World Sites & Apps
Africa · #142 · 2025–2026

Burundi: internet and everyday apps

Burundi has about 1.6 million people online — a penetration rate of 11.9% and rank #142 worldwide. This page walks through the local digital scene, the app categories people lean on, and 8 apps worth knowing.

Internet users 1.6 million Penetration 11.9% World rank #142 Updated 2026-11-12
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TL;DR
  • Burundi has roughly 1.6 million internet users (1,600,000 people) — about 11.9% of the population and rank #142 globally.
  • The apps people open most: WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. They cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Mobility, News and more.
  • The one to know first: WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

Burundi in numbers

2025–2026
Internet users
1.6 million1,600,000 · #142
Penetration
11.9%#218
Population
13.5 million13,500,000 · #78
GDP
$3B#185
GDP growth
+4.1%#71
GDP per person
$222#219
Land area
27.8k km²#145
Capital
Gitega
Region
Africa
Official languages
Kirundi, French

How Burundi goes online

In Bujumbura, WhatsApp is opened before anything else: family, work, the news from the quartier all arrive through it. Facebook comes second, mostly for news pages and photographs. Mobile wallets are only starting, through services such as Lumicash, and mostly for small amounts. A data bundle weighs heavily on a household budget, so people connect in short bursts, and plenty of them also follow what happens in Rwanda or Tanzania, whose networks feel more familiar than their own.

Around 11.9%. With a population of about 13.5 million and 1.6 million online, roughly 11.9 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

All 8 apps below are grouped by category.

What people actually use

8 Most-used apps

Messaging

1 Most-used apps →
WhatsApp Messaging · Meta · 2009

Social

2 Most-used apps →
Facebook Social · Meta · 2004 Instagram Social · Meta · 2010

Video

2 Most-used apps →
YouTube Video · Google · 2005 TikTok Video · ByteDance · 2016

Shopping

1 Most-used apps →
Jumia Shopping · Jumia Technologies · 2012

Mobility

1 Most-used apps →
Yassir Mobility · Yassir · 2017

News

1 Most-used apps →
BBC News · BBC（英国公共广播机构） · 1997

Websites people in Burundi actually use

10

The 10 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.

News2TV & media1Education1Telecom1Banking1Transport1Mail1Utilities1Government1
IwacuNewsiwacu.biBurundi’s leading independent paper, published in French and Kirundi. IwacuNewsiwacu-burundi.orgThe main independent newspaper. RTNBTV & mediartnb.biThe state broadcaster — television and radio news, also streamed online. University of BurundiEducationub.edu.biBurundi's main public university — faculties, results and the registration calendar for students in Bujumbura. LumitelTelecomlumitel.biBurundi's low-cost mobile network — cheap data bundles, SIM registration and coverage across the provinces. Bank of the Republic of BurundiBankingbrb.biThe central bank. Air BurundiTransportairburundi.biThe national airline. Burundi PostMailposte.biThe national postal service. REGIDESOUtilitiesregideso.biWater and electricity. Burundi Revenue OfficeGovernmentobr.biThe revenue authority.

2808 websites →

Frequently asked questions

6 Q&A
How many people in Burundi are online?

About 1.6 million (1,600,000 people). That works out to roughly 11.9% of the population, which puts Burundi at #142 in the world for total internet users. Figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026, which draws on ITU and national statistics.

Which apps do people in Burundi use most?

Mostly WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Mobility, News. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.

What is the leading Messaging app in Burundi?

WhatsApp dominate this space. The best-known is WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

How high is internet penetration in Burundi?

Around 11.9%. With a population of about 13.5 million and 1.6 million online, roughly 11.9 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

Where do these app facts come from?

Usage figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 (Kepios, based on ITU and national statistics); app details come from each product’s official site. Updated 2026-11-12.

Which websites are most popular in Burundi?

The everyday ones are Iwacu, RTNB, University of Burundi, plus the other 10 sites listed above. They cover news, shopping, search, banking and official paperwork, and every link points to the official site.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-12
Cite this pageWorld Sites & Apps. “Burundi: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/bi-en.html