Mining · Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development via UBOS
What does Uganda mine?
Recorded mineral production was worth UGX 286 billion in 2023, up from UGX 148 billion in 2019. Iron ore went from nothing recorded before 2021 to 51% of the value of all minerals produced in 2023.
Mineral output, 2023
UGX 286 billion
from UGX 148 billion in 2019
Iron ore, 2023
UGX 145 billion
278,332 tonnes
Biggest mineral
Iron ore
by value, 2023
Minerals produced
13
with recorded output in 2023
Limestone, used to make cement, was worth UGX 89 billion in 2023.
Iron ore takes off
Value of recorded mineral production, UGX billion
- Iron ore
- Limestone (for cement)
- Vermiculite
- Pozzolana (for cement)
- Other minerals
| Iron ore | Limestone (for cement) | Vermiculite | Pozzolana (for cement) | Other minerals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0.0 bn | 113.1 bn | 5.6 bn | 20.2 bn | 9.2 bn |
| 2020 | 0.0 bn | 84.6 bn | 8.2 bn | 23.7 bn | 7.6 bn |
| 2021 | 1.4 bn | 55.5 bn | 9.2 bn | 20.3 bn | 19.0 bn |
| 2022 | 34.9 bn | 66.7 bn | 16.7 bn | 8.6 bn | 18.2 bn |
| 2023 | 145.4 bn | 88.9 bn | 22.6 bn | 17.5 bn | 11.9 bn |
What was mined in 2023
Value of recorded production, UGX billion
| UGX billion | |
|---|---|
| Iron ore | 145.4 bn |
| Limestone (for cement) | 88.9 bn |
| Vermiculite | 22.6 bn |
| Pozzolana (for cement) | 17.5 bn |
| Kaolin | 3.6 bn |
| Syenitic aggregate | 3.3 bn |
| Wolfram | 2.6 bn |
| Volcanic ash | 1.2 bn |
| Marble | 0.7 bn |
| Gold | 0.4 bn |
| Feldspar | 0.1 bn |
| Dimension stone | 0.0 bn |
| Granite | 0.0 bn |
Fuel prices and sales are on Power and fuel; gold exports on What does Uganda sell?
About these numbers
- Mineral production is what the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development recorded; small-scale (artisanal) mining is often not recorded.
- Values are in current shillings, so part of any change is price change.
- Some minerals appear in only a few years (for example marble, lithium and iron ore); a blank means no production was recorded.
- Fuel prices, sales and imports are on the Power and fuel page.