Living in Cities in Burundi: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

At MYRIAD, we examine the statistics of human lives to understand how communities shift across generations. For Burundi, the story across three centuries is measured by the share of the population living in urban areas. This metric captures a profound reorganization of daily existence, tracing how families moved from dispersed rural settlements toward denser towns and cities. Behind each percentage point lies a fundamental change in how people work, build homes, and gather together.

The historical arc of this urbanization unfolds gradually across the decades. In the 1800s estimate, living in cities in Burundi stood at 4 percent, slowly climbing through 1810s estimate at 4.2 percent, 1820s estimate at 4.4 percent, 1830s estimate at 4.6 percent, 1840s estimate at 4.8 percent, and 1850s estimate at 5 percent. The progression continued steadily through 1860s estimate at 5.2 percent, 1870s estimate at 5.4 percent, 1880s estimate at 5.6 percent, and 1890s estimate at 5.8 percent, reaching 1900s estimate at 6 percent. Growth accelerated through the mid-century marks at 1910s estimate (7 percent), 1920s estimate (8 percent), 1930s estimate (9 percent), 1940s estimate (10 percent), 1950s (11 percent), 1960s (15 percent), 1970s (19 percent), 1980s (23 percent), 1990s (27 percent), 2000s (31 percent), and 2010s (36 percent). In the 2020s, living in cities in Burundi stands at 41 percent, ranking #116 of 157 countries. Projections point toward the future through 2030s projection (43 percent), 2040s projection (45 percent), 2050s projection (47 percent), 2060s projection (49 percent), 2070s projection (51 percent), 2080s projection (53 percent), 2090s projection (55 percent), and 2100s projection (57 percent).

For anyone born in Burundi, these shifting figures mean navigating a world where the physical landscape of home is constantly being redrawn. You experience an environment that is steadily becoming more urbanized, altering the proximity of neighbors, markets, and opportunities with every passing decade. Every value is a statistical fact about the lives actually lived there, framing the physical spaces you inhabit. Keep exploring to see Where do YOU rank among everyone ever born? ->