Rural population in Uganda
Uganda: Rural population was 68.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Uganda, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Uganda is 68.1%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Uganda peaked at 95.6% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 68.1%, in 2025.
That places Uganda 26th out of 217 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Uganda, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 95.6% | — |
| 1961 | 95.5% | -0.2% |
| 1962 | 95.2% | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 95.0% | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 94.8% | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 94.6% | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 94.4% | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 94.2% | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 94.0% | -0.2% |
| 1969 | 93.9% | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 93.8% | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 93.8% | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 93.7% | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 93.7% | -0.0% |
| 1974 | 93.6% | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 93.6% | -0.0% |
| 1976 | 93.5% | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 93.5% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 93.4% | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 93.3% | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 93.2% | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 93.1% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 92.9% | -0.2% |
| 1983 | 92.6% | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 92.3% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 91.9% | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 91.6% | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 91.2% | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 90.9% | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 90.5% | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 90.2% | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 90.0% | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 89.8% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 89.6% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 89.4% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 89.3% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 89.1% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 89.0% | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 88.8% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 88.6% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 88.4% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 88.1% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 87.8% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 87.4% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 86.9% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 86.2% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 85.4% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 84.5% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 83.5% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 82.4% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 81.2% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 79.9% | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 78.6% | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 77.3% | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 75.8% | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 75.0% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 74.3% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 73.6% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 72.9% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 72.2% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 71.5% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 70.8% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 70.1% | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 69.4% | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 68.7% | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 68.1% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 94.7% | 93.9% | 95.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 93.6% | 93.3% | 93.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 92.0% | 90.5% | 93.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 89.4% | 88.6% | 90.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 86.1% | 82.4% | 88.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 76.1% | 72.2% | 81.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 69.7% | 68.1% | 71.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Uganda
- 23 Rwanda 69.1% compare
- 24 Solomon Islands 68.7% compare
- 25 Saint Kitts and Nevis 68.1% compare
- 27 Kenya 67.8% compare
- 28 Mali 67.8% compare
- 29 Madagascar 67.1% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Uganda
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 22.05 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2613 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 315.24 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6806 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 26.1% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 26.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.4% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.2% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Uganda?
- Rural population in Uganda was 68.1% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Uganda?
- The highest recorded value was 95.6% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Uganda?
- The lowest recorded value was 68.1% in 2025.
- How does Uganda rank for rural population?
- Uganda ranks 26th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Uganda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Uganda data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.