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    Gender · UBOS surveys, census and police statistics

    Women and men in Uganda

    The typical woman in paid work earned UGX 180,000 a month in 2021, against UGX 300,000 for a man: 60 shillings for every 100 a man earns. In the 2019/20 household survey, 23.5% of young women aged 18–30 were not in work, school or training, against 13% of young men.

    Women’s pay

    60%

    of men’s, typical monthly pay, 2021

    Young women not in work or school

    23.5%

    vs 13% of young men, 2019/20

    Life expectancy

    70.1 vs 66.9

    years, women vs men, 2024

    Can read and write

    72% vs 81%

    women vs men, 2019/20

    Did you know?

    72% of women can read and write, against 81% of men (2019/20).

    Where women and men differ

    %, women vs men

    • Women
    • Men

    Women earn less in every sector

    Typical (median) monthly pay in paid jobs, UGX, 2021

    • Women
    • Men

    The reading gap has narrowed from 12 to 9 points

    % of people aged 10 and over who can read and write

    • Women
    • Men

    Women live longer

    Life expectancy at birth, years, by census

    • Women
    • Men

    Who crime happens to

    % of victims who were women or girls, 2023

    More on each topic

    The 2024 census counted 23,591,128 women and girls and 22,314,289 men and boys. Every figure on this page comes from a story page, where you will find more detail:

    Violence at home

    • 54% of women who have ever had a partner have experienced physical, sexual or emotional violence from them, and 34% of men (2022).
    • 38% of these women experienced physical violence from a partner, against 15% of men.
    • The share of women who have faced physical violence since age 15 fell from 60% in 2006 to 44% in 2022.
    • Only 49% of women who experienced both physical and sexual violence sought help from anyone.

    Violence from a husband, wife or partner

    % of people aged 15–49 who have ever had a partner, 2022

    • Women
    • Men

    Physical violence is becoming less common

    % of people aged 15–49 who have experienced physical violence since age 15

    • Women
    • Men

    Most victims do not seek help

    % of people who experienced violence who sought help from anyone, 2022

    • Women
    • Men

    If a child is at risk, Uganda’s free child helpline is Sauti 116. In an emergency, call the police on 999 or 112.

    About these numbers

    • Figures come from different surveys and years, shown next to each one. Compare women and men within a row, not across rows.
    • Youth and farming figures use the UNHS 2019/20 survey. The 2021 labour force survey counted young people who only farm for their family differently, so its figures are not comparable.
    • The shoes figure compares households headed by a woman (“Women”) with households headed by a man (“Men”).
    • Violence figures are from the Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys (people aged 15–49). Physical violence means any since age 15; spousal violence is by a husband, wife or partner, ever.
    • Help seeking is the share of people who experienced violence who sought help from anyone.
    • UBOS’s Gender topic itself holds only health-facility counts of gender-based violence survivors. The 2017–2020 district table covers only districts from Abim to Kwania, so it cannot give a national total and is not charted.

    Where this comes from