In this paper, progress on some of the key Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets for the two poorest provinces of Burundi namely Cibitoke and Kirundo are measured. Primary data, using a survey as research instrument, was collected for 4,839 households and 21,501 individuals. Results show more than 98% of the population in those regions are monetary poor while 28.7% are multi-dimensionally poor. Other areas where high deprivation rates were observed are in SDG 2 (Zero hunger), SDG 3 (Good health), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Access to Mobile Phones) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). The provinces are doing relatively better in SDG 8 relating to “employment and decent work for all” with unemployment rate of less than 1% and child labour rate of about 9%. Although, it is found that none of the communes from the two studied provinces is doing well in the SDG indicators, the Bugabira commune in Kirundo is the poorest and most deprived of all almost consistently across the analysis. Further, not much difference was observed across wealth quintiles because almost everyone in the two provinces is poor; the “richest” quintile is doing comparatively better than the other four quintiles but not by a high percentage. Gender inequality is also observed across indicators such as school enrollment, adult literacy rates, and ICT skills, in which men are more privileged than women. Based on the findings, the report suggests a set of contextualised recommendations to improve the socioeconomic well-being of the inhabitants of Cibitoke and Kirundo.
