Employment rate in Uganda
Uganda: Employment rate was 77.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
77.8%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
9th
of 186 countries
All-time high
82.9%
in 2013
All-time low
67.4%
in 2012
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Employment rate in Uganda, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, employment rate in Uganda stood at 77.8%.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 5.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment rate in Uganda peaked at 82.9% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 67.4%, in 2012.
That places Uganda 9th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment rate in Uganda, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 70.8% | — |
| 1992 | 70.8% | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 70.9% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 71.0% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 71.4% | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 71.6% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 71.8% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 71.7% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 71.7% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 71.7% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 71.7% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 71.6% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 71.5% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 72.1% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 72.6% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 72.2% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 71.8% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 71.4% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 70.9% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 70.7% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 77.3% | +9.4% |
| 2012 | 67.4% | -12.8% |
| 2013 | 82.9% | +22.9% |
| 2014 | 75.4% | -9.1% |
| 2015 | 73.6% | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 71.6% | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 69.3% | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 72.4% | +4.4% |
| 2019 | 74.9% | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 75.0% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 76.6% | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 77.7% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 77.8% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 77.8% | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 77.8% | +0.1% |
Uganda compared with similar countries
- Uganda's 77.8% is above the median for low income countries, which is 64.3%, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Uganda's 77.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 58.8%, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 71.3% | 70.8% | 71.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 71.8% | 70.9% | 72.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 73.5% | 67.4% | 82.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 77.1% | 75.0% | 77.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Uganda
More work & labour data for Uganda
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.0339 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.0408 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.0266 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 1.02 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 3.77 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 46,664 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 59,035 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 60,822 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 60,013 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 120,835 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment rate in Uganda?
- Employment rate in Uganda was 77.8% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment rate recorded in Uganda?
- The highest recorded value was 82.9% in 2013.
- What is the lowest employment rate recorded in Uganda?
- The lowest recorded value was 67.4% in 2012.
- How does Uganda rank for employment rate?
- Uganda ranks 9th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rate rising or falling in Uganda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Uganda data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and older) who are employed.