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Burundi vs Liberia
Side-by-side comparison of Burundi and Liberia from official statistics: size, economy, people, trade, natural resources, health, infrastructure and military, with world ranks, years and sources.
Liberia
Sub-Saharan Africa · nation age 204 years
In short
Liberia scores 24.0 in the NationsTree Index (178th in the world) and Burundi scores 16.8 (193rd), a gap of 7.2 points. Their trees are 2.1 m and 1.7 m tall; tree height grows with real GDP and is adjusted by the index.
Burundi has 2.5 times the population of Liberia. Liberia is 4.0 times larger than Burundi by land area. The economy of Burundi is 58% larger than that of Liberia (GDP at purchasing power parity). Population: Burundi 14.4 million and Liberia 5.7 million (2025).
GDP per person at purchasing power parity is $1,981 in Liberia and $1,248 in Burundi (2025, international dollars). People in Burundi live on average 1.5 years longer (63.8 vs 62.3 years).
Of 28 indicators reported by both countries, Burundi ranks higher in the world on 7 and Liberia on 21. Burundi is clearly stronger in military. Liberia is clearly stronger in environment & energy, institutions & safety and infrastructure & digital.
As a nation, Liberia is the older of the two (statehood since 1822, 204 years), compared with Burundi (since 1962). Over the last five years Liberia improved faster (direction score 64 vs 30 out of 100).
Where they differ most
The indicators with the biggest gap in world position between Burundi and Liberia.
Burundi
755
143rd of 183
Liberiabetter
37,221
15th of 183
Voice & accountabilityInstitutions & safety
Burundi
29.5
183rd of 205
Liberiabetter
58.0
101st of 205
Trade & transport infrastructure quality (LPI)Infrastructure & digital
Burundi
1.95
153rd of 164
Liberiabetter
2.40
96th of 164
Air pollution (PM2.5)Environment & energy
Burundi
35.7
169th of 200
Liberiabetter
17.9
102nd of 200
Political stabilityInstitutions & safety
Burundi
44.0
182nd of 207
Liberiabetter
63.2
125th of 207
Over time
How the two countries moved against each other, from the yearly data.
Liberia overtook Burundi in the NationsTree Index in 2020 and has stayed ahead since.
Burundi overtook Liberia in life expectancy in 2014 and has stayed ahead since.
Liberia overtook Burundi in GDP per person (PPP) in 1997 and has stayed ahead since.
Burundi has been ahead of Liberia in GDP (PPP) and population in every year since 1990.
Strength by category
Average world percentile of the indicators in each category (0–100, direction taken into account). i
BurundiLiberia All indicators
Latest available value for each country with its year and world rank. Green: the better world position of the two, red: the weaker one.
| Indicator | Burundi | Liberia |
|---|---|---|
| Land & people | ||
| Surface area km² | 27,834143rd/216 · 2024 | 111,370104th/216 · 2024 |
| Land area km² | 25,680144th/216 · 2024 | 96,320107th/216 · 2024 |
| Population people | 14.4 m77th/217 · 2025 | 5.7 m116th/217 · 2025 |
| Population growth % | 2.41%25th/217 · 2025 | 2.09%44th/217 · 2025 |
| Population density people/km² | 547.021st/216 · 2024 | 58.3147th/216 · 2024 |
| Urban population % | 25.7%205th/217 · 2025 | 56.1%138th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 0–14 % | 44.0%9th/217 · 2025 | 39.1%28th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 65+ % | 2.5%208th/217 · 2025 | 3.3%183rd/217 · 2025 |
| Economy | ||
| GDP USD | $3.36 bn177th/210 · 2025 | $5.25 bn167th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP (PPP) intl. USD | $17.96 bn153rd/199 · 2025 | $11.35 bn160th/199 · 2025 |
| Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) intl. USD 2021 | $15.35 bn153rd/199 · 2025 | $9.70 bn160th/199 · 2025 |
| GDP per person USD | $234210th/210 · 2025 | $915200th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP per person (PPP) intl. USD | $1,248199th/199 · 2025 | $1,981192nd/199 · 2025 |
| GNI per person (Atlas) USD | $240201st/201 · 2025 | $830190th/201 · 2025 |
| GDP growth % | 4.2%73rd/210 · 2025 | 5.0%51st/210 · 2025 |
| Inflation % | 34.1%174th/180 · 2025 | 8.3%153rd/180 · 2025 |
| Unemployment % | 0.9%5th/187 · 2025 | 2.9%36th/187 · 2025 |
| General government gross debt % of GDP | 42.0%66th/189 · 2025 | 55.1%103rd/189 · 2025 |
| Government budget balance % of GDP | -3.2%114th/192 · 2025 | -2.1%79th/192 · 2025 |
| Main industries | ||
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing % of GDP | 34.3%7th/197 · 2025 | 32.7%10th/197 · 2025 |
| Industry incl. construction % of GDP | 18.2%139th/200 · 2025 | 24.5%91st/200 · 2025 |
| Manufacturing % of GDP | 13.1%64th/192 · 2025 | 2.3%2011 |
| Services % of GDP | 42.1%179th/200 · 2025 | 40.0%186th/200 · 2025 |
| Trade | ||
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 1.9%100th/170 · 2023 | 1.8%103rd/170 · 2023 |
| Manufactures exports % of merchandise exports | 15.2%118th/171 · 2023 | 9.9%133rd/171 · 2023 |
| Food exports % of merchandise exports | 46.0%34th/171 · 2023 | 24.5%59th/171 · 2023 |
| Ores & metals exports % of merchandise exports | 1.9%108th/171 · 2023 | 0.1%166th/171 · 2023 |
| High-tech exports % of manufactured exports | 1.3%144th/168 · 2023 | 0.6%151st/168 · 2023 |
| Current account balance % of GDP | -6.4%156th/191 · 2025 | -7.0%160th/191 · 2025 |
| Foreign direct investment, inflows % of GDP | 1.0%137th/196 · 2025 | 9.5%23rd/196 · 2025 |
| Natural resources | ||
| Natural resource rents % of GDP | 14.0%35th/209 · 2021 | 21.9%21st/209 · 2021 |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 0.00%120th/197 · 2021 | 0.00%120th/197 · 2021 |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 0.00%100th/197 · 2021 | 0.00%100th/197 · 2021 |
| Coal rents % of GDP | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 |
| Mineral rents % of GDP | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 | 5.44%20th/209 · 2021 |
| Forest rents % of GDP | 13.96%3rd/209 · 2021 | 16.48%2nd/209 · 2021 |
| Arable land % of land area | 43.7%10th/206 · 2024 | 5.2%135th/206 · 2024 |
| Renewable freshwater per person m³ | 755143rd/183 · 2022 | 37,22115th/183 · 2022 |
| Tourism | ||
| International tourist arrivals arrivals | 299,000145th/194 · 2017 | — |
| Tourism receipts USD | $3.7 m2011 | $123.0 m2009 |
| Tourism receipts % of exports | 1.6%2011 | 27.1%2009 |
| Outbound trips departures | 35,0002001 | — |
| Society & health | ||
| Life expectancy years | 63.8198th/217 · 2024 | 62.3202nd/217 · 2024 |
| Under-5 mortality per 1,000 births | 47.1163rd/196 · 2024 | 86.4187th/196 · 2024 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people | 0.08169th/174 · 2022 | 0.18149th/174 · 2022 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 people | 0.72014 | 1.698th/145 · 2021 |
| DPT immunization % of children 12–23 months | 89%110th/193 · 2024 | 83%137th/193 · 2024 |
| Completed lower secondary, 25+ % of adults | 9.3%2017 | 35.6%2019 |
| Secondary enrolment % gross | 23.1%171st/173 · 2025 | 37.7%2020 |
| Social protection coverage (incl. pensions) % of population | 9.2%50th/55 · 2019 | 14.3%2016 |
| Old-age dependency ratio % of working-age population | 4.8%203rd/217 · 2025 | 5.8%182nd/217 · 2025 |
| Health spending % of GDP | 9.1%43rd/193 · 2023 | 13.0%6th/193 · 2023 |
| Adult literacy % | 71.3%78th/98 · 2020 | 59.4%2010 |
| Tertiary enrolment % gross | 6.4%145th/150 · 2025 | 10.8%2012 |
| Human Development Index index 0–1 | 0.439187th/193 · 2023 | 0.510177th/193 · 2023 |
| Income inequality (Gini) index | 37.52020 | 35.32016 |
| Extreme poverty % of population | 74.2%2020 | 33.6%2016 |
| Infrastructure & digital | ||
| Access to electricity % of population | 20.1%211th/215 · 2024 | 34.9%207th/215 · 2024 |
| Internet users % of population | 8.6%186th/186 · 2024 | 32.2%166th/186 · 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptions per 100 people | 63188th/210 · 2023 | 32208th/210 · 2022 |
| Fixed broadband per 100 people | 0.0202nd/208 · 2023 | 0.3186th/208 · 2022 |
| Trade & transport infrastructure quality (LPI) score 1–5 | 1.95153rd/164 · 2018 | 2.4096th/164 · 2022 |
| Air passengers carried passengers | 12,0001998 | 32,0001992 |
| Environment & energy | ||
| CO₂ emissions per person t CO₂e | 0.0713th/203 · 2024 | 0.1518th/203 · 2024 |
| Renewable energy % of final energy use | 83.0%10th/212 · 2022 | 92.8%3rd/212 · 2022 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5) µg/m³ | 35.7169th/200 · 2023 | 17.9102nd/200 · 2023 |
| Forest area % of land area | 10.9%167th/214 · 2024 | 66.1%21st/214 · 2024 |
| Institutions & safety | ||
| Government effectiveness score 0–100 | 26.7188th/205 · 2025 | 28.4186th/205 · 2025 |
| Control of corruption score 0–100 | 17.0198th/207 · 2025 | 28.6166th/207 · 2025 |
| Rule of law score 0–100 | 35.0191st/207 · 2025 | 44.6155th/207 · 2025 |
| Political stability score 0–100 | 44.0182nd/207 · 2025 | 63.2125th/207 · 2025 |
| Regulatory quality score 0–100 | 40.6170th/205 · 2025 | 40.6169th/205 · 2025 |
| Voice & accountability score 0–100 | 29.5183rd/205 · 2025 | 58.0101st/205 · 2025 |
| Homicide rate per 100,000 | 5.62016 | 3.12012 |
| Military | ||
| Military expenditure USD | $226.6 m123rd/156 · 2025 | $44.2 m144th/156 · 2025 |
| Military expenditure % of GDP | 3.2%24th/156 · 2025 | 0.9%126th/156 · 2025 |
| Military expenditure % of government spending | 14.9%17th/154 · 2025 | 3.9%111th/154 · 2025 |
| Armed forces personnel people | 31,00087th/170 · 2020 | 2,000154th/170 · 2020 |
| Armed forces personnel % of labour force | 0.59%101st/168 · 2020 | 0.09%163rd/168 · 2020 |
| Arms imports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 2.0 m2019 | 0158th/163 · 2025 |
| Science & innovation | ||
| R&D spending % of GDP | 0.21%2018 | — |
| Patent applications by residents applications | 1126th/137 · 2022 | 2123rd/137 · 2024 |
| Scientific articles articles | 36162nd/197 · 2023 | 32165th/197 · 2023 |
Questions and answers
Which has more people, Burundi or Liberia?
Burundi has the larger population: 14.4 m (2025) compared with 5.7 m for Liberia (2025). Source: World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL.
Which is bigger by area, Burundi or Liberia?
Liberia is larger: 111,370 km² (2024) compared with 27,834 km² for Burundi (2024). Source: World Bank, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2.
Which economy is larger, Burundi or Liberia?
Burundi has the larger economy at purchasing power parity: $17.96 bn intl. (2025) compared with $11.35 bn intl. for Liberia (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD.
Which is richer per person, Burundi or Liberia?
Liberia has the higher GDP per person (PPP): $1,981 intl. (2025) compared with $1,248 intl. for Burundi (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD.
Where do people live longer, in Burundi or Liberia?
Burundi has the higher life expectancy at birth: 63.8 years (2024) compared with 62.3 years for Liberia (2024). Source: World Bank, SP.DYN.LE00.IN.
Which spends more on the military, Burundi or Liberia?
Burundi spends more on the military: $226.6 m (2025) compared with $44.2 m for Liberia (2025). Source: World Bank, MS.MIL.XPND.CD.
Which ranks higher in the NationsTree Index, Burundi or Liberia?
Liberia: 24.0 points (178th in the world); Burundi: 16.8 points (193rd). The index combines foundations, economic strength, quality of life, problems and 5-year direction from public statistics.
Equatorial Guinea
Eswatini
Gambia
Guinea-Bissau
LesothoSources
World Bank World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators, compiling UN agencies, the IMF, WHO, SIPRI and national statistical offices; every row links to its world ranking with the source series. See Sources & licences and Methodology.
Cite as: NationsTree (2026). Burundi vs Liberia — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/burundi-vs-liberia. Data as of 26 October 2026.