Demographic features of the population of Uganda include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and others.
Population
Demographics development according to the United Nations
According to the 2022 revision of the World Population Prospects[1][2] the total population was 45,853,778 in 2021, compared to only 5,158,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2015 was 48.1 percent, 49.4 percent was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 2.5 percent was 65 years or older.[3]
Total population (x 1000)
Population aged 0–14 (%)
Population aged 15–64 (%)
Population aged 65+ (%)
1950
5,158
43.1
54.0
3.0
1955
5,899
45.1
52.1
2.8
1960
6,788
45.9
51.5
2.6
1965
8,014
46.6
50.9
2.6
1970
9,446
46.9
50.5
2.6
1975
10,827
47.3
50.0
2.6
1980
12,548
47.6
49.7
2.6
1985
14,631
47.8
49.6
2.7
1990
17,384
48.0
49.3
2.7
1995
20,413
48.5
48.8
2.7
2000
23,758
48.7
48.6
2.7
2005
28,042
48.8
48.7
2.5
2010
33,149
49.1
48.5
2.5
2014 Census Results
34,856
47.9
49.2
2.7
Population by Sex and Age Group (Census 27.VIII.2014):[4]
Age Group
Male
Female
Total
%
Total
16 897 849
17 736 801
34 634 650
100
0–4
3 173 950
2 957 078
6 131 028
17.70
5–9
2 834 456
2 717 222
5 551 678
16.03
10–14
2 462 789
2 457 654
4 920 443
14.21
15–19
1 917 797
2 038 836
3 956 633
11.42
20–24
1 444 438
1 744 173
3 188 611
9.21
25–29
1 143 467
1 342 709
2 486 176
7.18
30–34
908 447
1 043 292
1 951 739
5.64
35–39
726 355
809 482
1 535 837
4.43
40–44
617 034
655 383
1 272 417
3.67
45–49
452 081
469 043
921 124
2.66
50–54
371 126
436 977
808 103
2.33
55–59
224 765
255 519
480 284
1.39
60–64
195 283
244 770
440 053
1.27
65-69
136 107
165 043
301 150
0.87
70-74
115 862
161 374
277 236
0.80
75-79
69 095
81 378
150 473
0.43
80-84
51 871
79 398
131 269
0.38
85-89
21 572
30 204
51 776
0.15
90-94
15 125
22 046
37 171
0.11
95+
16 229
25 220
41 449
0.12
Age group
Male
Female
Total
Percent
0–14
8 471 195
8 131 954
16 603 149
47.94
15–64
8 000 793
9 040 184
17 040 977
49.20
65+
425 861
564 663
990 524
2.86
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2020) (Based on the results of the 2014 Population Census.):[4]
Registration of births and deaths in Uganda is not yet complete. The Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs prepared the following estimates.
[6]
Year
Live births per year
Deaths per year
Natural change per year
CBR*
CDR*
NC*
TFR*
IMR*
1950
302,000
144,000
157,000
52.4
25.1
27.4
6.65
148.5
1951
308,000
147,000
161,000
52.1
24.9
27.2
6.66
147.2
1952
315,000
148,000
167,000
51.9
24.4
27.5
6.68
144.5
1953
322,000
149,000
173,000
51.6
23.8
27.7
6.71
141.9
1954
329,000
150,000
179,000
51.2
23.3
27.9
6.73
139.7
1955
335,000
150,000
185,000
50.7
22.7
28.0
6.76
137.4
1956
342,000
150,000
192,000
50.3
22.1
28.2
6.79
135.2
1957
349,000
149,000
199,000
49.9
21.4
28.5
6.83
132.9
1958
356,000
148,000
207,000
49.5
20.6
28.9
6.87
130.7
1959
364,000
148,000
217,000
49.2
20.0
29.2
6.92
128.7
1960
371,000
147,000
224,000
48.7
19.3
29.4
6.94
127.0
1961
379,000
147,000
233,000
48.4
18.7
29.7
6.97
125.3
1962
389,000
147,000
242,000
48.2
18.1
30.0
7.00
123.7
1963
399,000
148,000
252,000
48.0
17.8
30.3
7.02
121.9
1964
411,000
149,000
262,000
48.0
17.4
30.6
7.05
120.3
1965
425,000
152,000
273,000
48.1
17.2
31.0
7.09
118.7
1966
440,000
156,000
285,000
48.4
17.1
31.3
7.12
117.4
1967
457,000
157,000
299,000
48.6
16.7
31.9
7.15
115.5
1968
474,000
161,000
313,000
48.9
16.6
32.3
7.19
114.1
1969
489,000
164,000
325,000
48.8
16.4
32.4
7.16
112.9
1970
506,000
169,000
337,000
49.0
16.4
32.6
7.19
112.2
1971
522,000
192,000
330,000
49.1
18.1
31.0
7.20
116.2
1972
535,000
198,000
338,000
49.0
18.1
30.9
7.22
116.4
1973
546,000
202,000
343,000
48.8
18.1
30.7
7.22
114.7
1974
558,000
211,000
347,000
48.7
18.4
30.3
7.22
118.8
1975
575,000
218,000
356,000
48.9
18.6
30.3
7.23
118.0
1976
590,000
228,000
362,000
48.9
18.9
30.0
7.23
120.2
1977
604,000
238,000
366,000
48.8
19.2
29.6
7.21
122.4
1978
620,000
248,000
372,000
48.7
19.5
29.2
7.18
126.3
1979
638,000
257,000
381,000
48.8
19.7
29.2
7.16
127.4
1980
651,000
282,000
369,000
48.8
21.1
27.7
7.13
133.9
1981
665,000
286,000
379,000
48.8
21.0
27.9
7.12
132.9
1982
678,000
287,000
390,000
48.7
20.6
28.1
7.09
125.8
1983
696,000
290,000
407,000
48.8
20.3
28.5
7.04
122.8
1984
720,000
294,000
426,000
49.2
20.1
29.1
7.00
120.0
1985
752,000
284,000
468,000
49.9
18.9
31.0
7.04
115.0
1986
784,000
293,000
490,000
50.6
18.9
31.6
7.08
113.5
1987
817,000
291,000
526,000
51.1
18.2
32.9
7.12
112.1
1988
845,000
299,000
546,000
51.2
18.1
33.1
7.11
111.0
1989
874,000
310,000
565,000
51.3
18.2
33.1
7.07
109.7
1990
904,000
319,000
586,000
51.4
18.1
33.3
7.04
108.0
1991
930,000
327,000
603,000
51.2
18.0
33.2
6.98
105.8
1992
964,000
335,000
629,000
51.3
17.8
33.5
6.96
103.7
1993
995,000
345,000
650,000
51.2
17.7
33.4
6.93
101.8
1994
1,025,000
353,000
672,000
50.9
17.5
33.4
6.93
100.3
1995
1,058,000
360,000
698,000
50.9
17.3
33.6
6.92
99.2
1996
1,068,000
363,000
704,000
50.2
17.1
33.1
6.89
98.3
1997
1,096,000
367,000
729,000
49.9
16.7
33.2
6.91
97.0
1998
1,112,000
370,000
742,000
49.3
16.4
32.9
6.89
95.2
1999
1,144,000
369,000
775,000
49.1
15.8
33.2
6.88
92.7
2000
1,169,000
368,000
801,000
48.6
15.3
33.3
6.83
89.6
2001
1,197,000
364,000
833,000
48.3
14.7
33.6
6.81
86.0
2002
1,221,000
360,000
861,000
47.8
14.1
33.7
6.78
82.2
2003
1,244,000
355,000
889,000
47.1
13.4
33.7
6.70
78.0
2004
1,271,000
342,000
928,000
46.7
12.6
34.1
6.65
73.4
2005
1,289,000
326,000
963,000
46.0
11.6
34.4
6.57
69.0
2006
1,309,000
311,000
998,000
45.4
10.8
34.6
6.48
64.9
2007
1,328,000
302,000
1,026,000
44.7
10.2
34.5
6.38
61.2
2008
1,344,000
296,000
1,048,000
43.9
9.7
34.2
6.25
57.8
2009
1,372,000
291,000
1,081,000
43.5
9.2
34.3
6.17
54.8
2010
1,397,000
286,000
1,110,000
43.1
8.8
34.2
6.07
51.8
2011
1,417,000
278,000
1,139,000
42.4
8.3
34.1
5.94
49.0
2012
1,435,000
270,000
1,165,000
41.7
7.8
33.9
5.78
46.1
2013
1,448,000
260,000
1,188,000
40.9
7.4
33.6
5.62
43.5
2014
1,461,000
254,000
1,207,000
40.2
7.0
33.2
5.46
41.3
2015
1,479,000
249,000
1,230,000
39.4
6.6
32.8
5.31
39.4
2016
1,498,000
246,000
1,251,000
38.7
6.4
32.3
5.17
37.4
2017
1,537,000
247,000
1,290,000
38.3
6.2
32.2
5.05
35.8
2018
1,580,000
246,000
1,333,000
38.1
5.9
32.1
4.93
34.3
2019
1,616,000
250,000
1,366,000
37.7
5.8
31.8
4.81
32.9
2020
1,654,000
260,000
1,394,000
37.3
5.9
31.4
4.69
31.6
2021
1,687,000
269,000
1,417,000
36.8
5.9
30.9
4.59
30.4
* CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman)
Fertility and births
Total Fertility Rate (TFR)(Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):[7][8][9]
During the Uganda Protectorate period, the British colonialists used South Asian immigrants as intermediaries. Following independence they constituted the largest non-indigenous ethnic group in Uganda, at around 80,000 people, and they dominated trade, industry, and the professions. This caused resentment among the native African majority, which was exploited by post-Independence leaders.
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 is a religiously diverse nation with Christianity being the most widely professed religion. According to the 2014 census, over 84 percent of the population was Christian while about 14 percent of the population adhered to Islam, making it the largest minority religion.[14] In 2009, the northern and west Nile regions were dominated by Roman Catholics, and Iganga District in the east of Uganda had the highest percentage of Muslims.[15][16]
5.26 children born/woman (2023 est.) Country comparison to the world: 7th
5.36 children born/woman (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 7th
Population growth rate
3.27% (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 8
3.2% (2017 est.)
Median age
total: 15.7 years. Country comparison to the world: 226th
male: 14.9 years
female: 16.5 years (2020 est.)
Net migration rate
-3.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 186th
-0.7 migrants/1,000 population (2017 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
19.4 years (2016 est.)
note: median age at first birth among women 20-49
Contraceptive prevalence rate
41.8% (2018)
Urbanization
urban population: 26.2% of total population (2022)
rate of urbanization: 5.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 23.8% of total population (2018)
rate of urbanization: 5.7% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years:
1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.7 male(s)/female total population:
1.01 male(s)/female (2009 estimate)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 68.96 years. Country comparison to the world: 180th
male: 66.71 years
female: 71.27 years (2022 est.)
total population: 63.3 years
male: 62.2 years
female: 64.2 years (2014 population census Ubos)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: very high (2020)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and Trypanosomiasis-Gambiense (African sleeping sickness)
water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
animal contact diseases: rabies
note: on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Uganda is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine
Education expenditures
3% of GDP (2020) Country comparison to the world: 152nd
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 76.5%
male: 82.7%
female: 70.8% (2018)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
English (official national language, taught in grade schools, used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts), Swahili (recently made second official language, important regionally but spoken by very few people in Uganda), Luganda (most widely used of the Niger–Congo languages, preferred for native language publications in the capital and may be taught in school), other Bantu languages, Nilo-Saharan languages and Arabic.
^United States Department of State (2009-10-26). "Uganda". International Religious Freedom Report 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-11-30. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
