Uganda profile

Demography and Health

Uganda counts about 50 million people in 2024, placing it around the 31st largest population globally. A young population characterizes the country, reinforced by a high birth rate of 35.2 births per 1,000 people in 2023 (ranking 12th), while the crude death rate is relatively low at 4.84 per 1,000 in 2023. Life expectancy at birth stands at 68.3 years (2023), suggesting improvements in some health areas but still short of higher-income benchmarks. The under-5 mortality rate is 38.8 per 1,000 live births (2023), signaling persistent child health challenges that accompany limited health infrastructure and access. The nutrition picture remains concerning, with 36.9% of the population undernourished in 2022, highlighting ongoing food security issues that directly affect health outcomes, development, and productivity. Uganda’s population growth, combined with significant out-migration (net migration of -117,924 in 2024), points to potential loss of human capital and skills, complicating long-run development ambitions. The health system is characterized by a modest physician density of 0.168 per 1,000 people (2022) and relatively modest health spending, with current health expenditure at 4.39% of GDP (2022) and domestic general government health expenditure per capita, PPP, of 28.4 international dollars (2022). These indicators imply a health workforce and financing gap relative to population needs, with implications for maternal, child, and preventive health services. Research and development commitment is limited, at 0.311% of GDP (2023), and patent activity is low, with 14 resident patent applications in 2021, suggesting constrained domestic innovation that could otherwise drive medical and health-system improvements. Unemployment is reported at 3.42% (2021), which, together with a large young population and informal labor markets, may obscure the true scale of underemployment and labor underutilization. Taken together, Uganda faces substantial health and nutrition challenges amid rapid demographic growth, underscoring the need for targeted investments in health infrastructure, nutrition programs, disease prevention, and workforce development to capitalize on its youthful consumer and labor potential.

Economy

Uganda displays the characteristics of a low-income economy with a nominal GDP per capita of about $1,073 in 2024 and GDP per capita on a purchasing power parity basis of roughly $3,276 in the same year. Inflation sits at 3.32% in 2024, indicating price stability by global standards and allowing some predictability for households and firms. The export orientation of the economy remains modest: exports of goods and services equal about 16.9% of GDP in 2024, while imports account for about 24.6% of GDP, reflecting a reliance on foreign inputs and consumer goods that can widen trade deficits if export growth does not keep pace. High-technology exports are relatively small in absolute terms (about $16.9 million in 2023), signaling limited participation in global high-tech value chains but also room for upgrading capabilities as domestic firms and institutions strengthen. On the investment side, foreign direct investment net inflows are 6.13% of GDP in 2023, indicating a moderate but meaningful inflow of foreign capital that can support infrastructure, manufacturing, and services if policy and governance conditions improve. The current account shows a deficit of 7.72% of GDP in 2023, highlighting the persistent external financing needs and the sensitivity of the economy to international capital flows and commodity price cycles. Poor governance indicators—negative control of corruption (-1.04), regulatory quality (-0.517), and government effectiveness (-0.55)—signal structural obstacles that can impede credit, investment, and the efficient delivery of public services. However, a combination of forum for growth, a stable inflation rate, and a relatively favorable investment climate for select sectors points to a gradual path toward higher productivity, provided reforms in governance, financial inclusion, and export competitiveness are pursued. The economy’s small but growing scale, coupled with a young and growing population, offers a potential dividend if agriculture, agro-processing, light manufacturing, and services can leverage better governance and targeted investment.

Trade and Investment

Uganda’s trade profile is characterized by modest export shares and a higher import propensity. Exports of goods and services as a share of GDP are 16.9% in 2024, while imports account for 24.6% of GDP in the same year, indicating a structural reliance on external inputs and consumer goods. Foreign direct investment net inflows reach 6.13% of GDP in 2023, signaling sustained but not overwhelming foreign finance entering the economy, with potential spillovers to jobs, technology transfer, and productivity if sectors such as agro-processing, energy, and services deepen value addition. High-technology exports amount to about 16.9 million USD in 2023, reflecting a nascent but present capability to produce technology-intensive goods, which could grow with improved schooling, innovation policy, and access to finance. The current account deficit of 7.72% of GDP in 2023 underscores ongoing external financing needs and a reliance on capital inflows to underwrite growth. These indicators paint a picture of a country with opportunities for export diversification and deeper integration into regional value chains, but one that must address energy, logistics, and governance constraints to attract sustainable investment and expand export performance beyond traditional commodities and basic goods.

Governance and Institutions

Uganda’s governance indicators for 2023 reveal systemic challenges that can hinder policy credibility, investment climates, and the effectiveness of public service delivery. Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism score -0.696, Regulatory Quality -0.517, Rule of Law -0.475, and Control of Corruption -1.04 all reflect a governance environment with notable weaknesses across multiple dimensions. Government Effectiveness sits at -0.55, signaling limited capacity in policy implementation and public service efficiency. These scores collectively suggest that reforms in anti-corruption, judicial independence, regulatory predictability, and civil service performance are essential for unlocking higher private investment, improving public goods provision, and delivering inclusive growth. Even as governance is imperfect, Uganda shows some positive signals in other areas, such as a reasonable inflation path, an active, if limited, R&D ecosystem (0.311% of GDP), and ongoing uptake of foreign investment, indicating that improvements in governance could lift the effectiveness of policies and investment outcomes. Intellectual property activity, measured by 14 resident patent applications in 2021, coupled with modest R&D spend, indicates room to strengthen innovation ecosystems. Overall, governance reforms appear central to translating macro stability and demographic potential into durable development gains.

Infrastructure and Technology

Uganda presents a mixed infrastructure and technology picture. Internet usage remains relatively low, with 15.3% of the population online in 2023, signaling a digital divide that constrains e-services, digital entrepreneurship, and information access. The health workforce is limited, with physicians per 1,000 people at 0.168 in 2022, reflecting bottlenecks in service delivery and a constraint on achieving universal health coverage without targeted investments in medical training and retention. Energy demonstrates a striking feature: renewable energy constitutes 90.9% of total final energy consumption in 2022, suggesting a renewable-dominant energy mix—likely propelled by hydropower and biomass—though this also raises concerns about resilience to climate variability and capacity to meet peak demand. Research and development investment is 0.311% of GDP in 2023, and resident patent activity sits at 14 applications in 2021, indicating a nascent but existent innovation system needing stronger funding and policy support to translate science into marketable technologies. Taken together, Uganda’s infrastructure and technology profile points to substantial gaps in digital connectivity, healthcare workforce capacity, and R&D funding, but also to a foundation of renewable energy and some innovation potential that could be scaled with deliberate policy choices, investment in human capital, and improvements in the business environment.

Environment and Sustainability

Uganda’s environmental and sustainability indicators reveal a relatively low per-capita greenhouse gas footprint alongside notable social and resource challenges. Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita are 1.1 tCO2e per year in 2023, indicating a small, likely agriculture- and service-driven emission profile typical of developing economies. The level of water stress—measured as freshwater withdrawal as a share of available resources—is 5.83% in 2021, suggesting relatively moderate water use pressures compared with more water-scarce regions, though local variability and climate risks warrant careful water management. The prevalence of undernourishment remains a critical concern, with 36.9% of the population affected in 2022, underscoring vulnerability to climate shocks, agricultural productivity, and socio-economic conditions. Uganda’s strong dependence on renewable energy aligns with a lower carbon intensity of energy supply, while continued population growth and agricultural expansion stress land, forests, and ecosystems. These environmental dimensions highlight a development path that is comparatively low in GHG intensity but still vulnerable to climate change, water management challenges, and food security concerns. Strategic priorities include building climate-resilient agriculture, protecting water resources, expanding sustainable land-use practices, and accelerating clean-energy integration alongside improvements in governance and social protection to mitigate environmental and social risks.