Poverty · Uganda National Household Surveys
Poverty has halved since 2000, but 1 in 6 Ugandans is still poor
About 16% of Ugandans (7 million people) lived below the poverty line in 2023/24, down from 33.8% in 1999/00.
Poverty rate, 2023/24
16.1%
of people below the national poverty line
People in poverty
7 million
2023/24
Poorest region
Northern
27.7% poor
Rural vs urban
19.4% vs 10.3%
poverty rate
Northern Uganda is the poorest region: 27.7% of people are poor, down from 43.7% in 2012/13. In Kampala it is 1.1%.
Share of Ugandans living in poverty
% of people below the national poverty line, by survey
| Month | Poverty rate |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 16.1% |
| 2019/20 | 20.3% |
| 2016/17 | 21.4% |
| 2012/13 | 19.7% |
| 2009/10 | 24.5% |
| 2005/06 | 31.1% |
| 2002/03 | 37.7% |
| 1999/00 | 33.8% |
Number of poor people
Millions
| Month | Poor people (millions) |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 7.0M |
| 2019/20 | 8.3M |
| 2016/17 | 8.0M |
| 2012/13 | 6.7M |
| 2009/10 | 7.5M |
The rate fell while the number of poor people stayed roughly flat for a decade: the population grew about as fast as poverty fell. It finally dropped in 2023/24.
Where is poverty falling?
Each small chart is one region, on the same scale. The grey line is Uganda as a whole.
Poverty by region
Share of people below the poverty line, 2012/13–2023/24. Switch to Map for 2023/24.
- Northern
- Eastern
- Western
- Central
- Kampala
| Month | Northern | Eastern | Western | Central | Kampala |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 27.7% | 22.5% | 10.0% | 6.6% | 1.1% |
| 2019/20 | 35.9% | 25.9% | 14.4% | 8.7% | 1.6% |
| 2016/17 | 33.6% | 34.1% | 12.5% | 8.2% | 2.6% |
| 2012/13 | 43.7% | 24.5% | 8.7% | 4.7% | 0.7% |
Northern
27.7% in 2023/24
- Northern
- Uganda
Eastern
22.5% in 2023/24
- Eastern
- Uganda
Western
10% in 2023/24
- Western
- Uganda
Central
6.6% in 2023/24
- Central
- Uganda
Kampala
1.1% in 2023/24
- Kampala
- Uganda
Who moved in and out of poverty?
The same households followed from 2015/16 to 2019/20, % of households
- Always poor
- Fell into poverty
- Climbed out
- Never poor
| Always poor | Fell into poverty | Climbed out | Never poor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural | 7.7% | 9.5% | 12.8% | 70.0% |
| Urban | 3.4% | 2.1% | 2.4% | 92.1% |
| Central | 0.4% | 2.5% | 2.6% | 94.5% |
| Eastern | 7.1% | 12.5% | 13.9% | 66.5% |
| Northern | 15.1% | 7.7% | 17.0% | 60.2% |
| Western | 5.6% | 8.1% | 8.6% | 77.7% |
Rural and urban poverty
% of people below the poverty line
- Rural
- Urban
| Month | Rural | Urban |
|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 19.4% | 10.3% |
| 2019/20 | 23.4% | 11.7% |
| 2016/17 | 25.2% | 9.5% |
| 2012/13 | 22.8% | 9.3% |
What poverty looks like day to day
Shoes for household members
% of households, 2023/24
| % of households | |
|---|---|
| Kampala | 95.5% |
| Central | 88.9% |
| Western | 80.1% |
| Eastern | 61.0% |
| Northern | 52.2% |
Blankets
% of households, 2023/24
| % of households | |
|---|---|
| Kampala | 58.9% |
| Central | 56.9% |
| Western | 43.0% |
| Eastern | 34.5% |
| Northern | 19.6% |
Two sets of clothes
% of households where every member has at least two, 2023/24
| % of households | |
|---|---|
| Kampala | 98.6% |
| Central | 98.0% |
| Western | 95.8% |
| Eastern | 93.5% |
| Northern | 88.3% |
Children eating one meal a day
% of children aged 6–17, 2023/24
| % of children 6–17 | |
|---|---|
| Northern | 12.7% |
| Kampala | 5.4% |
| Central | 4.5% |
| Eastern | 4.2% |
| Western | 3.0% |
COVID-19 and where food comes from
- During COVID-19, poverty in rural areas rose from 20.6% to 26.9%, while in towns it barely moved (11.2% to 11.9%).
- Ugandan households bought 56% of their food in 2019/20, up from 45% in 2015/16; food from their own farms fell from 50% to 33%.
Poverty before and during COVID-19
% of people below the poverty line, by sub-region (survey estimates, see notes)
- Before COVID-19
- During COVID-19
| Before COVID-19 | During COVID-19 | |
|---|---|---|
| Karamoja | 62.0% | 68.9% |
| Acholi | 68.0% | 67.4% |
| Bukedi | 44.0% | 38.8% |
| Busoga | 27.9% | 31.3% |
| Kigezi | 25.4% | 30.5% |
| Teso | 25.0% | 29.4% |
| Lango | 21.9% | 25.0% |
| Tooro | 6.9% | 17.3% |
| Ankole | 10.3% | 16.3% |
| West Nile | 17.7% | 16.0% |
| Elgon | 35.0% | 15.2% |
| North Buganda | 13.3% | 14.4% |
| Bunyoro | 10.4% | 9.0% |
| South Buganda | 7.2% | 6.6% |
| Kampala | 2.1% | 1.3% |
More food is bought, less is grown
Share of household food by source, %
- Bought
- Own farm
- Gifts
| Bought | Own farm | Gifts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015/16 | 45% | 50% | 6% |
| 2018/19 | 49% | 43% | 8% |
| 2019/20 | 56% | 33% | 11% |
Sub-region estimates come from a small panel survey and can move a lot between rounds (for example Elgon and Tooro), so read single sub-regions with care. The rural and urban figures are more reliable.
How poverty is measured
- UBOS counts a person as poor if their household spends less than the national poverty line needed for basic food and non-food needs, adjusted for prices.
- Figures come from the Uganda National Household Surveys, run every few years, so there is no yearly number.
- “Moved in and out” follows the same households across two surveys (the Uganda National Panel Survey).
Where this comes from
- Poverty head count by residence and regions 2012/13 to 2023/24
- Proportion of Poor persons 1999_00 to 2019_2020
- Absolute numbers of persons living in poverty in Millions
- Household Poverty Dynamics between the Survey Periods 2015/16 to 2019/20
- Possession of at least one pair of shoes by household members
- Possession of a Blanket by Background Characteristics
- Possession of at least two sets of clothes by background characteristic
- Number of meals taken per day by place of residence, region and sex of household head
- Proportion of poor persons before and during Covid-19 by residence
- Proportion of the poor persons before and during COVID19 (%)
- Share of food by source, residence, and sub-region
Where two UBOS tables cover the same year, we check they agree before combining them.