General Human Development Report Burundi 1997

Burundi's first national HDR covers human development issues ranging from poverty and employment to gender equality, environmental degradation, and governance. 90% of Burundi's population resides in rural areas and the country's Human Development Index for 1996 was 0.300, indicating a serious problem with the lack of progress in Burundi's human development. The Report takes a close look at the deteriorating human development situation within the context of the socio-economic crisis that the country has been suffering since October 1993. Regional disparities are also examined through the use of HDI indicators. The Report notes that 70% of public investment in Burundi is externally funded, indicating a grave deficit in national economic growth. The final chapters call on the government of Burundi and the international community to help direct progress towards good governance in order to pull the country out of its state of extreme poverty.