Burundi: Broad money to total reserves ratio

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Burundi's broad money to total reserves ratio rose 5.07 on 2022 (from 11.92 to 17).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +0.36 and a typical year strayed about 2.87 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.6 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 6.74 in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 8.38 in 2021. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 1.13 a year. A straight line explains 55% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Burundi had the 3rd highest value of the 11 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Burundi in the 2023 ranking

• Zimbabwe — 1st of 11: 34.79
• Congo, Rep. — 3rd of 11: 6.08
• Barbados — 4th of 11: 4.39
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 5th of 11: 4.04

What this measures

Broad money is the sum of all liquid financial instruments held by money-holding sectors that are widely accepted in an economy as a medium of exchange, plus those that can be converted into a medium of exchange at short notice at, or close to, their full nominal value. Reserve assets are external assets, including monetary gold, that are readily available to and controlled by monetary authorities for meeting balance of payments financing needs, for intervention in exchange markets to affect the currency exchange rate, and for other related purposes (such as maintaining confidence in the currency and the economy, and serving as a basis for foreign borrowing). Reserve assets must be denominated and settled in foreign currency. This indicator is expressed as a ratio (a÷b).

All 60 values

Broad money to total reserves ratio in nearby economies

• Angola — 1.24 (2025)
• Botswana — 2.46 (2024)
• Cabo Verde — 2.29 (2025)
• Cameroon — 2.47 (2018)
• Central African Republic — 2.09 (2022)
• Chad — 12.75 (2021)
• Comoros — 1.6 (2025)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 2.99 (2023)
• Congo, Rep. — 6.08 (2023)
• Equatorial Guinea — 1.11 (2023)
• Eswatini

More financial sector data for Burundi

• GDP deflator (base year varies by country) — 718.81 (2025)
• DEC alternative conversion factor (LCU per US$) — US$5,336 (2025)
• Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) — US$2,943 (2025)
• Inflation, GDP deflator (annual % growth) — 18.22% (2025)
• Domestic credit to private sector by banks (% of GDP) — 37.89% (2025)
• Net foreign assets (current LCU) — -2.26 trillion (2025)
• Monetary sector credit to private sector (% of GDP) — 38.54% (2025)
• Broad money (current LCU) — 8.01 trillion (2025)
• Broad money (% of GDP) — 44.6% (2025)
• Claims on central government, etc. (% of GDP)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Burundi's broad money to total reserves ratio?

17 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1964?

It is up 704.01% from 2.11 in 1964 (3.6% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 17 in 2023 and the lowest 0.79 in 1977.

How does Burundi rank?

3rd highest of 11 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in broad money to total reserves ratio unusual for Burundi?

In 2023, Burundi's broad money to total reserves ratio rose 5.07 on 2022 (from 11.92 to 17). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +0.36 and a typical year strayed about 2.87 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.6 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator FM.LBL.BMNY.IR.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.