Languages spoken in Burundi
Africa · Capital: Gitega · Population 12.3 million
In Burundi, three languages have official status: Rundi, French, and English. Rundi is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 63% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 7.8 million people. After Rundi, the most widely spoken are French at 59% and English at <0.1%. Rundi belongs to the Niger-Congo language family. Rundi is not recorded in any of Burundi's three neighbours. In total, three languages are recorded in Burundi, and their shares add up to 122% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.2 of them.
What languages are spoken in Burundi?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| RundiNiger-Congo | 63% | Official | 7.8 million |
| FrenchIndo-European | 59% | Official | 7.3 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | <0.1% | Official | 5,673 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Burundi?
In Burundi, three languages have official status: Rundi, French, and English. Rundi is spoken by an estimated 63% of the population, or roughly 7.8 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Rundi in Burundi?
An estimated 63% of Burundi's 12.3 million people speak Rundi, which works out at roughly 7.8 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Burundi
- Capital
- Gitega
- Population
- 12.3 million
- Continent
- Africa
- Area
- 27,834 km²
- Currency
- BIF
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- 3
- ISO codes
- BI / BDI / 108
Which countries border Burundi?
Burundi shares a land border with three countries: Congo - Kinshasa, Rwanda, and Tanzania. None of them records Rundi, the most widely spoken language in Burundi, so the land borders here are also language borders.
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Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.