Niger led Africa in real GDP growth for 2024, achieving an impressive 9.9% growth. This marked a dramatic turnaround from its modest 2.4% growth in 2023. Following Niger are Rwanda (7.0%) and Benin, Ivory Coast, and Djibouti — all at 6.5%. Meanwhile, Nigeria, despite its size and economic significance, recorded a growth rate of 2.9%, falling short of the rapid expansions seen in smaller economies.
Burundi recorded its highest GDP per capita in 2015 ($280.97).
By 2024, GDP per capita dropped to $153.93, a decline of nearly 45% from its peak.
Burundi’s population exceeds 13 million (2024), which dilutes income per person even when overall GDP grows.
Structural challenges like limited industrialization, reliance on subsistence farming, and political instability contribute to stagnation.
Since 2015, Burundi has held the lowest GDP per capita in Africa—and at $153.9 in 2024, it is the poorest country in the world by GDP per capita.