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
5.2% of adults in Rwanda are obese, versus 4.7% in Burundi.
Burundi: 4.7% (2024) · Rwanda: 5.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
Burundi and Rwanda are practically level.
Burundi: 10.1% (2024) · Rwanda: 10.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Burundi rate their lives 0.51 points higher than in Rwanda.
Burundi: 3.78 (2020) · Rwanda: 3.27 (2021)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Rwanda drink 20% more alcohol than in Burundi.
Burundi: 3.5 litres (2023) · Rwanda: 4.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Rwanda has 81% more meat per person than Burundi.
Burundi: 3.6 kg (2022) · Rwanda: 6.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Rwanda has 707 kcal more food per person per day than Burundi.
Burundi: 1,698 kcal (2022) · Rwanda: 2,405 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Burundi: no data · Rwanda: 1,584 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Rwanda went to school 1.4 years longer than in Burundi.
Burundi: 3.5 years (2023) · Rwanda: 4.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Rwanda welcomed 4.7 times as many tourists per resident as Burundi (2019).
Burundi: 0.03 (2017) · Rwanda: 0.12 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
32% of people in Rwanda are online, versus 8.6% in Burundi.
Burundi: 9% (2024) · Rwanda: 32% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
72% of people in Rwanda have electricity, versus 20% in Burundi.
Burundi: 20.1% (2024) · Rwanda: 72% (2024)
How many live in cities?
31% of people in Rwanda live in cities, versus 26% in Burundi.
Burundi: 26% (2025) · Rwanda: 31% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Rwanda has 93 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Burundi 63.
Burundi: 63 (2023) · Rwanda: 93 (2024)
How much do they fly?
Burundi: no data · Rwanda: 0.11 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Rwanda and Burundi are practically level.
Burundi: 10.9% (2023) · Rwanda: 11.3% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Rwanda emits 2.2 times as much CO₂ as someone in Burundi.
Burundi: 0.1 t (2024) · Rwanda: 0.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
76% of Burundi’s electricity is renewable, versus 50% in Rwanda.
Burundi: 75.5% (2024) · Rwanda: 49.6% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Rwanda carries 3% more fine dust than in Burundi.
Burundi: 40.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Rwanda: 41.8 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 56% more likely to be murdered in Burundi than in Rwanda.
Burundi: 5.6 per 100k (2016) · Rwanda: 3.6 per 100k (2020)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Burundi are 6% deadlier than in Rwanda.
Burundi: 12.3 per 100k (2021) · Rwanda: 11.6 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Burundi is on average 1.1 °C warmer than Rwanda.
Burundi: 21.2°C (2016–2025 avg) · Rwanda: 20.1°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Burundi gets 26% more rain than Rwanda.
Burundi: 1,961 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Rwanda: 1,553 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Burundi bigger than Rwanda?
Burundi is larger. Burundi is 6% bigger than Rwanda.
Which has more people, Burundi or Rwanda?
Rwanda has 1% more people than Burundi (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Burundi or Rwanda?
People in Rwanda live 4.2 years longer than in Burundi. Life expectancy at birth is 63.8 years in Burundi and 68.0 in Rwanda.
Are people taller in Burundi or Rwanda?
Men in Burundi are 1.3 cm taller than in Rwanda (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
