Labor force participation rate in Uganda
Uganda: Labor force participation rate was 80.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate in Uganda, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Uganda recorded 80.0% for labor force participation rate in 2025.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Uganda peaked at 84.5% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 69.9%, in 2012.
Uganda ranks 8th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate in Uganda, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 73.3% | — |
| 1991 | 73.3% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 73.4% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 73.5% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 73.6% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 73.8% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 74.0% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 74.1% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 74.2% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 74.3% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 74.3% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 74.3% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 74.2% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 74.2% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 74.1% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 74.0% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 73.9% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 73.8% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 73.7% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 73.5% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 73.3% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 80.2% | +9.3% |
| 2012 | 69.9% | -12.8% |
| 2013 | 84.5% | +20.9% |
| 2014 | 77.2% | -8.7% |
| 2015 | 75.6% | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 73.8% | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 71.8% | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 74.8% | +4.2% |
| 2019 | 77.2% | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 78.0% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 79.3% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 80.0% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 80.0% | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 80.0% | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 80.0% | +0.1% |
Uganda compared with similar countries
- Uganda's 80.0% is above the median for low income countries, which is 67.0%, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Uganda's 80.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.3%, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 73.7% | 73.3% | 74.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 74.0% | 73.5% | 74.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 75.8% | 69.9% | 84.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.6% | 78.0% | 80.0% | 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 labor force participation rate in Uganda?
- Labor force participation rate in Uganda was 80.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Uganda?
- The highest recorded value was 84.5% in 2013.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Uganda?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.9% in 2012.
- How does Uganda rank for labor force participation rate?
- Uganda ranks 8th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Uganda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.9%. 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 Labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 36 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 over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).