Uganda
- Capital:
- Kampala
- Continent:
- Africa
- Region(s):
- Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa
- Abbreviation:
- UGA
* As of 6/9/2025
1 birth
Every 18.2 seconds
1 death
Every 2.2 minutes
1 emigrant
Every 4.4 minutes
1 person
Every 23.0 seconds
Uganda is one of the countries that houses rich ethnic diversity, which includes most of its population speaking three major languages - Bantu, Nilotic and Central Sudanic. Furthermore, the number of ethnic groups present in Uganda is very large, making it one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the region. The main ethnic group is called the Ganda, which makes up 16.9% of the population, followed by the Nkole, Soga and Kiga tribes, which make up 9.5%, 8.4% and 6.9% respectively. There are many other tribes; however, they constitute a very small percentage of the total population.
The life expectancy in the country is around 58.5 years, with the life expectancy of males being 56.7 years and 60.5 years for females. Due to the high marriage rate in the country, the age structure is skewed towards the younger generations with 48.47% of the Ugandaís population being in the 0-14 year-old age group. After that, 28.34% of the population of Uganda is in the 25-64 year age group. Lastly, 21.16% of the total population is dominated by the 15-24 year age group. Just 2.04% of the population is 65 or older.
These statistics show that Uganda can boast about a large population that can be classified as a work force, which could in turn help in its growth and economic stability. However, with a huge percentage of the population that is so young (0-14 years old), it could prove to be a grave situation for the country because it has to provide for these children and make sure that it can control its high birth rate. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR), which is described as the number of children per woman, of Uganda is one of the highest in the region and has remained on average around 6.9 in the past decade. As of 2016, the fertility rate for the country is 6.
The inhabitants of Uganda are mainly Roman Catholic and make up 39.3% of the total population. Anglican, Muslim and Pentecostal believers represent 32%, 13.7% and 11.1% of the total population respectively.
The rich ethnic, cultural and religious diversity sets Uganda apart. As it is a developing nation, it does house significant working class age groups that can help in its economic growth. Nevertheless, it is imperative that it provides suitable opportunities for its residents. Most importantly, as its sex ratio is roughly 1:1 with males housing a very slender majority, it can become a country that relies strongly on its women in all aspects of life. This, in turn, can help its image to flourish, while giving it another avenue for growth. The country’s women can partake in any responsibilities that are required in any development sector in Uganda.
The population of Uganda has grown significantly over the past century, maintaining a growth rate slightly above or below 3% for most of that time.