Uganda’s Population Hits 45.9 Million, New Census Figures Show

Uganda’s population has now hit 45.9 million people, rising from 34.6 million people counted in 2014, the results of the 2024 national housing and population census by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos), revealed on Thursday.

These results mean that Uganda’s population was able to jump by 11.3 million in the last decade, translating into a 2.9% growth rate.

Releasing the preliminary report, Chris Mukiza, the Executive Director, Ubos, said that the majority of Uganda’s 45.9m people population sits in Buganda with the Karamoja sub-region having the least population.

When it comes to statistical disaggregation by sex, women remain much more than men with their figure standing at 23.4 million.

Demographically, Uganda remains a young country with 50.5% of its population aged below the age of 17. Mukiza said that the “age group of 18-30 years (youth) form 22.7%” of the population.

Of the 45.9 million of Uganda’s population, 780,061 are refugees who were counted in Uganda during the census night.

In reaction, President Museveni who presided over the function wondered why Uganda’s population figure was small compared to his expectations.

“They [enumerators] were asking very many questions. I took 2 hours responding with Maama [Janet Museveni] and my people, but the questions were comprehensive, covering all aspects of life,” Museveni said, “I was thinking that the population is at about 48 or 49 million people, but I was surprised that it is below 46 million people.”

Enumerators asked 160 questions at the household level and over 60 questions to cover community aspects.