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Africa
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An ancient crossroads for various migrations, Uganda has as many as 65 ethnic groups that speak languages from three of Africa’s four major linguistic families. As early as 1200, fertile soils and regular rainfall in the south fostered the formation of several large, centralized kingdoms, including Buganda, from which the country derives its name. Muslim traders from Egypt reached northern Uganda in the 1820s, and Swahili merchants from the Indian Ocean coast arrived in the south by the 1840s. The area attracted the attention of British explorers seeking the source of the Nile River in the 1860s, and this influence expanded in subsequent decades with the arrival of Christian missionaries and trade agreements; Uganda was declared a British protectorate in 1894. Buganda and other southern kingdoms negotiated agreements with Britain to secure privileges and a level of autonomy that were rare during the colonial period in Africa. Uganda's colonial boundaries grouped together a wide range of ethnic groups with different political systems and cultures, and the disparities between how Britain governed southern and northern areas compounded these differences, complicating efforts to establish a cohesive independent country.
Uganda gained independence in 1962 with one of the more developed economies and one of the strongest education systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, but it descended within a few years into political turmoil and internal conflict that lasted more than two decades. In 1966, Prime Minister Milton OBOTE suspended the constitution and violently deposed President Edward MUTESA, who was also the king of Buganda. Idi AMIN seized power in 1971 through a military coup and led the country into economic ruin and rampant mass atrocities that killed as many as 500,000 civilians. AMIN’s annexation of Tanzanian territory in 1979 provoked Tanzania to invade Uganda, depose AMIN, and install a coalition government. In the aftermath, Uganda continued to experience atrocities, looting, and political instability and had four different heads of state between 1979 and 1980. OBOTE regained the presidency in 1980 through a controversial election that sparked renewed guerrilla warfare, killing as an estimated 300,000 civilians. Gen. Tito OKELLO seized power in a coup in 1985, but his rule was short-lived, with Yoweri MUSEVENI becoming president in 1986 after his insurgency captured the capital. MUSEVENI is widely credited with restoring relative stability and economic growth to Uganda but has resisted calls to leave office. In 2017, parliament removed presidential age limits, making it possible for MUSEVENI to remain in office for life.
East-Central Africa, west of Kenya, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
01°00' N, 32°00' E
Africa
Total : 241,038 km²
Land: 197,100 km²
Water: 43,938 km²
Slightly more than two times the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oregon
Area comparison map:
Total: 2,729 km
Border countries (5): Democratic Republic of the Congo 877 km; Kenya 814 km; Rwanda 172 km; South Sudan 475 km; Tanzania 391 km
0 km (landlocked)
None (landlocked)
Tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast
Mostly plateau with rim of mountains
Highest point: Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley 5,110 m
Lowest point: Albert Nile 614 m
Copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land, gold
Agricultural land: 71.2% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 34.3% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 11.3% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 25.6% (2018 est.)
Forest: 14.5% (2018 est.)
Other: 14.3% (2018 est.)
105 km² (2013)
Fresh water lake(s): Lake Victoria (shared with Tanzania and Kenya) - 62,940 km²; Lake Albert (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo) - 5,590 km²; Lake Kyoga - 4,430 km²; Lake Edward (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo) - 2,150 km²
Nile (shared with Rwanda [s], Tanzania, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt [m]) - 6,650 km
Note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 km²), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 km²)
Population density is relatively high in comparison to other African nations; most of the population is concentrated in the central and southern parts of the country, particularly along the shores of Lake Victoria and Lake Albert; the northeast is least populated as shown in this population distribution map
Droughts; floods; earthquakes; landslides; hailstorms
Landlocked; fertile, well-watered country with many lakes and rivers; Lake Victoria, the world's largest tropical lake and the second largest freshwater lake, is shared among three countries: Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda
Total: 49,283,041
Male: 24,040,560
Female: 25,242,481 (2024 est.)
Comparison rankings: female 30; male 31; total 31
Noun: Ugandan(s)
Adjective: Ugandan
Baganda 16.5%, Banyankole 9.6%, Basoga 8.8%, Bakiga 7.1%, Iteso 7%, Langi 6.3%, Bagisu 4.9%, Acholi 4.4%, Lugbara 3.3%, other 32.1% (2014 est.)
English (official language, taught in schools, used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts), Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages and the language used most often in the capital), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili (official), Arabic
Protestant 45.1% (Anglican 32.0%, Pentecostal/Born Again/Evangelical 11.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.7%, Baptist .3%), Roman Catholic 39.3%, Muslim 13.7%, other 1.6%, none 0.2% (2014 est.)
Uganda has one of the youngest and most rapidly growing populations in the world; its total fertility rate is among the world’s highest at close to 5.5 children per woman in 2022. Except in urban areas, actual fertility exceeds women’s desired fertility by one or two children, which is indicative of the widespread unmet need for contraception, lack of government support for family planning, and a cultural preference for large families. High numbers of births, short birth intervals, and the early age of childbearing contribute to Uganda’s high maternal mortality rate. Gender inequities also make fertility reduction difficult; women on average are less-educated, participate less in paid employment, and often have little say in decisions over childbearing and their own reproductive health. However, even if the birth rate were significantly reduced, Uganda’s large pool of women entering reproductive age ensures rapid population growth for decades to come.
Unchecked, population increase will further strain the availability of arable land and natural resources and overwhelm the country’s limited means for providing food, employment, education, health care, housing, and basic services. The country’s north and northeast lag even further behind developmentally than the rest of the country as a result of long-term conflict (the Ugandan Bush War 1981-1986 and more than 20 years of fighting between the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and Ugandan Government forces), ongoing inter-communal violence, and periodic natural disasters.
Uganda has been both a source of refugees and migrants and a host country for refugees. In 1972, then President Idi AMIN, in his drive to return Uganda to Ugandans, expelled the South Asian population that composed a large share of the country’s business people and bankers. Since the 1970s, thousands of Ugandans have emigrated, mainly to southern Africa or the West, for security reasons, to escape poverty, to search for jobs, and for access to natural resources. The emigration of Ugandan doctors and nurses due to low wages is a particular concern given the country’s shortage of skilled health care workers. Africans escaping conflicts in neighboring states have found refuge in Uganda since the 1950s; the country currently struggles to host tens of thousands from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and other nearby countries.
0-14 years: 47% (male 11,747,745/female 11,427,932)
15-64 years: 50.6% (male 11,788,483/female 13,131,051)
65 years and over: 2.4% (2024 est.) (male 504,332/female 683,498)
2023 population pyramid:
Total dependency ratio: 88.2
Youth dependency ratio: 85.1
Elderly dependency ratio: 3.2
Potential support ratio: 31.7 (2021 est.)
Total: 16.2 years (2024 est.)
Male: 15.5 years
Female: 17.1 years
3.18% (2024 est.)
39.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
4.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
-3.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Population density is relatively high in comparison to other African nations; most of the population is concentrated in the central and southern parts of the country, particularly along the shores of Lake Victoria and Lake Albert; the northeast is least populated as shown in this population distribution map
Urban population: 26.8% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 5.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
3.846 million KAMPALA (capital) (2023)
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
19.4 years (2016 est.)
Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49
284 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Total: 28.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 31.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 25.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Total population: 69.7 years (2024 est.)
Male: 67.5 years
Female: 72 years
5.17 children born/woman (2024 est.)
2.55 (2024 est.)
50.2% (2021)
Improved: urban: 92.5% of population
Rural: 80% of population
Total: 83.1% of population
Unimproved: urban: 7.5% of population
Rural: 20% of population
Total: 16.9% of population (2020 est.)
4% of GDP (2020)
0.15 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
0.5 beds/1,000 population
Improved: urban: 67.3% of population
Rural: 27.5% of population
Total: 37.4% of population
Unimproved: urban: 32.7% of population
Rural: 72.5% of population
Total: 62.6% of population (2020 est.)
Degree of risk: very high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and Trypanosomiasis-Gambiense (African sleeping sickness), and sexually transmitted diseases: HIV/AIDS (2024)
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
Animal contact diseases: rabies
5.3% (2016)
Total: 6.82 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer: 0.85 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 0.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 5.46 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 8.4% (2020 est.)
Male: 13% (2020 est.)
Female: 3.7% (2020 est.)
7.6% (2019/20)
58.3% (2023 est.)
Women married by age 15: 7.3%
Women married by age 18: 34%
Men married by age 18: 5.5% (2016 est.)
2.7% of GDP (2021 est.)
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 79%
Male: 84%
Female: 74.3% (2021)
Draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial discharge and water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; widespread poaching
Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
Signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast
Agricultural land: 71.2% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 34.3% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 11.3% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 25.6% (2018 est.)
Forest: 14.5% (2018 est.)
Other: 14.3% (2018 est.)
Urban population: 26.8% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 5.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
Severe localized food insecurity: due to weather extremes, civil insecurity, and high food prices- in Karamoja Region, about 518,000 people, 41% of the population, are estimated to be severely food insecure between March and July 2022, as a result of consecutive poor rainy seasons that adversely affected crop and livestock production, frequent episodes of cattle rustling leading to the loss of productive assets, and high food prices (2022)
7.32% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Particulate matter emissions: 31.31 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 5.68 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 30.24 megatons (2020 est.)
Municipal solid waste generated annually: 7,045,050 tons (2016 est.)
Municipal solid waste recycled annually: 422,703 tons (2017 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 6% (2017 est.)
Fresh water lake(s): Lake Victoria (shared with Tanzania and Kenya) - 62,940 km²; Lake Albert (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo) - 5,590 km²; Lake Kyoga - 4,430 km²; Lake Edward (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo) - 2,150 km²
Nile (shared with Rwanda [s], Tanzania, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt [m]) - 6,650 km
Note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 km²), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 km²)
Municipal: 330 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 50 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 260 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
60.1 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Conventional long form: Republic of Uganda
Conventional short form: Uganda
Etymology: from the name "Buganda," adopted by the British as the designation for their East African colony in 1894; Buganda had been a powerful East African state during the 18th and 19th centuries
Presidential republic
Name: Kampala
Geographic coordinates: 0 19 N, 32 33 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the site of the original British settlement was referred to by its native name as Akasozi ke'Empala ("hill of the impala" [plural]); over time this designation was shortened to K'empala and finally Kampala
134 districts and 1 capital city*; Abim, Adjumani, Agago, Alebtong, Amolatar, Amudat, Amuria, Amuru, Apac, Arua, Budaka, Bududa, Bugiri, Bugweri, Buhweju, Buikwe, Bukedea, Bukomansimbi, Bukwo, Bulambuli, Buliisa, Bundibugyo, Bunyangabu, Bushenyi, Busia, Butaleja, Butambala, Butebo, Buvuma, Buyende, Dokolo, Gomba, Gulu, Hoima, Ibanda, Iganga, Isingiro, Jinja, Kaabong, Kabale, Kabarole, Kaberamaido, Kagadi, Kakumiro, Kalaki, Kalangala, Kaliro, Kalungu, Kampala*, Kamuli, Kamwenge, Kanungu, Kapchorwa, Kapelebyong, Karenga, Kasese, Kasanda, Katakwi, Kayunga, Kazo, Kibaale, Kiboga, Kibuku, Kikuube, Kiruhura, Kiryandongo, Kisoro, Kitagwenda, Kitgum, Koboko, Kole, Kotido, Kumi, Kwania, Kween, Kyankwanzi, Kyegegwa, Kyenjojo, Kyotera, Lamwo, Lira, Luuka, Luwero, Lwengo, Lyantonde, Madi-Okollo, Manafwa, Maracha, Masaka, Masindi, Mayuge, Mbale, Mbarara, Mitooma, Mityana, Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nabilatuk, Nakapiripirit, Nakaseke, Nakasongola, Namayingo, Namisindwa, Namutumba, Napak, Nebbi, Ngora, Ntoroko, Ntungamo, Nwoya, Obongi, Omoro, Otuke, Oyam, Pader, Pakwach, Pallisa, Rakai, Rubanda, Rubirizi, Rukiga, Rukungiri, Rwampara, Sembabule, Serere, Sheema, Sironko, Soroti, Tororo, Wakiso, Yumbe, Zombo
9 October 1962 (from the UK)
Independence Day, 9 October (1962)
History: several previous; latest adopted 27 September 1995, promulgated 8 October 1995
Amendments: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership in the second and third readings; proposals affecting "entrenched clauses," including the sovereignty of the people, supremacy of the constitution, human rights and freedoms, the democratic and multiparty form of government, presidential term of office, independence of the judiciary, and the institutions of traditional or cultural leaders, also requires passage by referendum, ratification by at least two-thirds majority vote of district council members in at least two thirds of Uganda's districts, and assent of the president of the republic; amended several times, last in 2018
Mixed legal system of English common law and customary law
Accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent or grandparent must be a native-born citizen of Uganda
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: an aggregate of 20 years and continuously for the last 2 years prior to applying for citizenship
18 years of age; universal
Chief of state: President Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since 26 January 1986)
Head of government: Prime Minister Robinah NABBANJA (since 14 June 2021)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among elected members of the National Assembly or persons who qualify to be elected as members of the National Assembly
Elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 14 January 2021 (next to be held in 2026)
Election results:
2021: Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (NRM) 58.6%, Robert Kyagulanyi SSENTAMU (aka Bobi WINE) (NUP) 34.8%, Patrick Oboi AMURIAT (FDC) 3.2%, other 3.4%
2016: Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (NRM) 60.6%, Kizza BESIGYE (FDC) 35.6%, other 3.8%
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Parliament (556 seats; 353 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 146 for women directly elected in single-seat districts by simple majority vote, and 30 "representatives" reserved for special interest groups - army 10, disabled 5, youth 5, labor 5, older persons 5; 27 ex officio members appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: last held on 14 January 2021 (next to be held in February 2026)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NRM 336, NUP 57, FDC 32, DP 9, UPDF 10, UPC 9, independent 76 (excludes 27 ex-officio members); composition- men 368, women 189, percentage women 33.9%
Highest court(s): Supreme Court of Uganda (consists of the chief justice and at least 6 justices)
Judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the president of the republic in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission, an 8-member independent advisory body, and approved by the National Assembly; justices serve until mandatory retirement at age 70
Subordinate courts: Court of Appeal (also acts as the Constitutional Court); High Court (includes 12 High Court Circuits and 8 High Court Divisions); Industrial Court; Chief Magistrate Grade One and Grade Two Courts throughout the country; qadhis courts; local council courts; family and children courts
Democratic Party or DP [Norbert MAO]
Forum for Democratic Change or FDC [Patrick Oboi AMURIAT]
Justice Forum or JEEMA [Asuman BASALIRWA]
National Resistance Movement or NRM [Yoweri MUSEVENI]
National Unity Platform [Robert Kyagulanyi SSENTAMU, known as Bobi WINE]
People's Progressive Party or PPP [Jaberi Bidandi SSALI]
Uganda People's Congress or UPC [James AKENA]
ACP, AfDB, ATMIS, AU, C, COMESA, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITC, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCDF, UNCTAD, UNECA, UNDP, UNFPA, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNOCI, UNOPS, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFP, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a grey crowned crane (the national symbol) facing the hoist side; black symbolizes the African people, yellow sunshine and vitality, red African brotherhood; the crane was the military badge of Ugandan soldiers under the UK
Grey crowned crane; national colors: black, yellow, red
Name: "Oh Uganda, Land of Beauty!"
Lyrics/music: George Wilberforce KAKOMOA
Note: adopted 1962
Total World Heritage Sites: 3 (1 cultural, 2 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (n); Rwenzori Mountains National Park (n); Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi (c)
Low-income, primarily agrarian East African economy; COVID-19 hurt economic growth and poverty reduction; lower oil prices threaten prior sector investments; endemic corruption; natural resource rich; high female labor force participation but undervalued
$135.668 billion (2023 est.)
$128.923 billion (2022 est.)
$123.267 billion (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars
5.23% (2023 est.)
4.59% (2022 est.)
3.54% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
$2,800 (2023 est.)
$2,700 (2022 est.)
$2,700 (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars
$49.273 billion (2023 est.)
Note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
5.35% (2023 est.)
7.2% (2022 est.)
2.2% (2021 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Fitch rating: B+ (2015)
Moody's rating: B2 (2016)
Standard & Poors rating: B (2014)
Note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Agriculture: 28.2% (2017 est.)
Industry: 21.1% (2017 est.)
Services: 50.7% (2017 est.)
Comparison rankings: services 176; industry 140; agriculture 21
Household consumption: 74.3% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 8% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 23.9% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.3% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 18.8% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -25.1% (2017 est.)
Plantains, sugarcane, maize, cassava, milk, sweet potatoes, beans, vegetables, rice, coffee (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Sugar processing, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles; cement, steel production
3.5% (2023 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
18.881 million (2023 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
2.83% (2023 est.)
2.93% (2022 est.)
3.42% (2021 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment
Total: 4.3% (2021 est.)
Male: 3.4%
Female: 5.3%
20.3% (2019 est.)
Note: % of population with income below national poverty line
42.7 (2019 est.)
Note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
On food: 44.2% of household expenditures (2021 est.)
On alcohol and tobacco: 0.9% of household expenditures (2021 est.)
Lowest 10%: 2.4% (2019 est.)
Highest 10%: 34.5% (2019 est.)
Note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
2.63% of GDP (2023 est.)
2.74% of GDP (2022 est.)
2.85% of GDP (2021 est.)
Note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Revenues: $5.088 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $6.896 billion (2019 est.)
-4.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
53.89% of GDP (2022 est.)
51.3% of GDP (2021 est.)
44.19% of GDP (2020 est.)
Note: central government debt as a % of GDP
12.55% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
-$4.172 billion (2022 est.)
-$3.972 billion (2021 est.)
-$3.598 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
$6.115 billion (2022 est.)
$6.231 billion (2021 est.)
$5.622 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
UAE 31%, India 12%, Hong Kong 9%, Kenya 8%, Italy 7% (2022)
Note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Gold, coffee, fish, milk, raw sugar (2022)
Note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
$11.145 billion (2022 est.)
$10.686 billion (2021 est.)
$10.209 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
China 23%, Kenya 15%, India 13%, UAE 7%, Tanzania 6% (2022)
Note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Vaccines, packaged medicine, plastic products, cars, motorcycles and cycles (2022)
Note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
$3.359 billion (2018 est.)
$3.721 billion (2017 est.)
$3.098 billion (2016 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
$13.85 billion (2019 est.)
$12.187 billion (2018 est.)
$6.241 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Ugandan shillings (UGX) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
3,726.14 (2023 est.)
3,689.817 (2022 est.)
3,587.052 (2021 est.)
3,718.249 (2020 est.)
3,704.049 (2019 est.)
Electrification - total population: 47.1% (2022 est.)
Electrification - urban areas: 72%
Electrification - rural areas: 35.9%
Installed generating capacity: 2.436 million kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 3.971 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Exports: 336.98 million kWh (2022 est.)
Imports: 23 million kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 1.101 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 102; imports 120; exports 85; consumption 134; installed generating capacity 116
Fossil fuels: 1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Solar: 2.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 89.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Biomass and waste: 7.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Exports: 85.4 metric tons (2022 est.)
Imports: (2022 est.) less than 1 metric ton
Proven reserves: 799.999 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 43,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 2.5 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 14.158 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
6.19 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 6.19 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
2.248 million Btu/person (2022 est.)
Total subscriptions: 117,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1
Total subscriptions: 33.068 million (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 70 (2022 est.)
General assessment: a series of reforms within Uganda’s telecom sector have provided the country with one of the most competitive markets in the region; in line with the regulator’s licensing requirements by which Uganda-based companies should be broadly owned by Ugandans by mid-2022; fixed-line infrastructure remains poor, with low penetration, and as a result fixed-line broadband penetration is also particularly low; consumers have largely depended on mobile infrastructure to provide voice and broadband services; there is sufficient capacity with LTE infrastructure to match data demand during the next few years; Uganda has anticipated the migration to 5G, having held trials in early 2020 though the roll out of 5G is not expected until later in 2022 (2022)
Domestic: fixed-line less than 1 per 100 and mobile cellular systems teledensity is 66 per 100 persons (2021)
International: country code - 256; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog and digital links to Kenya and Tanzania
Public broadcaster, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), operates radio and TV networks; 31 Free-To-Air (FTA) TV stations, 2 digital terrestrial TV stations, 3 cable TV stations, and 5 digital satellite TV stations; 258 operational FM stations
.ug
Total: 4.6 million (2021 est.)
Percent of population: 10% (2021 est.)
Total: 58,594 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.1 (2020 est.)
Number of registered air carriers: 6 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 26
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 21,537 (2018)
5X
39 (2024)
Total: 1,244 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 1,244 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
Total: 20,544 km (excludes local roads)
Paved: 4,257 km
Unpaved: 16,287 km (2017)
907 km (2022) (there are no long navigable stretches of river in Uganda; parts of the Albert Nile ( 210 km) that flow out of Lake Albert (160 km) in the northwestern part of the country are navigable; several lakes including Lake Victoria (337 km) and Lake Kyoga (199.5) have substantial traffic; Lake Albert is navigable along a 200-km stretch from its northern tip to its southern shores)
Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF): Land Force (includes marines), Air Force, Special Forces Command, Reserve Force
Ministry of Internal Affairs: Uganda Police Force (2024)
Note 1: the Special Forces Command is a separate branch within the UPDF; it evolved from the former Presidential Guard Brigade and has continued to retain presidential protection duties in addition to its traditional missions, such as counterinsurgency
Note 2: the Uganda Police Force includes air, field, territorial, and marine units, as well as a presidential guard force
Note 3: in 2018, President MUSEVENI created a volunteer force of Local Defense Units under the military to beef up local security in designated parts of the country
2% of GDP (2023 est.)
2.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
2.5% of GDP (2021 est.)
2.5% of GDP (2020 est.)
1.7% of GDP (2019 est.)
Approximately 45-50,000 active-duty troops (2023)
The UPDF's inventory is mostly older Russian/Soviet-era equipment with a limited mix of more modern Russian- and Western-origin arms; in recent years, Belarus and Russia have been the leading supplier of arms to the UPDF; Uganda has a small but growing defense industry that can manufacture light armored vehicles and perform maintenance on some military equipment, including its Russian-made helicopters (2023)
18-25 years of age for voluntary military duty for men and women; 18-30 for those with degrees/diplomas in specialized fields such as medicine, engineering, chemistry, and education, or possess qualifications in some vocational skills; 9-year service obligation (2024)
As many as 6,000 Somalia (625 for UNSOM; the remainder under ATMIS; note - foreign troop contingents in Somalia under ATMIS are drawing down towards a final withdrawal in December 2024) (2024)
The UPDF’s missions include defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Uganda, assisting the civilian authorities in emergencies and natural disasters, and participating in socio-economic development projects; it supports the police in maintaining internal security and participates in African and UN peacekeeping missions; it is a key contributor to the East Africa Standby Force; the UPDF also has considerable political influence; it is constitutionally granted seats in parliament and is widely viewed as a key constituency for MUSEVENI; it has been used by MUSEVENI and his political party to break up rallies, raid opposition offices, and surveil rival candidates
The UPDF is viewed as a well-equipped force with considerable operational experience; from 2012-2017, it led regional efforts to pursue the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a small, violent group of Ugandan origin that conducted widespread attacks against civilians in much of Central Africa; Uganda intervened in the South Sudan civil war in 2013-2016, and UPDF forces have clashed with South Sudanese forces along the border as recently as 2023; it is also conducting operations along the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) against the Allied Democratic Front (ADF), which has been designated by the US as the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in the DRC (see Appendix T); in December 2022, Uganda sent about 1,000 UPDF troops to the DRC as part of a regional force to assist the DRC Government in combating the M23 rebel group; in addition, elements of the UPDF are deployed in the northeast region of Karamoja against cattle rustlers and criminal gangs
The military traces its history back to the formation of the Uganda Rifles in 1895 under the British colonial government; the Uganda Rifles were merged with the Central Africa Regiment and the East Africa Rifles to form the King’s African Rifles (KAR) in 1902, which participated in both world wars, as well as the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya (1952-1960); in 1962, the Ugandan battalion of the KAR was transformed into the country's first military force, the Uganda Rifles, which was subsequently renamed the Uganda Army; the UPDF was established in 1995 from the former rebel National Resistance Army following the enactment of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda
(2023)
Note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide
Terrorist group(s): al-Shabaab; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Democratic Republic of Congo (ISIS-DRC)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide
Refugees (country of origin): 34,368 (Eritrea), 23,388 (Rwanda), 8,936 (Ethiopia), 5,776 (Sudan) (2023); 931,666 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 512,445 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 40,326 (Somalia), 40,326 (Burundi) (2024)
Stateless persons: 67,000 (2022)