Census 2024 · city in Bugisu sub-region

Mbale City

People: 290,414; 52 of 146 by size
Area: 162 km²
People per km²: 1,789; Uganda: 189
Household size: 3.9; Uganda: 4.2
Children under 18: 47.6%; Uganda: 49.6%

Where Mbale City is

Where Mbale City does better than Uganda

Households on grid electricity: 52.0% vs 25.3% nationally
Households with improved toilets: 59.9% vs 43.6% nationally
Households in subsistence farming: 17.8% vs 33.1% nationally

Where Mbale City lags behind

Unemployment (14–64): 21.9% vs 12.6% nationally

Mbale City compared

Mbale City
Bugisu
Uganda

Education

Children 6–12 out of school18.8%
0%117th highest of 146 · Bugisu 22.4% · Uganda 26.0%50%
Teens 13–17 out of school25.8%
0%133rd highest of 146 · Bugisu 27.0% · Uganda 34.2%50%

Jobs

Youth 18–30 not in work, school or training52.3%
0%79th highest of 146 · Bugisu 54.0% · Uganda 50.9%100%
Unemployment (14–64)21.9%
0%7th highest of 146 · Bugisu 18.2% · Uganda 12.6%50%
Households in subsistence farming17.8%
0%137th highest of 146 · Bugisu 41.2% · Uganda 33.1%50%
Households that got PDM support5.4%
0%116th highest of 146 · Bugisu 18.2% · Uganda 7.8%25%

Homes

Households on grid electricity52.0%
0%9th highest of 146 · Bugisu 14.2% · Uganda 25.3%100%
Households lighting with solar15.7%
0%119th highest of 146 · Bugisu 28.9% · Uganda 28.1%50%
Households with safe drinking water93.6%
0%38th highest of 146 · Bugisu 83.6% · Uganda 81.1%100%
Households with improved toilets59.9%
0%16th highest of 146 · Bugisu 37.0% · Uganda 43.6%100%
Households with no toilet1.2%
0%130th highest of 146 · Bugisu 4.8% · Uganda 6.7%25%

Health

Households with a mosquito net86.9%
0%104th highest of 146 · Bugisu 88.8% · Uganda 87.2%100%
People with health insurance0.8%
0%40th highest of 146 · Bugisu 0.5% · Uganda 1.0%25%
People with a birth certificate11.6%
0%42nd highest of 146 · Bugisu 9.8% · Uganda 11.4%25%

Connected

Internet users (per 100 people)10.5%
0%12th highest of 146 · Bugisu 4.9% · Uganda 6.1%25%
Households with a radio41.2%
0%75th highest of 146 · Bugisu 43.1% · Uganda 41.0%50%
Households with a TV35.0%
0%13th highest of 146 · Bugisu 13.7% · Uganda 23.1%50%

Inside Mbale City: 2 divisions

Pick a question to compare every division in Mbale City.

Households on grid electricity

By division, Census 2024

Who has power from the grid? Mbale City overall: 52.0%

Highest: Industrial Division (59.0%). Lowest: Northern Division (46.2%).

Division	County	Households on grid electricity
Industrial Division	Industrial Division	59.0%
Northern Division	Northern Division	46.2%

Farming in Mbale City

The 2021 livestock census counted Mbale City’s animals as part of Mbale.

Source: UBOS, National Livestock Census 2021. Animals per 100 people use the 2024 census population.

Other districts in Bugisu

Compare Mbale City with Sironko →

About these numbers

From the National Population and Housing Census 2024. Shares are worked out from UBOS’s counts for Mbale City. The Bugisu and Uganda figures come from summed counts, not averages. “Highest of 146” ranks show where Mbale City sits among all districts and cities, from highest value down. For some indicators, a high rank is good news; for others it isn’t.

Note: UBOS's mobile phone ownership table currently repeats the internet-use figures, so phone ownership is left out.