According to RGPHAE 2024, Burundi had around 12.33 million inhabitants, including approximately 2.34 million agricultural households. Around 1.95 million of these households were in rural areas and about 390,809 in urban areas. The working-age population is growing rapidly and is young; between 2013 and 2020, an estimated 1.5 million people newly entered the labor market. At the same time, the formal market has only a few jobs and a limited skills base. Agriculture employs more than 85% of workers. This includes mainly rain-fed subsistence farming and family farming (agriculture familiale), meaning agricultural family enterprises. In 2020, about 3.7 million own-account agricultural activities were recorded. In 2022, approximately 96% of women and 88% of men worked in agriculture. Around 79% of those working there were unpaid. About 15% of employment was outside agriculture. Opportunities for diversification exist particularly in agricultural value chains, livestock, trade, transport, construction, manufacturing, services, and mining. Formal employment consists mainly of the state and a small private business sector. In 2020, only about 2.4% of employment was formal wage employment; the private formal sector offered fewer than 20,000 wage jobs at that time. An older 2015 survey recorded 6,540 formal enterprises, 80% of them in Bujumbura Mairie. Of these, about 60% were microenterprises and 33% small enterprises. These old regional figures cannot readily be transferred to today's division into five provinces. In 2026, rural initiatives by OBEM and PRODER existed in Ruyigi and Rutana; PACEJ and PAEEJ operate nationwide or in several provinces. Many people earn their livelihoods through self-employment (auto-emploi), informal work (travail informel), or craft activities. The 2023 craft census recorded approximately 13,000 craftspeople; 56% were between 18 and 35 years old and 95% were self-employed. The reported average was about 390 US dollars per year, or 1.50 US dollars per day. These figures describe the survey and are not a generally applicable wage rate. The current statutory minimum wage (SMIG) is being reviewed in 2025; a reliable current amount has not been publicly confirmed. The public employment service (OBEM) brings together public and private job vacancies and applications. In 2026, its placement work and a register of jobs and occupations (Répertoire des emplois et métiers) continued to be validated. Job fairs, such as one in Ngozi, supplement this access. A nationwide digital placement platform with documented coverage has not been established. In the informal sector, personal networks, direct job searches, and building one's own business remain central routes. Skills shortages and mismatches between abilities and available work make entry more difficult. PACEJ combines dual training in vocational training centers (CEM) with practical work at a business. The program targets people aged 15 to 25. It recorded 458 training masters and craftspeople; 200 young people formed the first cohort in agriculture, livestock, tailoring, carpentry, and welding. By 2026, approximately 80,000 young people are to be certified. PAEEJ supports vocational activities, self-employment, and entry into income-generating work. For the first professional internship, requirements include Burundian nationality, a suitable qualification profile, and a maximum age of 35. An internship is not a job and does not guarantee later employment. Working conditions in the formal sector fall under the Labor Code (Code du Travail) and the supervision of the General Inspectorate of Labour and Social Security (Inspection Générale du Travail et de la Sécurité Sociale). The responsible bodies monitor, among other things, working conditions, wages, safety, training, and social protection. Employers must generally register employees with the National Social Security Institute (INSS) no later than eight days after hiring. For pensions, the employer pays 6% and the employee 4%; for occupational risk, the employer pays 3%. Contribution ceilings are 450,000 FBU for pensions and 80,000 FBU for occupational risk. Reporting and payment take place quarterly by the 15th day of the following month; late payments are charged at 1.5% per month. In the informal majority of activities, this social protection often does not operate effectively in practice. Labor market development is shaped by Vision Burundi 2040 and 2060 and by PND 2018–2027. The goals include productive and decent work, stronger private entrepreneurship, agro-industrial value chains, better energy and transport infrastructure, and a digital economy. Land scarcity and subdivision, climate extremes, foreign-currency shortages, weak infrastructure, low productivity, and the dominance of informal activities slow this development. Programs such as Merankabandi and AgriConnect combine productive support, start-up capital, agricultural value chains, and self-employment. Cross-border labor migration is another part of the labor market. In 2026, 64 private recruitment agencies were legally registered; authorities monitored them because of identified violations. Recruitment for work abroad is subject, among other things, to licensing rules under BOB 7/2022. Mobility and recruitment agreements exist with, among others, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Pre-departure information, contract review, legal protection, and return and diaspora issues are part of the preparation. Foreign workers apply for a work permit by submitting a letter to the General Inspector of Labour and Social Security (Inspecteur Général du Travail et de la Sécurité Sociale), together with identification, two passport photographs, a diploma or certificate, and a curriculum vitae. A commission reviews applications weekly. No purchase fee is charged for the permit; however, the employer pays a levy of 3% of the annual gross wage for foreign workers. Refugees are legally allowed to work and establish businesses, but in practice they face, among other things, missing contracts, weaker effective labor protection, and restrictions on storage and mobility. There are no nationally uniform, directly listed fees for access through OBEM or PAEEJ. Training and internships depend on the relevant call or program. A current, comprehensive labor-force survey with reliable provincial data on wages and placement was not demonstrated in the reviewed primary sources. RGPHAE 2024 mainly provides population and agricultural data; regional statements on wages and placement therefore remain limited.
Labor market in Burundi
Burundi's labor market is fragmented. A narrow formal state and private sector faces predominantly informal agriculture, self-employment, craft activities, and cross-border labor migration. More than 85% of workers are employed in agriculture; in 2020, around 79% of agricultural workers were unpaid, while formal wage employment accounted for only a small share. Access to income therefore depends heavily on land, informal learning, practical skills, personal networks, and proximity to businesses or public employment services.
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