  In this paper the current status of \gamma-ray observations of starburst
galaxies from hundreds of MeV up to TeV energies with space-based instruments
and ground-based Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) is
summarised. The properties of the high-energy (HE; 100 MeV < E < 100 GeV) and
very-high-energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) emission of the archetypical starburst
galaxies M 82 and NGC 253 are discussed and put into context with the HE
\gamma-ray emission detected from other galaxies that show enhanced
star-formation activity such as NGC 4945 and NGC 1068. Finally, prospects to
study the star-formation - \gamma-ray emission connection from Galactic systems
to entire galaxies with the forthcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) are
outlined.
