Introduction
Background
British influence in Uganda began in the 1860s with explorers seeking the source of the Nile. The colonial boundaries created by Britain to delimit Uganda grouped together a wide range of ethnic groups with different political systems and cultures. These differences complicated the establishment of a working political community after independence was achieved in 1962.
Geography
Area
total: 241,038 sq km
land: 197,100 sq km
water: 43,938 sq km
Climate
tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast
Natural resources
copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land, gold
People and Society
Population
47,729,952 (2023 est.)
Ethnic groups
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.)
Languages
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
Religions
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.)
Population growth rate
3.22% (2023 est.)
Government
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
name: Kampala
Executive branch
chief of state: President Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since 26 January 1986); Vice President Jessica Rose Epel ALUPO (since 21 June 2021); Prime Minister Robinah NABBANJA (since 21 June 2021); First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca KADAGA (since 24 June 2021); Second Deputy Prime Minister Moses ALI (since 21 June 2021); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since 26 January 1986); Vice President Jessica Rose Epel ALUPO (since 21 June 2021); Prime Minister Robinah NABBANJA (since 21 June 2021); First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca KADAGA (since 24 June 2021); Second Deputy Prime Minister Moses ALI (since 21 June 2021)
Legislative branch
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)
Economy
Economic overview
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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$103.007 billion (2021 est.)
$99.488 billion (2020 est.)
$96.636 billion (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$2,200 (2021 est.)
$2,200 (2020 est.)
$2,300 (2019 est.)
Agricultural products
sugar cane, plantains, cassava, maize, sweet potatoes, milk, vegetables, beans, bananas, sorghum
Industries
sugar processing, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles; cement, steel production
Remittances
2.82% of GDP (2020 est.)
4.03% of GDP (2019 est.)
4.06% of GDP (2018 est.)
Exports
$6.177 billion (2021 est.)
$5.562 billion (2020 est.)
$6.172 billion (2019 est.)
Exports - partners
United Arab Emirates 58%, Kenya 9% (2019)
Exports - commodities
gold, coffee, milk, fish and fish products, tobacco (2019)
Imports
$10.705 billion (2021 est.)
$10.197 billion (2020 est.)
$9.795 billion (2019 est.)
Imports - partners
China 19%, India 17%, Kenya 16%, United Arab Emirates 7%, Japan 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities
packaged medicines, aircraft, delivery trucks, cars, wheat (2019)
Exchange rates
Ugandan shillings (UGX) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
3,587.052 (2021 est.)
3,718.249 (2020 est.)
3,704.049 (2019 est.)
3,727.069 (2018 est.)
3,611.224 (2017 est.)
Page last updated: Wednesday, December 13, 2023
