Review on Human Capital Development in Burundi - Knowledge, Challenges, Policies and Strategies - Executive Summary - July 2020

Jul 19, 2026

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Executive Summary (July 2020) reviews human capital development in Burundi through the World Bank’s Human Capital Project, defining human capital as the knowledge, skills, and health conditions that enable individuals to realize full potential and become productive members of society. It presents Burundi’s human capital index position, explains key health and education determinants of productivity, and analyzes major challenges and obstacles identified for an accelerated plan. The review highlights opportunities and policy gaps across child survival, education quality and duration, and the survival and quality of life of people aged 15–60.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

Executive Summary

Introduction

The Development of Human Capital in Burundi: Programmatic Priority in the Burundian National Development Plan (PND 2018-2027)

Situation: the human capital index in Burundi

Context of human capital development in Burundi

Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Republic of Burundi World Bank Group Knowledge, Challenges, Policies and Strategies. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY July 2020 REVIEW ON HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT IN BURUNDI: KNOWLEDGE, CHALLENGES, POLICIES AND STRATEGIES EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. INTRODUCTION The Human Capital (HC) Project launched by the World Bank Group is a global initiative to accelerate the accumulation of human capital (HC) by seeking to identify and support more effective investments and policies. The World Bank’s operations aim to protect and invest in people for the future. According to the World Bank, HC consists of knowledge, skills, and health conditions that individuals accumulate throughout their life and which enables them to realize their full potential by becoming productive members of society (HC Project) . The project will help countries build their HC and improve the means of measuring it. Since November 2018, Burundi quickly joined the World Bank Initiative for the Development of HC and thus became an "early adopter". From that date, Burundi benefited in this context from multifaceted support from the World Bank. This review offers: (i) first to present the situation and context prevailing in Burundi in terms of HC as a priority program. It then aims (ii) to describe the challenges and major obstacles to the development of HC, as they were identified by the Multisectoral Committee in a provisional version of the Accelerated Plan that was developed. In order to contribute to the establishment of this HC development plan, (iii) a desk review including references on existing policies, strategies and projects will highlight the opportunities to leverage and the gaps that decisive programs will need to address in the areas of (1) child survival (nutrition); (2) the quality and duration of education and training and finally; (3) the survival and quality of life of 15-60 year old people. This plan will include: (iv) the assessment stage, It will also; (v) examine the means and methods implemented for communicating and raising awareness on programs, and the issue of funding. The last part will identify gaps and suggests recommendations for addressing these gaps the way forward. 2. THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN CAPITAL IN BURUNDI: PROGRAMMATIC PRIORITY IN THE BURUNDIAN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (PND 2018-2027) 2.1. Situation: the human capital index in Burundi. The Human Capital Index (HCI) is a multisectoral and holistic concept. The HCI combines five measures of HC into a single index to quantify the contribution of health and education to the productivity of the next generation of workers. It is an indicator of current development success, as well as a measure of acountry's lost development potential. It is made up of five indicators: (i) the probability of survival to a certain age (five years); (ii) the expected years of schooling of a child; (iii) harmonized test scores (as a measure of the quality of learning); (iv) adult survival rate (fraction of people aged 15 who will survive to age 60) and; (v) the proportion of children who are not stunted. In 2017, Burundi ranked 138th out of 157 countries for the Human Capital Index, slightly below the average for Sub-Saharan Africa (0.46-source: World Bank) but slightly above the average for its income group. A child born in Burundi today will have only 39 percent of the productivity he would have had if he had received a full education and good health. Table 1: Components and measure of HCI for Burundi between 2012 et 2017 Source: WB estimations, 2018 | Component and Indicators | 2012 | Burundi 2020 | Max. Maxi | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Indicator 1 – Child Survival | | | | | ■ Probability of survival to 5 years ■ Contribution the productivity of the next generation of workers. (A) | 0.92 0.92 | 0.94 0.94 | (0-1) | | Indicator 2 – Schooling | | | | | ■ Expected years of schooling of a child | 6.6 | 7.6 |

FAQs

What is the purpose of the Human Capital Project referenced in the executive summary?

The project aims to accelerate the accumulation of human capital by identifying and supporting more effective investments and policies, helping countries build human capital and improve how it is measured.

How does the Human Capital Index (HCI) quantify human capital in Burundi?

The HCI combines five measures—child survival to age 5, expected years of schooling, harmonized test scores, adult survival to age 60, and the proportion of children not stunted—into a single index reflecting health and education’s contribution to future worker productivity.

Which main areas does the review plan to address for human capital development in Burundi?

The review focuses on child survival (including nutrition), the quality and duration of education and training, and the survival and quality of life of people aged 15–60.

Jul 19, 2026

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