Life expectancy in Burundi
Burundi: Life expectancy was 63.65 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy in Burundi, 1950–2023
Source: Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy in Burundi is 63.65 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 7.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy in Burundi peaked at 63.65 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 25.78 years, in 1972.
Burundi ranks 215th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Life expectancy in Burundi, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 40.94 years | — |
| 1951 | 41.23 years | +0.7% |
| 1952 | 41.48 years | +0.6% |
| 1953 | 41.74 years | +0.6% |
| 1954 | 41.97 years | +0.6% |
| 1955 | 42.17 years | +0.5% |
| 1956 | 42.41 years | +0.6% |
| 1957 | 42.64 years | +0.5% |
| 1958 | 42.87 years | +0.5% |
| 1959 | 43.07 years | +0.5% |
| 1960 | 43.26 years | +0.5% |
| 1961 | 43.36 years | +0.2% |
| 1962 | 43.49 years | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 43.56 years | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 43.6 years | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 41.84 years | -4.0% |
| 1966 | 43.53 years | +4.0% |
| 1967 | 43.33 years | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 43.4 years | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 43 years | -0.9% |
| 1970 | 43.23 years | +0.5% |
| 1971 | 43.17 years | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 25.78 years | -40.3% |
| 1973 | 37.41 years | +45.1% |
| 1974 | 43.34 years | +15.8% |
| 1975 | 43.45 years | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 43.69 years | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 43.97 years | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 44.4 years | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 45.04 years | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 45.73 years | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 46.41 years | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 47.01 years | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 47.43 years | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 47.69 years | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 47.66 years | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 47.4 years | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 47.07 years | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 42.89 years | -8.9% |
| 1989 | 45.75 years | +6.7% |
| 1990 | 45.18 years | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 44.66 years | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 44.47 years | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 37.22 years | -16.3% |
| 1994 | 44.52 years | +19.6% |
| 1995 | 44.59 years | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 44.81 years | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 45.72 years | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 46.68 years | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 47.63 years | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 47.62 years | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 48.51 years | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 49.92 years | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 51 years | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 52.22 years | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 53.05 years | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 53.96 years | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 54.83 years | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 55.58 years | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 56.42 years | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 57.09 years | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 57.8 years | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 58.5 years | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 59.18 years | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 59.76 years | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 60.11 years | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 60.79 years | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 61.35 years | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 61.81 years | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 62.18 years | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 62.57 years | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 62.1 years | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 62.88 years | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 63.65 years | +1.2% |
Burundi compared with similar countries
- Burundi's 63.65 years is above the median for low income countries, which is 63.65 years, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Burundi's 63.65 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.1 years, 99% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Life expectancy in Burundi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | +45.1% | 25.78 years | 37.41 years |
| 1972 | -40.3% | 43.17 years | 25.78 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 42.05 years | 40.94 years | 43.07 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 43.24 years | 41.84 years | 43.6 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 41.35 years | 25.78 years | 45.04 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 46.5 years | 42.89 years | 47.69 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 44.55 years | 37.22 years | 47.63 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 52.31 years | 47.62 years | 56.42 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.86 years | 57.09 years | 62.18 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.8 years | 62.1 years | 63.65 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Burundi
- 212 Guinea-Bissau 64.08 years compare
- 213 Equatorial Guinea 63.71 years compare
- 214 Cameroon 63.7 years compare
- 216 Kenya 63.65 years compare
- 217 Madagascar 63.63 years compare
- 218 Mozambique 63.61 years compare
More health data for Burundi
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.1 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 929.4 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 8,143 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 26 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.736 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0759 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.7548 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy in Burundi?
- Life expectancy in Burundi was 63.65 years in 2023, according to Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy recorded in Burundi?
- The highest recorded value was 63.65 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in Burundi?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.78 years in 1972.
- How does Burundi rank for life expectancy?
- Burundi ranks 215th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy rising or falling in Burundi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Burundi data come from?
- The figures come from Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy is the number of years the average person born in a certain year would live if they experienced the same chances of dying at each age as people did that year.