Economy of Uganda
The economy of Uganda has a great potential and appears poised for rapid growth and development. Uganda is endowed with significant natural resources, including ample fertile land, regular rainfall, and mineral deposits.
Kampala, the financial centre of Uganda | |
Currency | Ugandan shilling (USh) |
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1 July – 30 June | |
Trade organisations | AU, EAC, COMESA, WTO |
Country group | |
Statistics | |
GDP |
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GDP rank | 90th (nominal, 2017) |
GDP growth |
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GDP per capita |
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GDP by sector |
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3.2% (2019) | |
19.1% (31 December 2017 est.) | |
Population below poverty line |
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42.8 medium (2016) | |
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Labour force |
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Labour force by occupation |
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Main industries | sugar processing, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles, cement, steel production |
External | |
Exports | $3.339 billion (2017 est.) |
Export goods | coffee, fish and fish products, tea, cotton, flowers, horticultural products, gold |
Main export partners | |
Imports | $5.036 billion (2017 est.) |
Import goods | capital equipment, vehicles, petroleum, medical supplies, cereals |
Main import partners | |
FDI stock | $10.909 billion (2016) |
−$1.212 billion (2017 est.) | |
Gross external debt | $7.163 billion (31 December 2017 est.) |
Public finances | |
Government debt | $11.2 billion ($3.8 billion, domestic) (2018) |
–4.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.) | |
Revenues | $3.98 billion (2017) |
Expenses | $7.66 billion (2017) |
Economic aid | $3.68 billion (2017) |
Credit rating | Standard & Poor's: B |
$3.654 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | |
Chronic political instability and erratic economic management since the implementation of self-rule has produced a record of persistent economic decline that has left Uganda among the world's poorest and least-developed countries. The informal economy, which is predominantly female, is broadly defined as a group of vulnerable individuals without protections in regards to their work. Women face a plethora of barriers specific to gender when attempting to access the formal economy of Uganda, and research revealed prejudice against lending to women in the informal sector. The national energy needs have historically exceeded the domestic energy generation, though large petroleum reserves have been found in the country's west.
After the turmoil of the Amin period, the country began a program of economic recovery in 1981 that received considerable foreign assistance. From mid-1984 onward, overly expansionist fiscal and monetary policies and the renewed outbreak of civil strife led to a setback in economic performance.
The economy has grown since the 1990s; real gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an average of 6.7% annually during the period 1990–2015, whereas real GDP per capita grew at 3.3% per annum during the same period. During this period, the Ugandan economy experienced economic transformation: the share of agriculture value added in GDP declined from 56% in 1990 to 24% in 2015; the share of industry grew from 11% to 20% (with manufacturing increasing at a slower pace, from 6% to 9% of GDP); and the share of services went from 32% to 55%.