View source for Provinces of Burundi

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{{Politics of Burundi}}
[[Burundi]] is divided into five [[province]]s: [[Buhumuza]], [[Bujumbura Province|Bujumbura]], [[Burunga]], [[Butanyerera]], and [[Gitega Province|Gitega]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Manirakiza |first=Patrick |date=2025-07-06 |title=Burundi’s new Governors sworn in following major provincial reforms |url=https://www.burunditimes.com/burundis-new-governors-sworn-in-following-major-provincial-reforms/ |access-date=2025-07-24 |website=Burundi Times |language=en}}</ref> Prior to 2025, there were 18 provinces.<ref name=":0" />

== History ==
The Belgian colonial administration created provinces in Burundi on September 26, 1960, to replace chiefdoms as part of a series of administrative reforms. There were 18: Bubanza, Bukirasazi, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kitega, Kirundo, Makamba, Muhinga, Muramvya, Mwaro, Mwisale, Ngozi, Ruyigi, Rutana, and Usumbura. The [[Constitution of the Kingdom of Burundi|1962 constitution]] of the [[Kingdom of Burundi]] provided for eight provinces: Bubanza, Bukirasazi, Bururi, Gitega, Muramvya, Muyinga, Ngozi, and Ruyigi.{{sfn|Weinstein|1976|p=241}}

In 2000, the province encompassing Bujumbura was separated into two provinces, Bujumbura Rural and Bujumbura Mairie.<ref name="xlix">[[Burundi#Eggers|Eggers]], p. xlix.</ref> The newest province, [[Rumonge Province|Rumonge]], was created on 26 March 2015 from portions of Bujumbura Rural and Bururi.<ref name="rumong2">{{cite web |last=Nkurunziza |first=Pierre |author-link=Pierre Nkurunziza |date=26 March 2015 |title=LOI N<sup>o</sup> 1/10 DU 26 MARS 2015 PORTANT CREATION DE LA PROVINCE DU RUMONGE ET DELIMITATION DES PROVINCES DE BUJUMBURA, BURURI ET RUMONGE |url=http://www.assemblee.bi/IMG/pdf/10%20du26%20mars%202015.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025102654/http://www.assemblee.bi/IMG/pdf/10%20du26%20mars%202015.pdf |archive-date=25 October 2016 |access-date=14 July 2015 |publisher=Presidential Cabinet, Republic of Burundi}}</ref>

In July 2022, the government of Burundi announced a complete overhaul of the country's territorial subdivisions. The proposed change would reduce the amounts of provinces from 18 to 5, and reduce the amount of communes from 119 to 42. The changes were approved by both the [[National Assembly of Burundi|National Assembly]] and the [[Senate (Burundi)|Senate]] and took effect in 2025 with the new parliamentary elections.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=bdiagnews |date=2022-07-14 |title=Burundi : Proposition - 5 provinces au lieu de 18 et 42 communes au lieu de 119 |url=https://burundi-agnews.org/government/burundi-proposition-5-provinces-au-lieu-de-18-et-42-communes-au-lieu-de-119/ |access-date=2022-07-29 |website=Nouvelles du Burundi - Africa Generation News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2023-01-11 |title=Why Burundi will only have 5 provinces instead of 18? |url=https://regionweek.substack.com/p/why-burundi-will-only-have-5-provinces |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=RegionWeek}}</ref>

With the new administrative division, the country is now made up of 5 provinces : Buhumuza, Bujumbura, Burunga, Butanyerera and Gitega. These provinces are furthermore subdivided into 42 communes, 451 zones and 3044 hills (or districts)<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2023-03-16 |title= Loi Organique N° 1/05 du 16 Mars 2023 portant détermination et délimitation des Provinces, des Communes, des Zones, des Collines et/ou Quartiers  de la République du Burundi.|url=https://www.ceniburundi.bi/loi-organique-n-1-05-du-16-mars-2023-portant-determination-et-delimitation-des-provinces-des-communes-des-zones-des-collines-et-ou-quartiers-de-la-republique-du-burundi |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=CENI Burundi}}</ref>

== Provinces ==

=== Current provinces ===
[[File:Provinces of Burundi 2025.png|thumb|Map of the provinces of Burundi as of 2025.]]
As of July 2025, Burundi has five provinces, each with its own governor.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Burundi: Administrative Division |url=https://citypopulation.de/en/burundi/admin/}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!Province
!Capital
!Population (2024 census)
!Area (km<sup>2</sup>)
!Territorial correspondence with former provinces<ref name=projet>{{cite web |url=https://www.senat.bi/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/PROJET-DE-LOI-ORGANIQUE-PORTANT-DELIM-DES-PROVINCES-DE-1-A-50.pdf |title= Projet de loi organique portant délimitation des provinces, des communes, des zones, des collines/quartiers de la République du Burundi |access-date=27 July 2025 |publisher=[[Senate of Burundi]]}}</ref>
!Governor as of 2025
|-
|[[Buhumuza]]
|[[Cankuzo]]
|2.052.261
|5.931
|[[Cankuzo Province|Cankuzo]], [[Muyinga Province|Muyinga]], [[Ruyigi Province|Ruyigi]]
|Dénise Ndaruhekeye
|-
|[[Bujumbura Province|Bujumbura]]
|[[Bujumbura]]
|3.353.555
|3.937
|[[Bubanza Province|Bubanza]], [[Bujumbura Mairie Province|Bujumbura Mairie]], [[Bujumbura Rural Province|Bujumbura Rural]], [[Cibitoke Province|Cibitoke]], and parts of [[Rumonge Province|Rumonge]] and [[Muramvya Province|Muramvya]]
|Aloys Ndayikengurukiye
|-
|[[Burunga]]
|[[Makamba, Burundi|Makamba]]
|2.118.551
|6.206
|[[Bururi Province|Bururi]], [[Makamba Province|Makamba]], [[Rutana Province|Rutana]], three communes in [[Rumonge Province|Rumonge]], and the zone of Mahwa in [[Gitega Province|Gitega]]
|Parfait Mboninyibuka
|-
|[[Butanyerera]]
|[[Ngozi, Burundi|Ngozi]]
|2.530.206
|4.480
|[[Kayanza Province|Kayanza]], [[Kirundo Province|Kirundo]], [[Ngozi Province|Ngozi]], and parts of [[Muramvya Province|Muramvya]]
|Victor Segasago
|-
|[[Gitega Province|Gitega]]
|[[Gitega]]
|2.278.215
|4.546
|[[Gitega Province|Gitega]] minus the zone of Mahwa, [[Karuzi Province|Karuzi]], [[Mwaro Province|Mwaro]], and parts of [[Muramvya Province|Muramvya]]
|Liboire Bigirimana
|}

=== Former provinces (2015–2025) ===
[[File:Provinces of Burundi 2014 (named).png|thumb|Map of the provinces of Burundi as they existed from 2015 to 2025.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
|-bgcolor=#ACE1AF
!Province
!Capital
!Area <br> (km<sup>2</sup>) <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geohive.com/cntry/burundi_ext.aspx |title=Burundi: administrative units, extended |publisher=GeoHive |access-date=13 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714122552/http://www.geohive.com/cntry/burundi_ext.aspx |archive-date=14 July 2015 }}</ref>
!Population <br> (2008 census)<ref name=statoids>{{cite web |last=Law |first=Gwillim |url=http://www.statoids.com/ubi.html |title=Provinces of Burundi |website=Statoids |access-date=13 July 2015}}</ref>
!Density (per km<sup>2</sup>)
!Communes
|-
|[[Bubanza Province|Bubanza]]
|[[Bubanza]]
|1,089.04
|338,023
|310.4
|5
|-
|[[Bujumbura Mairie Province|Bujumbura Mairie]]
|[[Bujumbura]]
|86.52
|497,166
|5746.3
|13
|-
|[[Bujumbura Rural Province|Bujumbura Rural]]
|[[Isale (commune)|Isale]]<ref name=law2015>{{cite web |last=Nkurunziza |first=Pierre |author-link=Pierre Nkurunziza |url=http://www.assemblee.bi/IMG/pdf/10%20du26%20mars%202015.pdf |title=LOI N<sup>o</sup> 1/10 DU 26 MARS 2015 PORTANT CREATION DE LA PROVINCE DU RUMONGE ET DELIMITATION DES PROVINCES DE BUJUMBURA, BURURI ET RUMONGE |publisher=Presidential Cabinet, Republic of Burundi |date=26 March 2015 |accessdate=14 July 2015 |archive-date=25 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025102654/http://www.assemblee.bi/IMG/pdf/10%20du26%20mars%202015.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|1,059.84
|464,818
|438.6
|9
|-
|[[Bururi Province|Bururi]]
|[[Bururi]]
|1,644.68
|313,102
|190.4
|6
|-
|[[Cankuzo Province|Cankuzo]]
|[[Cankuzo]]
|1,964.54
|228,873
|116.5
|5
|-
|[[Cibitoke Province|Cibitoke]]
|[[Cibitoke]]
|1,635.53
|460,435
|281.5
|6
|-
|[[Gitega Province|Gitega]]
|[[Gitega]]
|1,978.96
|725,223
|366.5
|11
|-
|[[Karuzi Province|Karuzi]]
|[[Karuzi]]
|1,457.40
|436,443
|299.5
|7
|-
|[[Kayanza Province|Kayanza]]
|[[Kayanza]]
|1,233.24
|585,412
|474.7
|9
|-
|[[Kirundo Province|Kirundo]]
|[[Kirundo]]
|1,703.34
|628,256
|368.8
|7
|-
|[[Makamba Province|Makamba]]
|[[Makamba, Burundi|Makamba]]
|1,959.60
|430,899
|219.9
|6
|-
|[[Muramvya Province|Muramvya]]
|[[Muramvya]]
|695.52
|292,589
|420.7
|5
|-
|[[Muyinga Province|Muyinga]]
|[[Muyinga]]
|1,836.26
|632,409
|344.4
|7
|-
|[[Mwaro Province|Mwaro]]
|[[Mwaro]]
|839.60
|273,143
|325.3
|6
|-
|[[Ngozi Province|Ngozi]]
|[[Ngozi, Burundi|Ngozi]]
|1,473.86
|660,717
|448.3
|9
|-
|[[Rumonge Province|Rumonge]]
|[[Rumonge]]
|1,079.72
|352,026
|326.0
|5
|-
|[[Rutana Province|Rutana]]
|[[Rutana]]
|1,959.45
|333,510
|170.2
|6
|-
|[[Ruyigi Province|Ruyigi]]
|[[Ruyigi]]
|2,338.88
|400,530
|171.2
|7
|}

==See also==
*[[Communes of Burundi]]
*[[Collines of Burundi]]
*[[Geography of Burundi]]
*[[List of Burundian provinces by area]]
*[[List of Burundian provinces by population]]
*[[List of Burundian provincial governors]]
*[[ISO 3166-2:BI]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== Works cited ==
* {{cite book| last = Weinstein| first = Warren| title = Historical Dictionary of Burundi| publisher = Scarecrow Press| date = 1976| location = Metuchen| isbn = 978-0-8108-0962-8}}

{{Articles on first-level administrative divisions of African countries}}
{{Provinces of Burundi}}
{{Burundi topics}}

[[Category:Provinces of Burundi| ]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of Burundi]]
[[Category:Lists of subdivisions of Burundi]]
[[Category:Administrative divisions in Africa|Burundi 1]]
[[Category:First-level administrative divisions by country|Provinces, Burundi]]

[[hu:Burundi#Közigazgatási felosztás]]