Trade in goods · updated 10 Jun 2026
Uganda sold US$13.7 billion of goods to the world in 2025
Gold made up 47% of exports in 2025. Uganda also imported US$6.4 billion of gold, much of it refined and sold on.
Exports, 2025
US$13.7 billion
US$7.3 billion without gold
Imports, 2025
US$19.0 billion
US$12.6 billion without gold
Trade gap
US$5.3 billion
imports minus exports
Gold share of exports
47%
largely re-exported
Coffee earned a record US$2.46 billion in 2025, up 59% on 2024.
Thirty years of trade
Exports and imports each year
US$ million, calendar years
- Exports
- Imports
| Year | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13,658 | 19,002 |
| 2024 | 8,649 | 13,943 |
| 2023 | 6,882 | 11,904 |
| 2022 | 4,126 | 9,827 |
| 2021 | 4,469 | 9,155 |
| 2020 | 4,287 | 8,268 |
| 2019 | 4,096 | 7,754 |
| 2018 | 3,634 | 6,789 |
| 2017 | 3,451 | 5,677 |
| 2016 | 2,902 | 4,894 |
| 2015 | 2,666 | 5,592 |
| 2014 | 2,677 | 6,139 |
| 2013 | 2,829 | 5,871 |
| 2012 | 2,811 | 6,096 |
| 2011 | 2,515 | 5,685 |
| 2010 | 2,147 | 4,731 |
| 2009 | 2,366 | 4,340 |
| 2008 | 2,532 | 4,604 |
| 2007 | 1,337 | 3,495 |
| 2006 | 962 | 2,557 |
| 2005 | 813 | 2,054 |
| 2004 | 665 | 1,726 |
| 2003 | 534 | 1,375 |
| 2002 | 468 | 1,074 |
| 2001 | 452 | 1,006 |
| 2000 | 402 | 958 |
| 1999 | 489 | 994 |
| 1998 | 537 | 1,093 |
| 1997 | 595 | 894 |
| 1996 | 711 | 863 |
1996
2025
Month by month
US$ million, last five years (latest months provisional)
- Exports
- Imports
| Month | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 1,421 | 1,789 |
| Feb 2026 | 1,368 | 1,720 |
| Jan 2026 | 1,426 | 1,592 |
| Dec 2025 | 1,444 | 1,930 |
| Nov 2025 | 1,222 | 1,752 |
| Oct 2025 | 1,503 | 1,877 |
| Sep 2025 | 962 | 1,766 |
| Aug 2025 | 1,061 | 1,730 |
| Jul 2025 | 1,274 | 1,614 |
| Jun 2025 | 1,157 | 1,650 |
| May 2025 | 1,193 | 1,542 |
| Apr 2025 | 1,127 | 1,429 |
| Mar 2025 | 993 | 1,306 |
| Feb 2025 | 855 | 1,191 |
| Jan 2025 | 867 | 1,218 |
| Dec 2024 | 759 | 1,227 |
| Nov 2024 | 698 | 1,240 |
| Oct 2024 | 769 | 1,266 |
| Sep 2024 | 697 | 1,171 |
| Aug 2024 | 833 | 1,183 |
| Jul 2024 | 811 | 1,270 |
| Jun 2024 | 701 | 1,137 |
| May 2024 | 871 | 1,195 |
| Apr 2024 | 649 | 1,105 |
| Mar 2024 | 692 | 1,161 |
| Feb 2024 | 652 | 1,079 |
| Jan 2024 | 519 | 910 |
| Dec 2023 | 622 | 1,048 |
| Nov 2023 | 582 | 1,107 |
| Oct 2023 | 659 | 1,085 |
| Sep 2023 | 613 | 1,068 |
| Aug 2023 | 685 | 1,179 |
| Jul 2023 | 560 | 988 |
| Jun 2023 | 586 | 1,086 |
| May 2023 | 583 | 1,081 |
| Apr 2023 | 529 | 806 |
| Mar 2023 | 675 | 785 |
| Feb 2023 | 361 | 798 |
| Jan 2023 | 429 | 874 |
| Dec 2022 | 367 | 835 |
| Nov 2022 | 337 | 789 |
| Oct 2022 | 353 | 820 |
| Sep 2022 | 311 | 807 |
| Aug 2022 | 337 | 1,016 |
| Jul 2022 | 337 | 817 |
| Jun 2022 | 361 | 897 |
| May 2022 | 352 | 771 |
| Apr 2022 | 352 | 770 |
| Mar 2022 | 377 | 809 |
| Feb 2022 | 344 | 800 |
| Jan 2022 | 299 | 697 |
| Dec 2021 | 323 | 777 |
| Nov 2021 | 306 | 758 |
| Oct 2021 | 286 | 649 |
| Sep 2021 | 287 | 634 |
| Aug 2021 | 291 | 654 |
| Jul 2021 | 307 | 631 |
| Jun 2021 | 457 | 1,091 |
| May 2021 | 480 | 833 |
| Apr 2021 | 439 | 842 |
Apr 2021
Mar 2026
What Uganda sells
Click a product to see how its sales have changed since 1996.
Top exports, 2025
US$ million
| US$ million | |
|---|---|
| Gold | 6,403 |
| Coffee | 2,464 |
| Cocoa Beans | 632 |
| Sugar and Sugar Confectionary | 255 |
| Fish and Fish Products | 241 |
| Iron and Steel | 177 |
| Beans and Other Legumes | 136 |
| Petroleum Products | 126 |
| Palm oil | 123 |
| Maize | 117 |
| Plastic Products | 112 |
| Cement | 102 |
Export earnings over time
US$ million per year
- Coffee
+ Add a product
| Year | Coffee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,464 |
| 2024 | 1,549 |
| 2023 | 966 |
| 2022 | 860 |
| 2021 | 719 |
| 2020 | 516 |
| 2019 | 439 |
| 2018 | 436 |
| 2017 | 556 |
| 2016 | 372 |
| 2015 | 403 |
| 2014 | 410 |
| 2013 | 426 |
| 2012 | 373 |
| 2011 | 467 |
| 2010 | 285 |
| 2009 | 282 |
| 2008 | 407 |
| 2007 | 266 |
| 2006 | 190 |
| 2005 | 173 |
| 2004 | 124 |
| 2003 | 100 |
| 2002 | 97 |
| 2001 | 98 |
| 2000 | 125 |
| 1999 | 288 |
| 1998 | 296 |
| 1997 | 309 |
| 1996 | 410 |
1996
2025
Who buys from Uganda, 2025
Top destinations, US$ million
| Exports, US$ million | |
|---|---|
| UAE | 5,179 |
| Hong Kong | 1,344 |
| DR Congo | 1,241 |
| Kenya | 791 |
| Italy | 715 |
| South Sudan | 620 |
| Rwanda | 387 |
| Germany | 378 |
| Netherlands | 289 |
| Tanzania | 244 |
| USA | 211 |
| Belgium | 186 |
Who Uganda buys from, 2025
Top suppliers, US$ million
| Imports, US$ million | |
|---|---|
| China | 3,328 |
| Tanzania | 2,710 |
| Kenya | 1,701 |
| India | 1,483 |
| UAE | 1,131 |
| South Africa | 1,023 |
| Burkina Faso | 638 |
| Mozambique | 613 |
| Japan | 539 |
| Egypt | 491 |
| Ghana | 459 |
| Cameroon | 378 |
What Uganda buys, 2025
Top imports, US$ million
| Imports, US$ million | |
|---|---|
| Gold | 6,397 |
| Fuel & petroleum products | 2,276 |
| Vehicles | 948 |
| Iron and steel | 803 |
| Cereals and cereal preparations | 615 |
| Plastics in primary forms | 555 |
| Fixed vegetable fats and oils | 526 |
| Machinery specialized for particular industries | 509 |
| Electrical machinery | 492 |
| General industrial machinery and equipment | 461 |
| Medical and pharmaceutical products | 422 |
| Telecommunications and sound recording/reproducing apparatus | 352 |
Exports by region, 2025
US$ million
| US$ million | |
|---|---|
| Middle East | 5,269 |
| East African Community | 3,360 |
| Asia | 2,079 |
| European Union | 1,967 |
| Rest of Africa | 551 |
| The Americas | 259 |
| Rest of Europe | 152 |
| Rest of the world | 22 |
Imports by region, 2025
US$ million
| US$ million | |
|---|---|
| Asia | 6,437 |
| East African Community | 4,542 |
| Rest of Africa | 4,245 |
| Middle East | 2,013 |
| European Union | 1,063 |
| The Americas | 359 |
| Rest of Europe | 310 |
| Rest of the world | 31 |
Why gold changes the picture
Uganda imports raw gold, refines it and exports it again. That inflates both exports and imports without adding much to what Uganda itself produces, so we show totals with and without gold. In 2025, gold was US$6.4 billion of exports and US$6.4 billion of imports.
About these numbers
- Goods only (not services such as tourism), in US dollars, including informal cross-border trade.
- The latest months are provisional and may be revised by UBOS.
- Checked: products and countries add up to UBOS’s totals, and monthly figures add up to the yearly tables.
- UBOS's European Union import subtotal differs slightly from the sum of its countries in 2023; country figures are used.
- UBOS's Rest of Europe import subtotal differs slightly from the sum of its countries in 2023, 2025; country figures are used.
- UBOS's Rest of the world import subtotal differs slightly from the sum of its countries in 2024; country figures are used.