Uganda’s Population Reaches 45.9 Million, UBOS Census Confirms 33% Increase Over Decade

The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has announced results from the just concluded National census, confirming Uganda’s population at 45,935,046 people.

UBOS announced the results on Thursday, June 27, at an event graced by President Museveni.

At just under 46 million, Uganda has experienced a 33% population increase in just a decade. The population at the last census in 2014 was 34.6 million.

The approximately 11.3 million population boost also accounts for 780,061 refugees.Uganda has been lauded by the United Nations for her hospitable refugee policy. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees indicates that as of March 31, 2024, the total number of refugees in the country is about 1,611,732. It also puts the asylum seekers at 48,792.

A key takeaway from the National Census results is the drop in the size of average households. According to UBOS, the average household size is 4.4 persons, down from 4.7 in the previous census.

Additionally, UBOS discovered that females outnumber males. Of the 45,935,046 million people, 51% are females.

While announcing the results, UBOS Executive Director Chris Mukiza expressed his concern about the state of mental health of Ugandans. He asked the Health Ministry to come up with programs to counsel Ugandans. UBOS incorporated questions about mental health during the May 10-May 25 exercise.

The Minister of State for Finance, Planning, and Economic Development (Planning), Amos Lugolobi, called upon the government to digitize its services. According to Minister Lugolobi, the experience from the National Census should be an eye-opener for the government. He was particularly impressed with the collection of real-time data.

Meanwhile, for President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, a result below 46 million came as a surprise.

“I was really surprised, I was thinking that the population would be about 48 or 49 million but when Mukiza came to brief me last week, he said it was below 46 million.” President Yoweri Museveni said.

The president was particularly grateful to Ugandans who were supportive of the exercise. He reminded the nation of times when the locals shunned the census exercise, attributing it to witchcraft.

He also took a jibe at the foreign entities that peddle fear among Ugandans. He particularly highlighted his refusal to take their advice on birth control.

The President also boasted of the fact that life expectancy in Uganda has risen to 65 years. According to President Museveni, this is a sharp contrast to the days when he started his revolutions.

He noted that people started calling him Muzeeyi when he was about 26 years old as he led the fighters in the bush. He explained that this was because people were dying early since the life expectancy was about 43 years.