2. FOREWORD
The 2009 Statistical Abstract is this year’s major annual publication from the Uganda
Bureau of Statistics. The abstract is part of Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS)
efforts to support data user needs. The Bureau provides relevant, reliable and timely
official statistics needed to support evidence-based policy formulation and monitor
development outcomes. Statistical Abstracts present information derived from
surveys, censuses and administrative records from Ministries, Departments and
Agencies (MDAs). The statistics are compiled based on agreed standards,
definitions and classifications in accordance with international principles and
guidelines.
Information contained in this year’s abstract covers socio-economic government
sectors including, but not limited to, Environment, Population, Education, Health,
Agriculture, Labour, Income and Expenditure, Energy, Business, National Accounts,
Banking and Currency, Prices, Trade, Migration and Tourism, Transport and
Communication and Government Finance. This year, statistics on Informal Cross-
Border Trade (ICBT) are also included. Presentations in this publication are in the
form of tables, graphs and charts with explanatory text therein. Detailed tables on all
chapters are appended. In addition, data from these tables may also be used for
further analysis.
UBOS appreciates the continued cooperation of MDAs in availing the requisite data
in time to produce this publication. Special thanks go to UBOS technical staff who
compiled the 2009 Abstract.
Copies of this publication are available at the Statistics House, Plot 9, Colville Street,
Kampala. Further information can be obtained from the official UBOS website:
www.ubos.org
We sincerely hope that our stakeholders will find the information in this publication
useful. UBOS continues to appreciate comments from stakeholders that are aimed at
improving the quality of our future publications.
J. B. Male-Mukasa June 2009
Executive Director
3. LIST OF ACRONYMS
ASL Above Sea Level
BATU British American Tobacco, Uganda
Bill.Shs Billion Shillings
BOP Balance of Payments
CAA Civil Aviation Authority
CBR Crude Birth Rate
CDO Cotton Development Organisation
CDR Crude Death Rate
CG Central Government
CFR Central Forest Reserve
COMESA Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
CPI Consumer Price Index
CSI Construction Sector Index
CY Calendar Year
DDA Decentralised District Administration
DRC Democratic Republic of Congo
EAC East African Community
EEC European Economic Commission
EPS Express Penalty Scheme
EU European Union
FY Fiscal Year
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GIR Gross Intake Rate
GO Gross Output
GFS Government Finance Statistics
GWh Giga Watt hours
H/C Health Centre
HFO Heavy Fuel Oil
HSSP Health Sector Strategic Plan
IoP Index of Production
IC Intermediate Consumption
IHS Integrated Household Survey
IPT Intermittent Presumptive Treatment
ISCO International Standard Classification of Occupation
ISIC International Standard Industrial Classification
KCC Kampala City Council
KWh Kilo Watt hours
LFR Local Forest Reserve
LPG Liquefied Petroleum Gas
MAAIF Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries
Mbps Mega bits per second
MFPED Ministry Finance, Planning and Economic Development
i
4. MGLSD Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development
MoES Ministry of Education and Sports
MOH Ministry of Health
Mill.Shs Million shillings
Mm Millimetres
MRH Mean Relative Humidity
Mt Metric tonnes
MTN Mobile Telephone Network
MW Mega Watts
n.a Not Available
nes Not elsewhere stated
NSDS National Service Delivery Survey
NUSAF Northern Uganda Social Action Fund
OPI Occupational Permits Issued
PPI Producer Price Index
PPI-M Producer Price Index- Manufacturing
PS Plans Submitted
RH Relative Humidity
SADC Southern African Development Community
SACU Southern African Customs Union
Shs Shillings
SITC Standard Industrial and Trade Classification
Sq.Kms Square Kilometres
TFR Total Fertility Rate
TT Tetanus
UA Urban Authorities
UBI Uganda Business Inquiry
UBOS Uganda Bureau of Statistics
UCDA Uganda Coffee Development Authority
UDHS Uganda Demographic and Health Survey
UEDCL Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited
UETCL Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited
UHSBS Uganda HIV/AIDS Sero-Behavioural Survey
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNEPI Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunisation
UNHS Uganda National Household Survey
UPE Universal Primary Education
URA Uganda Revenue Authority
USE Universal Secondary Education
UTA Uganda Tea Authority
UTL Uganda Telecommunications Limited
VA Value Added
Common Symbol
“-“ Not Applicable/Nil
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5. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Statistical Abstract is an annual publication from Uganda Bureau of Statistics.
The abstract gives a statistical summary of socio – economic data for Uganda. Some
figures in this edition may be different from those in the earlier editions due to regular
updates. Note that most of the 2008 data presented in this edition is provisional.
The publication is divided into four major chapters which are preceded by a glossary
of definitions and general information on Uganda. It ends with a set of sequentially
arranged appendix tables for the readers’ information. All the tables in the Statistical
Appendix are serialised using a combination of numbers and alphabets like Table
1.1A, Table 2.3 B and so on. The reader should refer to the tables while reading the
text.
The number of districts has been increasing due to sub-divisions of some districts.
This issue has population data for the 80 districts as of June 2008. Some district data
tables however still show data for the original 56 districts, while others show data for
the onetime 76 districts.
Chapter one (1) presents Environmental statistics covering land, climate, forestry
and rural water supply with the following high lights:
Land
• Area of Uganda is about 241,550.7 sq. km.
• Land area is 199,807.4 sq. km.
• Open water and swamps cover about 41,743.2 sq. km.
Rainfall
• The rainfall trend during 2008 was in line with the long term average for most
centres.
• Kampala and Jinja recorded rainfall below the long term average after May
2008.
• Mbarara recorded a very sharp increase in rainfall between July and
September 2008.
Humidity
• Monthly mean relative humidity at 06.00 and 12.00 hours for 2008 was in line
with the long term average for most of the selected centres.
Temperature
• Maximum and minimum temperatures for all selected centers showed similar
patterns with the long term average in 2008.
Rural water supply
• The largest source of water for the rural population is spring water followed by
boreholes.
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6. Forestry
• Total nominal value for household consumption of firewood and charcoal
increased by 81.6 percent from Shs. 18.0 bill to Shs. 32.7 bill. between
1996/97 and 2005/06.
Chapter two (2) covers Socio-economic statistics which include Population,
Education, Labour Force, Employment and Earning, Income and Expenditure,
Prices, Public Health and Crime. Below are the highlights of the Chapter:
Population statistics
• According to the 2002 census:
o 2002 Population was 24.2 million persons.
o Annual Population growth rate between 1991 and 2002 censuses was
3.2 percent.
o 2002 population density was 123 persons /Sq.Km.
o 49 percent of the population was below 15 years.
o The overall life expectancy was 50.4 years in 2002.
• Total population (2009 mid year projected) is 30.7 million persons.
• Total Fertility Rate (UDHS 2006) was 6.7 Births per woman.
• Infant Mortality Rate (UDHS 2006) was 75 Per 1,000 Live births.
Education
• Primary enrollment was 7.4 million in 2008.
• The ratios of primary pupils to teachers and pupils to classrooms were 57 and
72 respectively in 2008.
• The enrollment of orphans in primary and secondary schools decreased by 4
and 19 percent respectively in 2008.
• The secondary school gross enrollment rate was 21 percent in 2008
• Overall literacy rate for 2005/06 was 69 percent among persons aged 10
years and above.
Labour force, employment and earnings
• Total labour force increased by 11 percent between 2002/03 and 2005/06.
• By occupation, 70 percent of the working population was in agriculture.
• The average size of civil service increased by 6 percent in 2008.
• In real terms, the labour cost index increased by 22 percent in 2008.
• Food processing dominated the industry with a 65 percent share of total
employment in 2008.
• Numbers of employees for selected manufacturing establishments decreased
by 2 percent while the wage bill increased by 16 percent in 2008.
Income and expenditure
• 11 percent increase in monthly Household expenditure was recorded between
2002/03 and 2005/06.
• A 10 percent real increase in per capita expenditure was recorded in 2005/06.
• 45 percent of the Household expenditure was on food, beverage and tobacco.
• Nearly 8.4 million Ugandans lived in poverty in 2005/06.
• The proportion of the poor population reduced from 39 percent in 2002/03 to
31 percent in 2005/06.
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7. • Nationally, on average, income inequality decreased from 0.428 in 2002/03 to
0.408 in 2005/06.
Consumer Prices
• High food prices were registered in 2008 resulting to inflation rate of 15.8
percent.
• Energy, fuel and utilities’ prices increased by 9.1 percent during 2008.
• The annual headline inflation rate for 2008 doubled to 12 percent from 6.1
percent recorded in 2007.
Health
• Immunization coverage declined over the period 2004 to 2008 for all types of
vaccines.
• Malaria has remained the leading killer disease over the period 2006-2008.
• Latrine coverage at national level improved from 58 percent in 2006 to 63
percent in 2008.
• HIV prevalence was reportedly higher among women in the age group 15 – 49
years, at 7.5 percent, compared to their male counterparts in the same age
bracket, at 5.0 percent.
Crime
• The number of cases reported to Police increased by 21 percent in 2008.
• Between 2006 and 2008, there was a significant 42 percent decrease in the
number of road accidents.
• In 2008, serious crimes reported decreased by 17 percent.
• There was an 18 percent reduction in the offences reported under the Express
Penalty Scheme.
Chapter three (3) presents statistics on production, which include Business,
Agriculture and Fisheries, Industry, Producer Prices, Energy, Building and
Construction, Transport and Communications, Tourism and Migration. Below are the
highlights of the Chapter:
Turnover
• Total registered turnover in the business sector was Shs. 4,506 trillion in
2008.
Agriculture
• Share of agriculture, forestry and fishing to total GDP at current prices is 23.7
percent in 2008/09.
• Both beef and milk production increased by 8.0 percent in 2008.
• Coffee procured increased by 20.8 percent in 2008.
• Banana production increased by 1.5 percent in 2008.
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8. Industry
• Metal production significantly increased by 20.4 percent in 2008 while textiles,
clothing and footwear decreased by 19.3 percent.
Producer prices
• PPI-M (Combined) recorded the highest increase of 21.2 percent in 2008 due
to increased prices in all industry groups.
• Significant price changes were registered in chemicals, paint, soaps and foam
products and metal products.
Energy
• Trend of petrol sales increased by approximately 31.0 percent in 2008
• Sales of diesel and LPG increased by 10.8 and 13.7 percent respectively in
2008.
• Electricity power generation increased by 14.2 percent in 2008.
• Electricity units sold in Uganda increased by 30 percent in 2008.
Building and construction
• Overall, prices in the construction sector rose by 15.2 percent in 2008.
• Prices of inputs for both residential and non-residential construction rose by
an average of 14.0 percent in 2008.
• Domestic cement consumption decreased by 3.3 percent in 2008.
Transport and communications
• Newly registered vehicles increased by 31.0 percent in 2008.
• The volume of cargo handled at Entebbe airport declined by approximately
7.0 percent in 2008.
• Total international bandwidth increased by 47.5 percent in 2008.
• The volume of both ordinary and registered letters handled by Posta (U) Ltd
decreased by 11.0 percent in 2008.
• Total number of cellular phone subscribers increased by 65.7 percent in 2008.
Tourism and Migration
• Generally, tourism contributed 3.7 percent to GDP in 2008.
• Total arrivals and departures increased by 32 and 30 percent respectively in
2008.
• Tourist arrivals through Entebbe Airport increased by 52 percent in 2008.
• National park visitors increased by 9 percent in 2008.
Chapter four (4) presents, statistics on Money Related Issues including National
Accounts, External Trade, Public Finance, Banking and Currency and Insurance.
Below are the highlights of the Chapter:
National Accounts
• GDP annual growth rate for 2008/09 was 7.0 percent.
• The GDP per capita annual growth rate for 2008/09 was 3.6 percent.
• Private consumption expenditure share of GDP increased to 80.3 percent in
2008/09.
• Between 2007/08 and 2008/09 the following sectors registered the indicated
growth rates;
o Agriculture: 2.6 percent.
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9. o Industry: 3.8 percent.
o Services: 9.4 percent.
External Trade
• Trade balance worsened during 2008.
• COMESA and the European Union regional blocs were the main destinations
for Uganda’s exports in 2008.
• The Asian continent remained the main source of Uganda’s imports recording
US $ 1,574 mill. in 2008.
• Uganda’s informal export earnings increased to US $ 1.3 bill. in 2008.
• Sudan was the main final destination for Uganda’s informal exports in 2008.
Government Finance
• Tax revenue had the largest share of 81.2 percent of total revenue in 2008.
• Recurrent expenditure increased to Shs.2,070 bill. in 2007/08 from Shs.1, 820
bill in 2006/07.
• The education sector expenditure remained the largest in Local Government
recurrent expenditure in 2007/08.
Banking and currency
• Net foreign assets increased by 33 percent in 2008.
• Currency in circulation increased to 1,074 bill. in 2008.
• Commercial banks lending rates increased by 0.8 percent.
• Commercial banks assets increased by 39.1percent.
• Uganda currency deposits in commercial banks increased by 31.6 percent in
2008.
• Trade & Commerce sector still takes the largest share of commercial banks’
loans.
Insurance
• Life insurance policies issued increased by 23.1 percent in 2007.
• Life insurance gross premium income increased by 93 percent in 2007.
• Insurance companies’ claims paid and outstanding for non life category
increased by 25.8 percent in 2007.
• Life insurance paid and outstanding claims registered an increase of 79.2
percent in 2007.
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10. GLOSSARY
Agriculture This term is used to describe crops, livestock, and poultry and
fishing activities.
Assets Assets are the property of a business. They may be classified as:
Current assets; consisting of cash, stock and book debts;
Fixed assets; consisting of buildings, plant and machinery; and
intangible assets being the value of goodwill or patents.
Aviation fuel This is more purified kerosene fuel used in aviation gas-turbine
engines.
Base period The reference period, to which a series of index numbers relate,
this is usually expressed as 100.
BCG This is a vaccine against Tuberculosis
(Bacillus Camete Guerin)
Bio mass – energy This is energy that is obtained from fuel wood, charcoal and crop
residues.
Broad money – (M2) This consists of currency in circulation, demand, time and savings
deposits. The deposits are held by the private sector and exclude
those held by the central government.
Broad money - (M2) A This is equivalent to (M2) plus certificates of deposit.
Broad money - (M3) This is equivalent to (M2) A plus foreign currency deposits.
Crime An offence for which one may be punished by law
Diesel fuel This is fuel used for internal combustion in diesel engines and as a
burner fuel in heating installations such as furnaces. Another name
for this product is automotive gasoil.
DMBs It stands for Deposit Money Banks. It refers to commercial banks
in our institutional settings.
DPT This is a vaccine against three diseases namely: Diphtheria,
Pertusis (whooping cough) and Tetanus.
Economic activity Covers all market production and certain types of non-market
production, including production and processing of primary
products for own consumption, own-account construction (owner
occupied dwellings) and other production of fixed assets for own
use.
Employment This includes all wage and salary earners and managers in all
businesses, and directors actively working in incorporated
businesses. It includes those working full-time or part-time and
those who are permanent or temporary.
Employed Persons Persons in paid employment who work for wage or salary in cash
or in kind or both and have a formal job attachment.
Employment status Refers to the status of an economically active person with respect
to his/her position at his/her place of work and his/her mode of
remuneration.
Enterprise This is a single legal entity or a combination of legal entities. It may
also be a sole legal unit carrying out one or more activities at one
or more locations. It may also be several establishments.
Establishment This is an economic unit engaged in one or predominantly one
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11. kind of economic activity under single ownership or control and is
situated at a single physical location.
Exports Outward flows comprising goods leaving the economic territory of
a country to the rest of the world.
Foreign reserves They consist of those external assets available to and controlled
by central banks for direct financing of balance of payments
imbalances, for indirectly regulating the magnitude of such
imbalances through intervention in exchange markets to affect the
currency exchange rate, and/or for other purposes. Included are
monetary gold, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), reserve position in
the fund, foreign exchange assets (consisting of currency, deposits
and securities) and other claims.
Heavy Fuel Oil This is residual fuel obtained after refinery of petroleum products.
It is used in ships and industrial large-scale heating installations as
a fuel in furnaces or boilers.
Gross Domestic Product The value of goods and services produced within the economic
territory of the country.
Gross Enrolment Rate The ratio of pupils in primary school (regardless of age) to the
country total population aged 6-12 years.
Gross Intake Rate The ratio of the pupils enrolled in primary one regardless of age to
the country total population aged six years.
Gross Output The production value as compiled from total receipts from
industrial and non industrial goods and services in an economy,
adjusted for stock changes but excluding Excise Duty and Indirect
Taxes. This is Gross Output at factor cost.
Health Centre II Out-patient clinics treating common diseases and offering
antenatal care. According to the Ugandan government's health
policy, every parish is supposed to have a Health Centre II.
Health Centre III Health centres with facilities which include an operation room and
a section for minor surgery headed by a clinical officer. Every
county should have this facility.
Health Centre IV The Health Centre IV is a mini hospital with the kind of services
found at Health Centre III. It serves a county or a parliamentary
constituency.
Imports Inward flows of goods from the rest of the world into the economic
territory of a country.
Index Number A number that shows relative change in price or volume between
the base period and another period.
Industry This is an economic activity undertaken by a business
establishment as specified in the ISIC
Intermediate Consumption This is the value of goods and services that are used in the
process of production of other goods and services rather than final
consumption
Kerosene This is fuel used as an illuminant for lighting and in some cases for
cooking.
Large Business Business establishment employing 100 or more persons
Labour force Currently active population aged 14 to 64 years who were
“employed” or “unemployed” during the last 7 days
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12. Labour force participation Ratio of all economically active persons aged 14-64years to the
rate
total number of persons aged 14-64 years
Liquid Petroleum Gas Liquid Petroleum Gases (LPG’s) are hydrocarbons, which are
gaseous under conditions of normal temperature and pressure but
are liquefied by compression or cooling to facilitate storage,
handling and transportation.
Loan A loan may be money or securities supplied by one party (the
lender) to a second party (the borrower) in a transaction in return
for a promised future payment by the borrower. Such transactions
normally include the payment of interest due to the lender as per
agreed repayment schedules between the two parties.
Net Enrolment Rate The ratio of pupils in primary school aged 6 – 12 to the country
total population aged 6 -12 years.
Net Intake Rate The ratio of the pupils aged six in primary one to the country total
population aged 6 years.
Non-traditional exports Refers to commodities other than traditional exports that have
recently featured in Uganda’s export trade.
Occupation Refers to the nature of task and duties performed during the
reference period preceding the interview by persons in paid
employment, unpaid family work or self-employment jobs.
Overdraft A type of a short-term loan particularly used to supply short-term
working capital to tide over the production cycle or finance for
seasonal requirements.
Passengers Travellers in a car, bus, train, plane or ship who are not driving or
part of the crew. These also include those embarked and
disembarked.
Petrol This is a light hydrocarbon fuel used in positive ignition engines.
Another name used for this type of fuel is premium motor spirit.
Prison Place where people are kept as a punishment for crimes they have
committed or while awaiting trial.
Prisoner A person kept in prison as a punishment for a crime or while
waiting for trial.
Proportional morbidity ratio This is the proportion attributable to a given cause of illness. It is a
proxy for the prevalence of sickness in a population.
Residents Persons whose usual residence is Uganda including those whose
nationality is not Ugandan.
Retained Reserves This is the increase in value of a currency or the increase in value
of fixed assets consisting mainly of freehold land and buildings.
Revaluation reserves These kinds of reserves arise due to the revaluation of fixed
assets but cannot be paid out as dividends because they are not
realised profits. They merely restate the value of an asset.
Teaching Service Teaching Service comprises of teachers of primary schools,
secondary and technical schools, commercial and technical
colleges and institutions.
Traditional Civil Servants These are employees of line ministries and self accounting
government departments.
Trade Balance This is the difference in value between the country’s visible imports
and exports.
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13. Traditional Exports Refers to long-term export cash crops introduced to Uganda long
time ago. That is Coffee, Cotton, Tea and Tobacco.
Treasury Bill These are short-term bearer securities with maturities of 91 days,
182 days, 273 days or 364 days issued by Bank of Uganda.
Underemployment Refers to persons who work less than 40 hours per week, but were
willing and available to work additional hours within the 7 last
seven days.
Value Added The value of outcome when factors of production interact to avail
goods and services. Value added technically is the difference
between the value of gross output and the value of intermediate
inputs and comprises the following:
(a) Compensation of employees
(b) Consumption of fixed capital (depreciation)
(c) Licenses
(d) Rent
(e) Interest
(f) Operating surplus (usually) net profit or loss and other
small items
VAT Tax levied on goods and services consumed within a country.
Wage Bill All cash payments made by employers in return for labour
provided by the employees. The payments include salaries and
wages, overtime, holiday pay, bonuses, commissions, sick leave
and any other allowances paid in cash to the employees.
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14. GENERAL INFORMATION ON UGANDA
Geographical Indicators
Latitude 4o12’N & 1o29’S
Longitude 29o34’E & 35o0’W
Altitude (minimum ASL) 620 metres
(maximum ASL) 5,110 metres
Total surface area 241,550.7 km2
Area under land 199,807 km2
Area under water and swamps 41,743 km2
Temperature 15-31oC
Rainfall 735 -1863 mm/year
2008 Economic Indicators
GDP at current market prices 28,340 billion Shs
Per capita GDP at current market prices 956,081 Shs
GDP growth rate at constant (2002) market prices 8.3 percent
Per capita GDP growth rate at constant (2002) market prices 4.9 percent
Contribution of agriculture to GDP at current market prices 21.5 percent
Balance of payments surplus 29.0 million US$
Inflation rate 12.1 percent
Budget deficit as a percentage of GDP (2008/09) 7.2 percent
Demographic and socio-economic indicators
Total population (2009 mid-year)* 30.7 million
Percentage urban (2009 mid-year)* 14.8 percent
Population of Kampala district (2009 mid-year)* 1.53 million
Sex ratio of total population (2002 census) 95 males per 100 females
Population density (2002 census) 123 persons/km2
Infant Mortality rate (2002 census)* 76 per 1000 live births
Life Expectancy at birth (2002 census)* 50.4 years
Male 48.8 years
Female 52.0 years
Pupil Teacher ratio (Primary 2008) 57
Pupil Classroom ratio (Primary 2008) 72
Student Teacher ratio (Secondary 2008) 21
Student Classroom ratio (Secondary 2008) 36
Note: * Demographic estimates were based on the Census 2002 final results.
Only population of gazetted city, municipalities and towns was considered as urban population.
xii
15. MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS, UGANDA COUNTRY PROFILE
Goal/Indicator Progress Target
2000 2003 2005/06 2015
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
1 Poverty head count (P0) 33.8 37.7 31.1 28.0
2 Poverty gap - (P1) 10.0 11.3 8.7
3 Underweight moderate and severe 22.8 20.4 12.5
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
4 Net enrolment ratio in primary education 84.0 90.0 84.0 100.0
5 Literacy rate of 15-24 year-olds 78.8 80 84.0
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
6 Ratio of girls to boys in primary education 0.99 0.99 0.96 1.0
7 Ratio of girls to boys in secondary education 0.79 0.82 1.0
8 Ratio of girls to boys in tertiary education 0.55 1.0
9 Ratio of literate women to men 15 -24 years. 0.84 0.9 0.92 1.0
10 Proportion of seats held by women in parliament 19.0 25.0 50.0
11 Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector 39.2 28.2 50.0
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
12 Under – five mortality (per 100,00 live births) 152 137 56
13 Infant mortality rate 88.4 76.0 31.0
14 Proportion of 1 year old children immunized against measles 56.8 68.1 90.0
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
15 Maternal mortality ratio (per 100,000 live births) 505 435 131
16 Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel 39.0 41.1 90.0
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
17 HIV/AIDS orphans (thousands) 884.0
18 HIV/AIDS prevalence among 15-24 year pregnant women 4.9*
19 Condom use at last higher-risk sex among 15-24 year olds 49.8 55.1 52.9
Male 65.3*
Female 27.1*
20 Contraceptive prevalence rate among women 15-49 years 23.0 64.5 23.6
Proportion of 15-24 year olds who have comprehensive knowledge of
21 28.0 32.1
HIV/AIDS
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
22 Proportion of land area covered by forest 21.3 18.3
23 Proportion of population with access to improved water source (urban) 87.0 84.0 100.0
24 Proportion of population with access to improved water source (rural) 57.0 53.5 58.5 62.0
25 Proportion of population with access to improved sanitation 82.0 87.0
Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development
26 Unemployment rate of 15-24 year olds 6.3 3.4
27 Debt relief committed under the HIPC initiative $69.7M $86.6M
28 Debt service as a percentage of exports of goods and services 20.4 15.8
Note: More indicators exist but are not listed above because of absence of data
*- The figure is for 2002
Figures in blue are from the HIV/AIDS Sero-Behavioural Survey, 2004-05
Figures in red are from the UDHS 2005/06
Source: Indicator; 1,2,4,6,7,8,9,11,23,24,25, 26 –UNHS, Uganda Bureau of Statistics
3,5,12,13,14,15,16,18,19,20 - UDHS, Uganda Bureau of Statistics
27, 28-Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development
10-Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development
22- Uganda Forestry Authority
19- 2006 UDHS, Uganda Bureau of Statistics
xiii
17. Table of contents
FOREWORD........................................................................................................................................ 2
LIST OF ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................ i
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................... iii
GLOSSARY ....................................................................................................................................... viii
GENERAL INFORMATION ON UGANDA .......................................................................................... xii
MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS, UGANDA COUNTRY PROFILE ........................................ xiii
1 Environment Statistics ................................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Land ................................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Rainfall ............................................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Temperature ....................................................................................................................... 3
1.4 Humidity.............................................................................................................................. 4
1.5 Rural Water Supply............................................................................................................. 4
1.6 Forestry .............................................................................................................................. 5
1.6.1 Local and Central Forest Reserves ............................................................................ 5
1.6.3 Wood production ........................................................................................................ 5
1.6.4 Consumption of charcoal and firewood....................................................................... 6
2 Demographic Statistics ................................................................................................................ 7
2.1 Population........................................................................................................................... 7
2.1.1 Fertility ........................................................................................................................ 7
2.1.2 Mortality ...................................................................................................................... 8
2.1.3 Life Expectancy .......................................................................................................... 9
2.2 Education.......................................................................................................................... 10
2.2.1 Primary School Education ........................................................................................ 10
2.2.2 Secondary School Education.................................................................................... 12
2.2.3 Higher Education Institutions .................................................................................... 14
2.2.4 Literacy ..................................................................................................................... 15
2.3 Labour Force, Employment and Earnings ......................................................................... 16
2.3.1 Key Labour Market Indicators ................................................................................... 16
2.3.2 Demand for labour .................................................................................................... 17
2.3.3 The Civil Service....................................................................................................... 18
2.3.4 Employment and annual wage bill for selected manufacturing establishments ......... 18
2.3.5 The Labour Cost Index ............................................................................................. 19
2.3.6 Employment and earnings survey ............................................................................ 20
2.4 Income, expenditure and poverty rates ............................................................................. 22
2.4.1 Consumption expenditure per household ................................................................. 22
2.4.2 Real Consumption Expenditure Per Capita .............................................................. 22
2.4.3 Share of Household Expenditure by Item Group ...................................................... 23
2.4.4 Poverty Trend Estimates .......................................................................................... 24
2.4.5 Inequality in Household Consumption ...................................................................... 25
2.4.6 Summary of Findings................................................................................................ 26
2.5 Prices ............................................................................................................................... 27
2.5.1 The Headline Consumer Price Index ........................................................................ 27
xv
18. 2.5.2 The Core Index ......................................................................................................... 27
2.5.3 Food-crops Index...................................................................................................... 27
2.5.4 The Energy, Fuel and Utilities (EFU Index) .............................................................. 27
2.5.5 Major Inflation Drivers over the past two years (2007- 2008) .................................... 27
2.6 Health ............................................................................................................................... 29
2.6.1 Health Units .............................................................................................................. 29
2.6.2 Immunisation Coverage ............................................................................................ 29
2.6.3 Morbidity ................................................................................................................... 29
2.6.4 Health Sector performance indicators....................................................................... 30
2.7 Crime ................................................................................................................................ 32
2.7.1 Police cases ............................................................................................................. 32
3 Production Statistics .................................................................................................................. 38
3.1 Turnover ........................................................................................................................... 38
3.1.1 Number of businesses with turnover by sector ......................................................... 38
3.1.2 Turnover in Businesses ............................................................................................ 39
3.2 Agriculture and fisheries ................................................................................................... 40
3.2.1 Cash crops ............................................................................................................... 40
3.2.2 Food crops ............................................................................................................... 40
3.2.3 Fish catch by water body .......................................................................................... 40
3.2.4 Livestock .................................................................................................................. 40
3.2.5 Production of Livestock products (2005-2008).......................................................... 41
3.3 Industry ............................................................................................................................. 43
3.3.1 Index of Production................................................................................................... 43
3.4 Producer Price Index ........................................................................................................ 45
3.4.1 PPI-M (Combined) Annual Changes......................................................................... 45
3.5 Energy .............................................................................................................................. 47
3.5.1 Petroleum products sales ......................................................................................... 47
3.5.3 Petroleum products imports ...................................................................................... 47
3.5.4 Electricity .................................................................................................................. 48
3.5.5 Lake Victoria Levels ................................................................................................. 49
3.5.6 Number of electricity consumers by type, 2004-2008 ............................................... 50
3.5.7 Electricity tariffs ........................................................................................................ 51
3.6 Building and Construction ................................................................................................. 52
3.6.1 Construction ............................................................................................................. 52
3.6.2 Cement Consumption ............................................................................................... 53
3.6.3 Building Statistics ..................................................................................................... 53
3.7 Transport and Communication .......................................................................................... 56
3.7.1 Transport .................................................................................................................. 56
3.7.2 Communication ........................................................................................................ 57
3.8 Migrations and Tourism .................................................................................................... 59
3.8.1 Total arrivals ............................................................................................................. 59
xvi
19. 3.8.2 Departures from 2004 - 2008.................................................................................... 59
3.8.3 Tourist arrivals in Uganda ......................................................................................... 60
3.8.4 National Parks ......................................................................................................... 61
3.8.5 Net Migration ............................................................................................................ 62
3.8.6 Accommodation Statistics......................................................................................... 62
4 Macroeconomic Statistics .......................................................................................................... 63
4.1 National accounts ............................................................................................................. 63
4.1.1 Gross Domestic Product ........................................................................................... 63
4.1.2 Agriculture, forestry and fishing ................................................................................ 63
4.1.3 Industry .................................................................................................................... 64
4.1.4 Services.................................................................................................................... 65
4.1.5 Expenditure on Gross Domestic Product .................................................................. 67
4.1.6 GDP by expenditure at 1 digit level basic heading .................................................... 67
4.1.7 Balance of payments ................................................................................................ 68
4.2 External Trade .................................................................................................................. 69
4.2.1 Trade balance .......................................................................................................... 69
4.2.2 Exports ..................................................................................................................... 70
4.2.3 Imports ..................................................................................................................... 71
4.2.4 The Informal Cross Border Trade Survey (ICBT)...................................................... 72
4.3 Government Finance Statistics ......................................................................................... 76
4.3.1 Introduction............................................................................................................... 76
4.3.2 Coverage .................................................................................................................. 76
4.3.3 Government revenue, 2007/08 ................................................................................. 76
4.3.4 Central Government recurrent expenditure, 2006/07 and 2007/08 ........................... 76
4.3.4 Local Government recurrent expenditure, 2007/08 ................................................... 76
4.4 Banking and currency ....................................................................................................... 77
4.4.1 Monetary Survey.......................................................................................................... 77
4.4.2 Structure of interest rates............................................................................................. 77
4.4.3 Commercial banks’ assets and liabilities ...................................................................... 77
4.4.4 Commercial banks’ outstanding loans and advances .................................................. 77
4.4.5 Annual foreign exchange rates and volumes ............................................................... 78
4.5 Insurance .......................................................................................................................... 79
4.5.1 Policies issued .......................................................................................................... 79
4.5.2 Insurance companies’ income and expenditure ........................................................ 79
4.5.3 Insurance companies’ paid and outstanding claims by class .................................... 80
xvii
20. 1 Environment Statistics
This section presents statistics on land, climate and rural water supply.
1.1 Land
Uganda has an area of 241,550.7 square kilometres (sq. km) of which 41,743.2 sq km are open water and
swamps, and 199,807.4 sq km is land. The altitude above sea level ranges from 620 metres (Albert Nile)
to 5,111 metres (Mt. Rwenzori peak). Uganda is located within the Great Lakes region of East and
Central Africa. It shares Lake Victoria with Kenya and Tanzania and Lakes Albert and Edward with
the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Within its boundaries are lakes Wamala, Bunyonyi, Katwe,
Nakivale, Mburo, Kyoga, George and Bisina.
The three major rivers in Uganda are Aswa, Kagera and the Nile. There are many other smaller rivers and
streams which drain into wetlands and then lakes or form tributaries and sub-tributaries to the major rivers.
The vegetation is mainly composed of savannah grassland, woodland, bush land and tropical high
forest.
Table 1.1 below shows the national land cover in sq. km. by type. The cultivated land cover being the
largest increased from 84,010 sq. km. in 1990 to 99,018.4 sq. km. in 2005. The second in size are the
grasslands. Those remained constant at 51,152.7 sq km for the same periods. Notably, the bush lands
and woodlands decreased from 14,223.9 sq. km. and 39,740.9 sq. km. in 1990 to 11,893.6 and 29,528.1
sq. km. in 2005 respectively. Similarly, plantations (hard and soft woods), tropical high forest (depleted
and normal) have decreased over the period.
Table 1.1: National Land cover statistics (sq km)
1990 2000 2005
Built-Up Areas 365.7 365.7 365.7
Bushlands 14,223.9 12,624.5 11,893.6
Commercial Farmlands 684.5 684.5 684.5
Cultivated Lands 84,010.0 94,526.7 99,018.4
Grasslands 51,152.7 51,152.7 51,152.7
Impediments 37.1 37.1 37.1
Plantations - Hardwoods 186.8 153.3 138.8
Plantations - Softwoods 163.8 80.0 192.0
Tropical High Forest 2,740.6 2,248.2 2,036.3
Tropical High Forest Normal 6,501.5 5,333.5 4,830.7
Water Bodies 36,902.8 36,902.8 36,902.8
Wetlands 4,840.4 4,840.4 4,840.4
Woodlands 39,740.9 32,601.4 29,528.1
Total 241,550.7 241,550.7 241,550.7
Note: The figures indicated in the above table are based on projections. Actual vegetation studies were undertaken in 1994 based on
1992 satellite imagery.
Source: National Forestry Authority
1
21. 1.2 Rainfall
Figure 1.2.1 below shows Long Term Average and Monthly rainfall trends for the year
2008 for the selected centres, that is, Gulu, Kampala, Jinja and Mbarara.
In the 1st and 2nd quarter of 2008 rainfall was generally below the long term average
trend while in the 3rd quarter rainfall was above the long term average trend. In the 4th
quarter however the rainfall figures for Gulu fell slightly below the long term average trend. In 2008,
the lowest rainfall was recorded in February.
For Kampala centre, during the 1st half of 2008 the rainfall level was higher for some months than
the long term average. However, the long term average was higher than the rainfall received in the
2nd half of 2008. There was a drop in the December 2008 rainfall as compared to rainfall of the
previous month of November 2008.
In Jinja, most months showed minimal differences between the long term average and 2008 rainfall
trends, except for September 2008 which recorded 90 mm of the long term average trend
compared to 13 mm of the rainfall of the same month. It can also be observed that both the long
term average and 2008 rainfall have generally similar movements.
The rainfall movements for Mbarara for 2008 were similar to that of the long term average for most
of the months, although the 2008 rainfall was generally higher than the long term average rainfall
for the most months. The highest difference between the long term average (147.7 mm) and the
2008 rainfall was recorded in September (298.5 mm). (See Statistical Appendix Table 1.2 A)
Figure 1.2.1: Rainfall in selected centres, 2008
Monthly Rainfall Gulu in millimeters
2
22. Monthly Rainfall Kampala in millimeters
Monthly Rainfall Jinja in millimeters
Monthly Rainfall Mbarara in millimeters
1.3 Temperature
For all the selected centres, mean, maximum and minimum temperature trends showed
similar patterns to that of the long term average. However, temperature for Arua, Gulu, Kampala,
Lira, Masindi and Tororo was slightly higher than the long term average. (See Statistical Appendix
Table 1.3A).
3
23. 1.4 Humidity
Monthly mean relative humidity at 06.00 and 12.00 hours was generally in line with the long term
average for all the selected centres (Gulu, Jinja, Kampala and Mbarara), except for Mbarara
where the patterns differ.
1.5 Rural Water Supply
The Directorate of Water Development has the responsibility of supplying water to the rural
population. Table 1.5.1 shows that above 50 percent of the rural population is served with
water although there was a slight decline of 2.3 percent in 2006 compared to 2005.
Table 1.5.1: Rural water supply by source, 2003-2006 (Type and number of sources)
Source 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Spring 20,224 21,477 22,869 23,696 23,327
Borehole 17,846 18,873 19,001 19,717 19,054
Shallow Well 5,998 7,432 8,721 9,872 8,420
Gravity Flow System 138 183 238 257 na
Gravity Flow System (Taps) 4,233 4,803 5,768 6,182 7,765
Rural Population % coverage 51.2 53.5 56.9 60.8 58.5
Source: Directorate of Water Development
4
24. 1.6 Forestry
This section presents statistics on forestry which include area on Local and Central Forest
Reserves, production of forestry products and values of the output for the period 2003 to 2007.
Forestry products are of extremely high economic importance to Uganda due to their household,
small and medium scale industrial uses. The energy sector is characterised by heavy dependence
on bio-mass resources which provide more than 90 percent of the national total energy needs. Bio-
mass is the dominant energy resource for households, small and medium scale industries such as
lime, brick and tile making and a number of agro-based industries.
1.6.1 Local and Central Forest Reserves
In Table 1.6.1, the area in hectares under forests for both the Central Forest Reserve
(CFR) and Local Forest Reserve (LFR) was determined under the National Bio-mass Study
(1995). In all the regions, the proportion of land under Central Forest Reserves (CFR) was higher
than the Local Forest Reserves. Of the four regions, Eastern had the largest proportion (2.6
percent) under Local Forest Reserves, followed by Central (0.5 percent), Northern (0.3 percent)
and Western (0.1 percent). For more information on Local and Central Forest Reserves see
Table 1.6 A in the Statistical Appendix.
Table 1.6.1: Share of total area under forests by region, 1995
CFR Percent of LFR Percent of Total Forest Reserve
Region CFR (1) Hectares Total LFR (2) Hectares Total Area
Central 303,358 99.5 1,576 0.5 304,934
Eastern 56,479 97.4 1,531 2.6 58,010
Northern 556,825 99.7 1,447 0.3 558,272
Western 356,037 99.9 431 0.1 356,468
Uganda 1,272,699 99.6 4,985 0.4 1,277,684
Note: (1) CFR – Central Forest Reserve
(2) LFR – Local Forest Reserve
Source: National Forestry Authority.
1.6.3 Wood production
Uganda has been registering a steady increase in the total wood production over the last five years
and this trend is likely to continue into the future. The booming construction industry and
inadequate supply of the alternative sources of fuel has pushed up the demand for wood
consumption in commercial, industrial and other use sectors which in 2007 surpassed wood
used as fuel by households as shown in Table 1.6.2 below.
Table 1.6.2: Wood fuel and other wood uses by percentage of total, 2003 - 2007
Category 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Wood used as fuel by Households 60.8 60.5 60.2 59.8 45.0
Wood for other uses 39.2 39.5 39.8 40.2 55.0
Total 100 100 100 100 100
Source: National Forestry Authority
5
25. 1.6.4 Consumption of charcoal and firewood
Table 1.6.3 shows the value of household expenditure on firewood and charcoal in both monetary
and non-monetary terms as reported in the Household Expenditure Surveys. For a period of
about 10 years, the total nominal value increased by 81.6 percent, from Shs. 18.0 billion in 1996/97
to Shs 32.7 billion in 2005/06. The value of charcoal consumption more than doubled, while
the value of firewood consumption increased by 67.7 percent for the same period.
Table 1.6.3: Household consumption of firewood and charcoal (million Shillings)
Item 1996/97 2002/03 2005/06
Charcoal 4,076 6,936 9,345
Firewood 13,967 20,677 23,425
Total 18,043 27,613 32,770
Source: Uganda Bureau of Statistics
6
26. 2 Demographic Statistics
2.1 Population
Uganda’s population has continued to grow over a period of time from 9.5 millions in 1969 to 24.2
millions in 2002. Population increased at an average annual growth rate of 3.2 percent between
1991 and 2002. The projected 2009 mid-year population stands at 30.7 millions as shown in figure
2.1.1. More than half of Uganda’s population (51 percent) are females. The general population is
increasingly becoming younger with a proportion of the children (under 18 years) having increased
from 51 percent in 1969 to 56 percent in 2002. The proportion of the elderly persons (60 years and
above) on the other hand decreased from 5.9 percent in 1969 to 4.6 percent in 2002.
Figure 2.1.1: Census population, 1969, 1980, 1991 and 2002 and mid year (2009) projection
35
30.7
30
24.2
25
20
Million
16.7
15 12.6
9.5
10
5
0
1969 1980 1991 2002 2009
Year
2.1.1 Fertility
The fertility levels have remained high over the past 3 decades, with the Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
of about 7 children per woman. According to the 2006 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey,
the TFR has slightly reduced to 6.7 children per woman. The TFR is higher in the rural compared to
the urban areas. Figure 2.1.2 below shows the trend of TFR over the period 1991 to 2006.
7
27. Figure 2.1.2: Fertility Trends, 1991- 2006
7.2
7.1
7.1
7.0
Births per 1000
6.9 6.9 6.9
6.9
6.8
6.7
6.7
6.6
6.5
1991* 1995 2000 2002* 2006
Year
Note: 1991 and 2002 data is from population and housing censuses while data for 1995, 2000 and 2006 is from UDHS
2.1.2 Mortality
There has been a general improvement in mortality levels. The infant mortality rate declined from
122 to 75 deaths per 1,000 live births between 1991 and 2006 while the under five mortality
declined from 203 to 137 deaths per 1,000 live births over the same period. Figure 2.1.3 shows
the trend of IMR and Under Five Mortality over the period 1991 to 2006
Figure 2.1.3: Infant and Under Five Mortality Trends, 1991- 2006
250
203
200
162
152 156
Deaths per 1000
150 137
122
97
100 89 87
76
50
0
1991* 1995 2000 2002* 2006
Year
Infant Under Five
Note: 1991 and 2002 data is from population and housing censuses while data for 1995, 2000 and 2006 is from UDHS
8
28. 2.1.3 Life Expectancy
Life expectancy at birth is an estimate of the average number of years a person is expected to live
if a particular pattern of mortality is maintained. Table 2.1.1 shows that the over-all life expectancy
at birth from 2002 Census was 50.4 years for both sexes. Males registered a lower life expectancy
of 48.8 years compared to their female counterparts at 52 years. There was a gain of 2.3 years in
life expectancy between 1991 and 2002 for both sexes.
Table 2.1.1: Life Expectancy at Birth by Census Year 1969- 2002
Census Year Male Female Total
1969 46.0 47.0 46.5
1991 45.7 50.5 48.1
2002 48.8 52.0 50.4
9
29. 2.2 Education
Education is perhaps the most important component in any country’s development. It empowers
the population with necessary skills, widens their knowledge of the general public and enlightens
them about their wellbeing. Proper and evidence-based planning for Education is vital for
improvement of the sector. The main source of Education statistics are the returns from schools,
submitted to Ministry of Education and Sports. However, not all schools submit regularly, and this
may cause some inconsistencies in data published in this Statistical Abstract. The response rate
therefore determines the data available.
The statistics presented in this section include total number of education institutions, enrolment in
those institutions, orphans, students with special needs, levels of adult literacy and the number of
persons in the teaching profession.
2.2.1 Primary School Education
The introduction of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme in 1997 has improved
access to primary education for a large proportion of the population particularly in the rural areas.
The implementation of this programme has caused tremendous changes in primary enrolment
which has grew from 3.1 millions in 1996 to 7.4 millions in 2008.
Table 2.2.1 indicates that there was a 0.9 percentage decrease in the number of pupils enrolled
between 2007 and 2008. (Details of enrolment by class and sex can be found in Appendix Table
2.2A). Between 2007 and 2008, there was a 3.7 percentage decrease in the number of primary
schools. It is significant that the number of primary teachers reduced by 13.8 percent between
2007 and 2008.This was as a result of streamlining the teachers’ ceiling.The pupil-teacher and
pupil-class room ratios remained the same at 57 and 72 respectively between 2007 and 2008.
(Details are in Appendix 2.2 C).
Table 2.2.1: Primary School Education Indicators in Uganda 2003 – 2007
Year 2005 2006 2007 2008
Enrolment (‘000) 7,224 7,362 7537 7,471
Number of Primary Teachers (‘000s) 145 150 152 131
Number of Primary Schools 13,576 14,385 14,728 14,179
% Annual change in Enrolment -2 1.9 2 -1
Pupil Teacher Ratio 50 48 57 57
Pupil Classroom Ratio 74 72 72 72
GER 107 114 113 108
GIR 152.8 129 129 128
NER 93 92 93 89
NIR 66 56 57 55
Source: Planning Unit, Ministry of Education and Sports.
The Gross Intake Rate (GIR) in 2007 and 2008 was 129 and 128 respectively. Since the GIR is
slightly more than 100, this means that more pupils enrolled in primary school before the age of 6
years or lasted beyond 12 years in primary school. Details of the GIR and other primary education
accessibility indictors are shown in Appendix Table 2.2 B.
10
30. 2.2.1.1 Primary School Orphans
Orphans refer to children who have lost either one or both of their parents. Table 2.2.2 shows that
the number of orphans enrolled in primary schools reduced from 1.33 to 1.27 million children
between 2007 and 2008, giving a 4 percentage point decrease. Among the orphans enrolled in
2008, males had a higher percentage, of 51, compared to the females.
On average, a comparison of the percentage of ophans to the total enrolment indicates that
orphans have remained within the same range of about 17 percent since 2004.
Table 2.2.2: Primary school orphans by sex (2002 - 2008)
Year/Sex 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Male 636,284 641,930 642,088 677,867 644,974
Female 616,294 619,623 628,980 657,062 629,025
Total
1,252,578 1,261,553 1,271,068 1,334,929 1,273,999
% to total enrollment 17 17.5 17.3 17.7 17.1
Source: Ministry of Education and Sports
2.2.1.2 Primary School Pupils with disabilities
Primary school pupils with disabilities decreased by 5.8 percent in 2008 and their percentage to
total enrollment also decreased from 24.3 in 2007 to 23.1 in 2008. Details on number of disabled
pupils by class are shown in the table below.
Table 2.2.3: Primary school pupils with special needs, 2007- 2008
Class 2007 2008
Male Female Total Male Female Total
P1 21,982 17,858 39,840 19,713 15,565 35,278
P2 15,349 13,617 28,966 14,235 12,391 26,626
P3 16,262 14,590 30,852 15,281 13,564 28,845
P4 14,754 13,768 28,522 14,495 13,409 27,904
P5 12,706 11,651 24,357 11,965 11,634 23,599
P6 9,756 3,143 18,899 9,491 9,228 18,719
P7 6,332 5,310 11,642 6,385 5,071 11,456
Total 97,141 85,937 183,078 91,565 80,862 172,427
Source: Ministry of Education and Sports.
2.2.1.3 Primary school education facilities
At the national level, about three in every five pupils enrolled in primary school had adequate sitting
space. Provision of adequate infrastructure for the children enroled in primary school is key and
remains a challenge to the Education sector.Table 2.2.4 shows that a lower proportion of pupils in
lower classes had adequate space compared to those in upper classes for the period 2007 to
2008. Pupils in lower classes are at a disadvantage compared to those in upper classes.
11
31. Table 2.2.4: Primary school pupils with adequate sitting space by class (2007-2008)
Class 2007 2008
Pupils with Pupils with
adequate % to total adequate % to total
Enrolment space Enrolment Enrolment space Enrolment
P1 1,832,129 880,304 48 1,767,399 874,483 49.5
P2 1,213,486 678,050 56 1,234,443 701,644 56.8
P3 1,224,812 774,757 63 1,200,289 777,113 64.7
P4 1,096,256 755,357 69 1,096,760 762,496 69.5
P5 939,804 699,225 74 936,924 697,200 74.4
P6 761,212 606,210 80 749,733 599,742 80.0
P7 470,272 414,068 88 485,726 430,197 88.6
Total 7,537,971 4,807,971 64 7,471,274 4,842,875 64.8
Note: Adequate sitting space refers to three pupils per standard desk
Source: Ministry of Education and Sport
2.2.1.4 Primary School Completion
The Uganda National Household Survey (UNHS), 2006 collected information on the completion
rates to establish the number of pupils who had continous primary education from Primary 1 to
Primary 7. Comparing the number of pupils enrolled to Primary 1 in 2000 and those enroled in
Primary 7 in 2006, Table 2.2.5 shows that one in every three children who started Primary 1 in
2000 was likely not to complete Primary 7 in 2006.
Table 2.2.5: Primary school completion 2000-2006 (‘000)
Currently attending Attending P.1 in 2000 Attending P.7 in 2006
Region Male Female Uganda Male Female Uganda
Kampala 53 39 92 16 15 31
Central, Excluding Kampala 251 226 477 80 85 165
Eastern 177 187 364 94 74 168
Northern 176 203 379 90 47 137
Western 251 244 496 98 86 184
Uganda 908 899 1,808 378 307 685
Source: UNHS, 2006, Uganda Bureau of Statistics
2.2.2 Secondary School Education
Following the introduction of UPE in 2006, the number of pupils enrolling in secondary school has
been on the increase, leading to an increase in the demand for more secondary schools. Table
2.2.6.shows that between 2007 and 2008, secondary school enrolment declined by 13 percent
which, explains the reduction in the student teacher ratio from 39 to 21 over the same period.
Detailed breakdown on these indicators are in Appendix Tables 2.2 H and 2.2 I
12
32. Table 2.2.6: Trend of key secondary school education indicators 2004– 2008
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Enrolment 697,507 728,393 814,087 954,328 827,504
Number of Schools 3,645 1,961 2,286 2,644 1,907
Number of Teachers 37,313 37,607 42,673 24,548 40,352
Student teacher ratio 19 19 19 39 21
Gross Enrolment rate n.a. 18.6 22.1 25.0 21
Net Enrolment rate n.a. 15.4 18.6 21.3 17.9
Source: Ministry of Education and Sports.
2.2.1.5 Education facilities in secondary schools
Adequate sitting space refers to three students per standard desk. Table 2.2.7 shows that students
who lacked adequate writing and sitting space were reducing as the classes advanced. However,
in 2008, the total number of students without adequate sitting space increased by about 93 percent
countrywide.
Table 2.2.7: Secondary school students who lack adequate space
Year/Class 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
S.1 30,781 23,927 26,153 33,892 30,566
S.2 22,141 19,461 18,299 12,870 28,787
S.3 17,468 15,400 16,193 10,239 12,446
S.4 11,881 9,501 9,286 4,434 7,262
S.5 6,101 3,453 2,450 847 4,202
S.6 4,430 3,325 278 512 3,014
Total 92,802 51,140 46,506 28,902 55,711
Source: Ministry of Education and Sports
2.2.1.6 Secondary school students with Special Needs
Table 2.2.8 indicates a reduction in the number of disabled students who enrolled in different
classes in 2008, right from Senior One to Six. Overall, the number of secondary school students
with Special Needs declined by 25 percent between 2007 and 2008.
Table 2.2.8: Secondary school students with special needs
Year/Class 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
S.1 2,667 2,057 2,364 2,990 2,245
S.2 2,555 2,028 2,283 2,555 2,135
S.3 2,402 1,949 2,130 2,533 1,794
S.4 1,894 1,752 1,931 2,125 1,405
S.5 666 878 859 1,054 726
S.6 709 813 669 846 783
Total 10,893 9,477 10,236 12,103 9,088
Source: Ministry of Education and Sports.
13
33. 2.2.1.7 Secondary school Orphans by class
Table 2.2.9, indicates that the number of orphaned students has been increasing steadily over the
years with the exception of 2008 where a decline was realised. The total number of secondary
school orphans reduced by 19 percent between 2007 and 2008.
Table 2.2.9: Secondary school orphan students by class, 2004 - 2008
Class/Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
S.1 42,903 43,355 51,366 68,757 51,215
S.2 36,825 38,658 43,096 50,793 46,984
S.3 31,822 33,721 38,811 43,775 34,642
S.4 27,333 29,937 33951 39,647 30,387
S.5 10,565 11,218 12,590 14,983 12,306
S.6 9,410 10,693 11334 13,808 11,568
Total 158,858 167,582 191,148 231,763 187,102
Source: Ministry of Education and Sports
2.2.3 Higher Education Institutions
The government policy to liberalise the education system has led to an increase in the number of
private higher learning institutions. The number of universities has been increasing in the last few
decades and, in addition, more courses have been introduced, hence widening the labour market.
Table 2.2.10 below indicates that 67 percent of the tertiary enrolment in 2006 was from
universities. Male students’ enrolment was the highest, with 58 percent, compared to the females.
See details in Appendix Table 2.2.I
Table 2.2.10: Higher Institutions Enrollment, 2006
Enrolment
Institutions Number Male Female Total
Universities 26 52,507 40,098 92,605
National Teachers Colleges 9 7,316 3,681 10,997
Technical Colleges 6 1,848 132 1,980
Commercial Colleges 48 9,348 8,832 18,180
Co-operative Colleges 209 119 328
Management Institutions 8 2,000 2,156 4,156
Health/ Medical Institutions 15 2,108 1,024 3,132
Agricultural & Forestry Institutions 6 1,370 281 1,651
Theological Colleges 2 850 248 1,098
Media & Communication Institutions 2 900 576 1,476
Hotels & Tourism institutions 1 81 62 143
Law Dev. Centre 1 500 300 800
Study Centres 2 416 188 604
Grand Total 79,453 57,697 137,150
Source: Ministry of education and sports
14
34. 2.2.4 Literacy
Literacy is defined as the ability to write meaningfully and read with understanding in any language.
The 2005/06 Uganda National Household Survey revealed an overall literacy rate of 69 percent
among persons aged 10 years and above. Table 2.2.11 indicates that more men were found to be
literate (76 percent) than women (63 percent). Among regions, in 2005/06, the Central region
excluding Kampala had the highest literacy rate (80 percent), while the Northern had the lowest (59
percent). Kampala had a total literacy rate of 91 percent, bearing in mind its special characteristics.
The literacy rates were higher for urban dwellers (86 percent) than their rural counter parts (66
percent).
Table 2.2.11: Literacy rates for population aged 10 years and above
1999/00 2002/03 2005/06
Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Uganda 74 57 65 77 63 70 76 63 69
Residence
Urban 92 82 86 90 84 87 89 83 86
Rural 72 54 62 74 60 67 74 58 66
Region
Central exc. 81 74 77 82 74 79 82 78 80
Kampala
Eastern 72 52 62 72 54 63 71 56 64
Northern 64 33 47 72 42 56 74 45 59
Western 74 61 67 79 69 74 74 60 67
Kampala - - - 94 91 92 92 90 91
Source: UNHS 2005/06, Uganda Bureau of Statistics
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35. 2.3 Labour Force, Employment and Earnings
Employment generates incomes, which enable individuals and their dependants to purchase goods
and services necessary to meet their basic needs. Availability of productive employment
opportunities greatly reduces poverty.
Data on labour market (jobs, job seekers, employment levels, desired skills etc) in both public and
private sectors is important in order to have accurate information about the quantitative and
qualitative aspects of the labour force. This section presents information on key labour market
indicators, employment in the civil service, employment and the wage bill for selected
manufacturing establishments. In addition, the information on jobs advertised in newspapers gives
an insight on the most demanded occupations in the country.
2.3.1 Key Labour Market Indicators
The Labourforce Market Indicators in Uganda are based on the population in the working age
bracket of 14 to 64 years. These are presented in Table 2.3.1.
The total labour force in Uganda increased from 9.8 million persons in 2002/03 to 10.9 million
persons in 2005/06. The labour force participation rate was 82 percent. The rate was slightly higher
for males than for their female counterparts during 2005/06.The unemployement rate was about 2
per cent in 2005/06 while the total urban unemployment rate was about 7 percent. The time related
underemployment rate was about 12 percent. Thus underemployment and unemployment
accounted for 14 percent of the labour force and 16 percent of the urban labour force.
Table 2.3.1: Selected Labour Market Indicators
2002/03 2005/06
Indicator Male Female Total Male Female Total
Uganda labour force (Millions) 4.6 5.1 9.8 5.3 5.6 10.9
Labour force participation rate 80.3 79.9 80.1 83.5 80.9 82.0
Employment to population ratio 78.2 76.6 77.4 82.0 79.0 80.0
Uunemployment rate 2.6 4.2 3.5 1.7 2.1 1.9
Urban unemployment rate 7.6 17.0 12.2 3.5 9.5 6.9
Time related underemployment rate 18.9 15.1 16.9 n.a n.a 12.1
Urban time related underemployment rate 9.7 11.1 10.4 9.0 7.3 8.7
Median monthly wages 60,000 32,000 54,000 48,000 20,000 36,000
Source: Uganda National Household Surveys 2002/03 and 2005/06
In 2005/06, the majority of the working population (70 percent) was engaged in agriculture and
mainly as self-employed. By industry, agriculture employed 73 percent of the working population,
while by occupation, 70 percent of the working population were agriculture and fishery workers.
(Appendix Tables 2.3 A, 2.3 B and 2.3 C).
Among the paid employees, the majority were temporary (mainly casual) constituting 12 percent of
the working population. Only about 5 percent of the working population was in permanent paid
employment.
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36. 2.3.2 Demand for labour
Job/vacancy advertisements portray the demand side of the labour market and act as an indicator
of the expanding sectors in the economy. The information on jobs advertised presented here is
based on two major English Newspapers: The New Vision and Daily Monitor. A job is captured only
once even if it is advertised in more than one newspaper or more than once in the same
newspaper. In 2007, the number of jobs advertised was 9,998, reflecting a decrease of 36 percent
from the previous year.
Figure 2.3.1 below shows the trend in the number of jobs advertised between 2003 and 2007.
Figure 2.3.1: Number of advertised vacancies by year
40,000
29,462
Number of Vacancies
30,000
20,000 15,535
14,051
9,648 9,998
10,000
0
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Years
The majority of the jobs advertised in 2007 were in the public administration sector (See Statistical
Appendix Table 2.3 D) although its share has been fluctuating since 2003. The International
Organisations1 constituted 14 percent of the total advertisements in 2007. Only about 5 percent
and about 3 percent of the advertisements were in social sectors of health and education
respectively.
During the year 2007, the other professionals’ category (which includes accountants, business
administration, mathematicians, statisticians, system designers, computer programmers, legal
professionals, librarians, biologists, zoologists, etc.) constituted the largest proportion (18 percent)
of occupations advertised. (See Statistical Appendix Table 2.3 E). This category combined with the
health professionals constituted 22 percent of the total newspapers advertisements during 2007.
In the past, the “Primary and other education teaching associate professionals” was the single
largest occupation group advertised, though its share was decreasing from about 43 percent in
2003 to about 22 percent in 2006. In 2007, it was the second highest attracting 13 percent of the
advertised jobs. The ranking for other occupations flactuated from year to year.
2.3.2.1 Number of Vacancies Advertised by Education Level
During the year 2007, 35 percent of the jobs advertised required degree holders while 30 percent
required certificate holders. (See Table 2.3.2). Less than 5 percent of the jobs advertised did not
require any formal education, while 2 percent required a PHD degree. There are variations in the
distribution of jobs advertised by qualifications during the years 2005 and 2004.
1
Includes International Organisations like ILO, UNICEF, UNDP, WFP, FAO etc. as well International NGOs.
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