Employment by status in Uganda
Uganda: Employment by status was 19.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
19.3%
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
170th
of 186 countries
All-time high
21.5%
in 2016
All-time low
15.9%
in 1991
Years of data
34
1991–2024
Employment by status in Uganda, 1991–2024
Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, employment by status in Uganda stood at 19.3%.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment by status in Uganda peaked at 21.5% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 15.9%, in 1991.
That places Uganda 170th out of 186 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Employment by status in Uganda, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 15.9% | — |
| 1992 | 16.0% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 16.2% | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 16.5% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 16.7% | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 17.1% | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 17.4% | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 17.6% | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 17.9% | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 18.1% | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 18.3% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 18.5% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 18.8% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 19.0% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 19.2% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 19.5% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 19.8% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 20.2% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 20.4% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 20.7% | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 21.0% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 21.2% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 21.5% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 21.4% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 21.5% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 21.5% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 21.5% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 20.8% | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 20.1% | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 19.1% | -5.0% |
| 2021 | 18.7% | -2.3% |
| 2022 | 18.8% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 19.0% | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 19.3% | +1.3% |
Uganda compared with similar countries
- Uganda's 19.3% is above the median for low income countries, which is 18.4%, 1.1× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Uganda's 19.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 26.5%, 73% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.8% | 15.9% | 17.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 19.2% | 18.1% | 20.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.1% | 20.1% | 21.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.0% | 18.7% | 19.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Uganda
- 167 Nepal 21.2% compare
- 168 Papua New Guinea 21.2% compare
- 169 Benin 19.8% compare
- 171 Guinea 17.8% compare
- 172 South Sudan 17.5% compare
- 173 Burkina Faso 17.2% compare
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 by status in Uganda?
- Employment by status in Uganda was 19.3% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment by status recorded in Uganda?
- The highest recorded value was 21.5% in 2016.
- What is the lowest employment by status recorded in Uganda?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.9% in 1991.
- How does Uganda rank for employment by status?
- Uganda ranks 170th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is employment by status rising or falling in Uganda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Uganda data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment by status. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of people in employment working as employees, as a percentage of total employment.