Burundi’s fuel exports was 1.9% of merchandise exports in 2023.

Neither way is good in itself. A higher share means fuel makes up a bigger slice of goods earnings abroad, which can come from new fuel sales or from weaker exports elsewhere. A lower share means the reverse. The latest figure is 1.9% of merchandise exports in 2023, up from 0.05% of merchandise exports a year earlier, a rise of 1.8 percentage points. Since 2014 the share has ranged from 0% of merchandise exports in 2016 to 1.9% of merchandise exports in 2023, so the latest reading is the highest in that span.

Why it matters. At 1.9% of merchandise exports, fuel is still a small part of what Burundi earns from selling goods abroad, so most of the foreign currency from trade comes from other products. Exporters and the state gain little from fuel at this level. Because the share started from a very low base, a single shipment can move it a long way, and the next annual reading will show whether the 2023 level holds.