What every visitor should know about Burundi:

Money
The currency is the Burundian franc (BIF). 1000 BIF is worth about US$0.82, or €0.58.
Crime
CrimeSafe Travel Score™: 2.5 out of 5 (Use caution)

Areas of concern:

  • Mugging
  • Armed robbery is frequent
  • Carjacking
  • Banditry on rural roads
Capital
Bujumbura
Tap water
Very dangerous. Water-borne disease is widespread and purification is unreliable. Drink boiled or bottled water only.

Burundi facts and figures:

People

Population
8,988,091
Language
Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)
Ethnicity
Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%, Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000

Economy

GDP
US$400 (per capita)
Income equality
Moderate
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