Capital

Uganda

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

Citizenship

Uganda

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

Legal system

Uganda

mixed legal system of English common law and customary law

Suffrage

Uganda

18 years of age; universal

Area

Uganda

total: 241,038 sq km

land: 197,100 sq km

water: 43,938 sq km

Land use

Uganda

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.)

Location

Uganda

East-Central Africa, west of Kenya, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Age structure

Uganda

0-14 years: 47.3% (male 11,439,303/female 11,136,111)

15-64 years: 50.31% (male 11,335,543/female 12,679,044)

65 years and over: 2.39% (2023 est.) (male 484,782/female 655,169)

Birth rate

Uganda

40.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Uganda

4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Uganda

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

Life expectancy at birth

Uganda

total population: 69.3 years (2023 est.)

male: 67.1 years

female: 71.6 years

Major urban areas - population

Uganda

3.846 million KAMPALA (capital) (2023)

Median age

Uganda

total: 16.1 years (2023 est.)

male: 15.3 years

female: 16.9 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Uganda

19.4 years (2016 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

Net migration rate

Uganda

-3.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Uganda

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

Population growth rate

Uganda

3.22% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Uganda

5.26 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Uganda

urban population: 26.8% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 5.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Uganda

2.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Uganda

-4.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Uganda

3.47% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Uganda

16.995 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Uganda

21.4% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate

Uganda

2.94% (2021 est.)

2.77% (2020 est.)

1.92% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Uganda

44.19% of GDP (2020 est.)

38.48% of GDP (2019 est.)

34.67% of GDP (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Uganda

2.2% (2021 est.)

3.31% (2020 est.)

2.87% (2019 est.)

Exports

Uganda

$6.177 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$5.562 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$6.172 billion (2019 est.)

Exports - partners

Uganda

United Arab Emirates 58%, Kenya 9% (2019)

Imports

Uganda

$10.705 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$10.197 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$9.795 billion (2019 est.)

Imports - partners

Uganda

China 19%, India 17%, Kenya 16%, United Arab Emirates 7%, Japan 5% (2019)

Airports

Uganda

47 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Uganda

total: 58,594 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.1 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Uganda

total: 4.6 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 10% (2021 est.)

Railways

Uganda

total: 1,244 km (2014)

narrow gauge: 1,244 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

Roadways

Uganda

total: 20,544 km (2017) (excludes local roads)

paved: 4,257 km (2017)

unpaved: 16,287 km (2017)

Telephones - fixed lines

Uganda

total subscriptions: 110,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2021 est.) less than 1

Telephones - mobile cellular

Uganda

total subscriptions: 30 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 66 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Uganda

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)

Disputes - international

Uganda

Uganda is subject to armed fighting among hostile ethnic groups, rebels, armed gangs, militias, and various government forces that extend across its borders

Uganda-Kenya: Kenya and Uganda began a joint demarcation of the boundary in 2021; Uganda and Kenya both claim Migingo Island, a tiny island in the middle of Lake Victoria, which offers good fishing

Uganda-Rwanda: a joint technical committee established in 2007 to demarcate sections of the border

Uganda-Democratic Republic of Congo (DROC): Uganda rejects the DROC claim to Margherita Peak in the Rwenzori mountains and considers it a boundary divide; there is tension and violence on Lake Albert over prospective oil reserves at the mouth of the Semliki River; Rukwanzi Island in Lake Albert is claimed by both countries

Uganda-South Sudan: Government of South Sudan protests Lord's Resistance Army operations in western Equatorial State, displacing and driving out local populations and stealing grain stores

Uganda-Sudan: none identified