The unemployment rate in Uganda decreased by 0.1 percentage points (-3.41 percent) compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, the last two years recorded a significantly higher unemployment rate than the preceding years.The unemployment rate refers to the share of the workforce that is currently not working but is actively searching for work. It does not include the economically inactive population, such as the long-term unemployed, those aged under 15 years, or retired persons.Find more key insights for the unemployment rate in countries like Eritrea and Somalia.

Unemployment Rate in Uganda remained unchanged at 2.90 percent in 2023 from 2.90 percent in 2022. This dataset provides - Uganda Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The youth unemployment rate in Uganda declined to 4.5 percent in 2023. Nevertheless, the last two years recorded a significantly higher youth unemployment rate than the preceding years.The youth unemployment rate refers to the share of the economically active population aged 15 to 24 currently without work but in search of employment. The youth unemployment rate does not include economically inactive persons such as the long-term unemployed or full-time students.Find more key insights for the youth unemployment rate in countries like Rwanda and Burundi.

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Uganda was reported at 2.787 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Uganda - Unemployment, total - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Uganda was reported at 2.252 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Uganda - Unemployment, male - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Uganda: Unemployment rate forecast: The latest value from is percent, unavailable from percent in . In comparison, the world average is 0.00 percent, based on data from countries. Historically, the average for Uganda from to is percent. The minimum value, percent, was reached in while the maximum of percent was recorded in .

Uganda UG: Unemployment Rate: % Change over Previous Period data was reported at 0.000 % in 2017. Uganda UG: Unemployment Rate: % Change over Previous Period data is updated yearly, averaging 0.000 % from Dec 2017 (Median) to 2017, with 1 observations. Uganda UG: Unemployment Rate: % Change over Previous Period data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Monetary Fund. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Uganda – Table UG.IMF.IFS: Labour Force, Employment and Unemployment: Annual.

Uganda unemployment rate for 2023 was 2.83%, a 0.1% decline from 2022.

• Uganda unemployment rate for 2022 was 2.93%, a 0.49% decline from 2021.
• Uganda unemployment rate for 2021 was 3.42%, a 0.49% decline from 2020.
• Uganda unemployment rate for 2020 was 3.91%, a 0.73% increase from 2019.

Uganda UG: Unemployment with Basic Education: % of Total Labour Force data was reported at 6.179 % in 2012. Uganda UG: Unemployment with Basic Education: % of Total Labour Force data is updated yearly, averaging 6.179 % from Dec 2012 (Median) to 2012, with 1 observations. Uganda UG: Unemployment with Basic Education: % of Total Labour Force data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Uganda – Table UG.World Bank.WDI: Employment and Unemployment. The percentage of the labor force with a basic level of education who are unemployed. Basic education comprises primary education or lower secondary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average;

Uganda UG: Unemployment with Intermediate Education: % of Total Labour Force data was reported at 20.030 % in 2012. Uganda UG: Unemployment with Intermediate Education: % of Total Labour Force data is updated yearly, averaging 20.030 % from Dec 2012 (Median) to 2012, with 1 observations. Uganda UG: Unemployment with Intermediate Education: % of Total Labour Force data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Uganda – Table UG.World Bank: Employment and Unemployment. The percentage of the labor force with an intermediate level of education who are unemployed. Intermediate education comprises upper secondary or post-secondary non tertiary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in November 2017.; Weighted Average;

South Africa is expected to register the highest unemployment rate in Africa in 2024, with around 30 percent of the country's labor force being unemployed. Djibouti and Eswatini followed, with unemployment reaching roughly 28 percent and 25 percent, respectively. On the other hand, the lowest unemployment rates in Africa were in Niger and Burundi. The continent’s average stood at roughly seven percent in the same year.

Large shares of youth among the unemployed

Due to several educational, socio-demographic, and economic factors, the young population is more likely to face unemployment in most regions of the world. In 2024, the youth unemployment rate in Africa was projected at around 11 percent. The situation was particularly critical in certain countries. In 2022, Djibouti recorded a youth unemployment rate of almost 80 percent, the highest rate on the continent. South Africa followed, with around 52 percent of the young labor force being unemployed.

Wide disparities in female unemployment

Women are another demographic group often facing high unemployment. In Africa, the female unemployment rate stood at roughly eight percent in 2023, compared to 6.6 percent among men. The average female unemployment on the continent was not particularly high. However, there were significant disparities among African countries. Djibouti and South Africa topped the ranking once again in 2022, with female unemployment rates of around 38 percent and 31 percent, respectively. In contrast, Niger, Burundi, and Chad were far below Africa’s average, as only roughly one percent or lower of the women in the labor force were unemployed.

Uganda UG: Unemployment with Intermediate Education: Male: % of Male Labour Force data was reported at 10.150 % in 2012. Uganda UG: Unemployment with Intermediate Education: Male: % of Male Labour Force data is updated yearly, averaging 10.150 % from Dec 2012 (Median) to 2012, with 1 observations. Uganda UG: Unemployment with Intermediate Education: Male: % of Male Labour Force data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Uganda – Table UG.World Bank.WDI: Employment and Unemployment. The percentage of the labor force with an intermediate level of education who are unemployed. Intermediate education comprises upper secondary or post-secondary non tertiary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average;

Uganda UG: Employment To Population Ratio: Modeled ILO Estimate: Aged 15+ data was reported at 69.187 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 69.174 % for 2016. Uganda UG: Employment To Population Ratio: Modeled ILO Estimate: Aged 15+ data is updated yearly, averaging 68.542 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2017, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 69.625 % in 2013 and a record low of 67.710 % in 2002. Uganda UG: Employment To Population Ratio: Modeled ILO Estimate: Aged 15+ data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Uganda – Table UG.World Bank: Employment and Unemployment. Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed. Employment is defined as persons of working age who, during a short reference period, were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period (i.e. who worked in a job for at least one hour) or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangements. Ages 15 and older are generally considered the working-age population.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in November 2017.; Weighted average; Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections. National estimates are also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.

In 2023, the unemployment rate in Rwanda remained nearly unchanged at around 14.93 percent. Still, 2023 marked the second consecutive decline of the unemployment rate. The unemployment rate refers to the share of the economically active population currently without work but in search of employment. The unemployment rate does not include economically inactive persons such as the long-term unemployed, children, or retirees.Find more key insights for the unemployment rate in countries like Uganda and Tanzania.

Uganda UG: Unemployment: Modeled ILO Estimate: Youth: % of Total Labour Force Aged 15-24 data was reported at 2.905 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.817 % for 2016. Uganda UG: Unemployment: Modeled ILO Estimate: Youth: % of Total Labour Force Aged 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 3.670 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2017, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.201 % in 2009 and a record low of 1.396 % in 1992. Uganda UG: Unemployment: Modeled ILO Estimate: Youth: % of Total Labour Force Aged 15-24 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Uganda – Table UG.World Bank: Employment and Unemployment. Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in November 2017.; Weighted average; Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections. National estimates are also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.

Abstract

The Uganda Bureau of Statistics in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social development implemented a household based Urban Labour Force Survey (ULFS) in 2009. The need to have detailed and updated information on the Labour Market necessitated the undertaking of this survey. The survey was undertaken in “greater Kampala” area comprising of Kampala district and parts of Wakiso and Mukono districts. The ULFS was specifically designed to provide key indicators of the labour market such as unemployment rates, underemployment rates, informal employment, employment in the informal sector, hours of work, labour under utilization etc. During the design of the survey considerable technical assistance was received from the World Bank GDDS project.

The specific objectives of the Urban Labour Force Survey 2009 were:

(i) To determine the size, composition and distribution of the Labour Force in “greater Kampala” area;

(ii) To determine the level of unemployment, under employment, informal employment, employment in the informal sector and related labour market indicators in the survey area;

(iii) To determine the participation of special groups of the population especially women and youths in the labour force in the study area.

Geographic coverage

The survey was undertaken in “greater Kampala” area comprising of Kampala district and parts of Wakiso and Mukono districts.

Analysis unit

The Urban Labour Force Survey 2009 had the following units of analysis: individuals and households.

Universe

The survey covered all the working age population aged 14-64 years resident in the household, and all the population below and above the working age.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

For the Urban labour force Survey, a two-stage stratified random sampling design was used. A total of 100 Enumeration Areas (EAs) was deemed sufficient to enable generate reliable estimates for both Kampala district (70 EAs) and other urban (30 EAs). A list of EAs and the corresponding number of households in each EA according to the 2002 population and housing Census was used and Enumeration Areas were selected using Probability Proportional to Size (PPS). The number of households in each EA taken as a measure of size.

The interviewers compiled an updated list of the households in the selected enumeration areas. From the household list of each EAs, 10 households were randomly selected and interviewed.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Response rate

The overall response rate was 76 percent which was good enough considering the problems of collecting data in urban areas especially Kampala. The responses in the other urban areas were higher than that of Kampala.

This scatter chart displays unemployment (% of total labor force) against expense (% of GDP) and is filtered where the country is Uganda. The data is about countries per year.

Uganda UG: Unemployment with Advance Education: % of Total Labour Force data was reported at 14.630 % in 2012. Uganda UG: Unemployment with Advance Education: % of Total Labour Force data is updated yearly, averaging 14.630 % from Dec 2012 (Median) to 2012, with 1 observations. Uganda UG: Unemployment with Advance Education: % of Total Labour Force data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Uganda – Table UG.World Bank: Employment and Unemployment. The percentage of the labor force with an advanced level of education who are unemployed. Advanced education comprises short-cycle tertiary education, a bachelor’s degree or equivalent education level, a master’s degree or equivalent education level, or doctoral degree or equivalent education level according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in November 2017.; Weighted Average;

Uganda UG: Unemployment with Advance Education: Female: % of Female Labour Force data was reported at 5.122 % in 2012. Uganda UG: Unemployment with Advance Education: Female: % of Female Labour Force data is updated yearly, averaging 5.122 % from Dec 2012 (Median) to 2012, with 1 observations. Uganda UG: Unemployment with Advance Education: Female: % of Female Labour Force data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Uganda – Table UG.World Bank.WDI: Employment and Unemployment. The percentage of the labor force with an advanced level of education who are unemployed. Advanced education comprises short-cycle tertiary education, a bachelor’s degree or equivalent education level, a master’s degree or equivalent education level, or doctoral degree or equivalent education level according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average;

2,8 (%) in 2023. Unemployment rate can be defined by either the national definition, the ILO harmonized definition, or the OECD harmonized definition. The OECD harmonized unemployment rate gives the number of unemployed persons as a percentage of the labor force (the total number of people employed plus unemployed). [OECD Main Economic Indicators, OECD, monthly] As defined by the International Labour Organization, "unemployed workers" are those who are currently not working but are willing and able to work for pay, currently available to work, and have actively searched for work. [ILO, http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/res/index.htm]