| Uganda | UK |
| Population (millions): | 30 | 60.8 |
| Poverty (% of population below national poverty line): | 37.7% | 17% |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years (50.2%),
15-64 years (47.6%),
65 years + (2.2%) | 0-14 years (17.2%),
15-64 years (67%),
65 years + (15.8%) |
| Life expectancy: | 52 years | 78.7 years |
| Population growth rate: | 3.6% | 0.28% |
| HIV/AIDS (% of adult population infected) : | 4.1% | 0.2% |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic 41.9%,
Protestant 42% (Anglican 35.9%, Pentecostal 4.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.5%),
Muslim 12.1%,
other 3.1%,
none 0.9% | Christian (71.6%),
Muslim (2.7%),
Hindu (1%),
other (1.6%),
unspecified or none (23.1%) |
| Literacy: | 66.8% | 99% |
| Gross Domestic Product1 | $8.526 billion | $2.346 trillion |
| Gross National Income per capita2: | $280 | $33,630 |
| Labour force by occupation: | Agriculture (82%),
Industry (5%),
Services (13%) | Agriculture (1%),
Industry (25.6%),
Services (73.4%) |
| Household income consumption3: | Lowest 10% (4%),
Highest 10% (21%) | Lowest 10% (2.1%),
Highest 10% (28.5%) |
Uganda is one of the poorest countries in the world. Per capita income is less than US$300. Life expectancy at birth is around 52 years and population growth at 3.6% remains one of the highest in the world.
Its weak economy and poor social indicators are the legacy of 15 years of political turmoil and economic decline between 1972 and 1986. While the last decade has been marked by relative peace, Uganda still has a long way to go in order to provide an acceptable standard of living for its people.
During the 1990s, income poverty fell dramatically. However, since 2000, income poverty has risen, with the proportion of people below the poverty line rising from 34% in 2000 to nearly 38% now. This has been accompanied by a marked increase in inequality, which has been rising since 1997.
The reasons for the recent patterns include a slowdown in agricultural growth, declines in farmers’ prices reflecting world market conditions, insecurity, high population growth rate and morbidity related to HIV/AIDS.
Recent years, however, have seen major improvements in education and literacy. Access to public services has improved, but the poor are less well served than other groups. Government therefore needs to target its services more effectively to ensure the poorest households are reached.
Notes
1: GDP is the value of goods and services that a country's citizens produce. GNP is one measure of the economic condition of a country.
2: GNI is a country’s gross national income. GNI divided by total population gives GNI per capita.This indicator represents the well being of the population. However, it is anaverage that does not take into account inequalities of income within a country.
3: The percentage of total national household income held by the bottom 10% of households compared to the top 10% of households.
