As part of the joint UMUSEKE Programme, the Burundi League for Human Rights “Iteka” and King Umurundi Freedom conducted an analysis of the salary situation of Burundi’s civil servants.
The study, covering 103,510 civil servants, highlights a significant decline in purchasing power, substantial salary disparities, and a concerning gap between public servants’ incomes and the actual cost of living.
According to the analysis, 84.17% of civil servants earn a maximum of 500,000 BIF per month, while the minimum budget estimated to cover the essential needs of a household of eight people is 1,473,500 BIF per month.
Published in August 2026, the report also highlights significant salary disparities, with monthly salaries ranging from less than 70,000 BIF to more than 8.5 million BIF.
This situation raises serious concerns regarding purchasing power, social justice, civil servants’ motivation, and the quality of public services.
The two organizations, represented respectively by Anschaire NIKOYAGIZE and Vianney NIZIGIYIMANA, call on the Burundian authorities to undertake a progressive and sustainable reform of the public-sector salary policy in order to improve civil servants’ living conditions, reduce salary disparities, and safeguard the quality of public services.