Rural population in Uganda
Uganda: Rural population was 72.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
72.6%
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
23rd
of 214 countries
All-time high
93.3%
in 1970
All-time low
72.6%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Uganda, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2024, rural population in Uganda stood at 72.6%. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and down 7.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Uganda peaked at 93.3% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 72.6%, in 2024.
Uganda ranks 23rd of 214 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Uganda, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 93.3% | — |
| 1971 | 93.3% | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 93.2% | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 93.1% | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 93.0% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 93.0% | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 92.9% | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 92.8% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 92.7% | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 92.6% | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 92.5% | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 92.2% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 91.9% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 91.5% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 91.2% | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 90.8% | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 90.5% | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 90.1% | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 89.7% | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 89.3% | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 88.9% | -0.5% |
| 1991 | 88.5% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 88.2% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 87.9% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 87.5% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 87.2% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 86.8% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 86.4% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 86.0% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 85.6% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 85.2% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 84.8% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 84.4% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 83.9% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 83.5% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 83.0% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 82.6% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 82.1% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 81.6% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 81.1% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 80.6% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 80.1% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 79.6% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 79.0% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 78.5% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 77.9% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 77.4% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 76.8% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 76.2% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 75.6% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 75.0% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 74.4% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 73.8% | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 73.2% | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 72.6% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 93.0% | 92.6% | 93.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 91.0% | 89.3% | 92.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 87.3% | 85.6% | 88.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 83.2% | 81.1% | 85.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 78.2% | 75.6% | 80.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.8% | 72.6% | 75.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Uganda
- 20 Solomon Islands 73.5% compare
- 21 Afghanistan 72.7% compare
- 22 Guyana 72.7% compare
- 24 Tajikistan 71.5% compare
- 25 Kenya 70.0% compare
- 26 Comoros 69.6% compare
More population data for Uganda
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 87,622 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.53 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.8617 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.017 (2100)
- Population density 602.61 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 6.91 million (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.017 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 2.53 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate -2.76 % change on previous year (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled 1.76 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Uganda?
- Rural population in Uganda was 72.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Uganda?
- The highest recorded value was 93.3% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Uganda?
- The lowest recorded value was 72.6% in 2024.
- How does Uganda rank for rural population?
- Uganda ranks 23rd out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Uganda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Uganda data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release