Uganda's life expectancy increases from 64 to 69 years
by URN · The ObserverA report from the 2024 Population and Housing Census has revealed that life expectancy in Uganda has risen to 68.5 years, an increase from 63.7 years recorded in the 2014 census.
According to the report, females continue to live longer than their male counterparts. While presenting the findings, Chris Mukiza, Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) executive director and census commissioner, noted that this is a very important welfare measure for society.
“People are living longer, and it doesn’t happen by accident,” he added.
Mukiza further mentioned that the census also revealed women have continued to outlive men, a trend also noted in the 2014 census.
“On average, women live up to 70.1 years, whereas men live up to 66.9 years,” the report reads.
In addition to rising life expectancy, Uganda’s total population was confirmed at 45.9 million, with 50 per cent between the ages of 0-17 years, 23.5 per cent between 18-30 years, and 22 per cent between 31-50 years. Only 5 per cent of the population is over 60 years old.
The census also shows that fertility rates have reduced to 4.5 children per woman, down from 5.8 in the previous census. Furthermore, child mortality has dropped to 34 out of every 1,000 births, compared to 50 in 2014.
"The trend in under-five mortality is now at 46 out of 1,000, down from 74 recorded 10 years ago."
The population is housed in 10.7 million households, with 81 per cent of these having access to improved water sources. Clean energy lighting has reached 76 per cent of households, while grid electrical coverage, including both solar and hydro, stands at 53 per cent - 28 per cent from solar and 25 per cent from hydroelectric sources.
At least 62 per cent of the population is engaged in some form of agricultural activity, and 33 per cent of Ugandans depend on subsistence economies, a decrease from the 39 per cent previously recorded. Uganda’s labour force stands at 25.2 million people, but only 38 per centare engaged in productive activities.
From an educational perspective, the country’s illiteracy rate remains at 26 per cent. Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja emphasized the need to use the census data to inform future government strategies. She noted that the population increase could be attributed to government investments in health, including the construction and upgrading of healthcare facilities.
“Undeniably, this increase in population could likely be an outcome of the government's priorities in the health sub-sector over the years, mainly in immunization, the rollout of health centre fours, the upgrading of health centre twos to threes, and the construction of hospitals. Some districts have hospitals, while others are yet to receive them, alongside the regional and national referral hospitals,” she said.
She urged ministries, departments, and agencies to utilize the data to ensure that the most vulnerable populations benefit from government programs, stressing the importance of aligning operations with national goals for sustainable development.
She also pointed out that the data should be leveraged to transform Ugandan households into participants in the "money economy," emphasizing that all levels of government should ensure the broad dissemination and use of the report to improve planning and service delivery.
“Let us harness the demographic dividend to ensure that the increase in population translates into a market advantage for our locally produced goods and services. Therefore, I implore all stakeholders to receive and interrogate these statistics to improve planning and service delivery in your respective sectors,” she added.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) country representative for Uganda, Gift Malunga praised the timely release of the census results. She pointed out that the data will be critical in Uganda’s efforts to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and align with global development agendas, including the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the East Africa Agenda 2050.
Malunga also emphasized the importance of evidence-based planning and called for widespread dissemination of the census findings, encouraging decision-makers at all levels to use the data to address pressing demographic issues such as climate change, youth deprivation, and governance challenges.
Uganda’s 2024 census highlights both significant progress and ongoing challenges. With international support and strategic use of the data, the government aims to continue improving the welfare of its citizens while addressing key demographic trends.