Uganda — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Uganda, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Uganda was 2.75% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 3.82% in 2020. The lowest was 1.90% in 2005 (about 1.4× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.67% per year.
Uganda ranks 157 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 84%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 5.45%, so Uganda sits below it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 28% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 2%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 38 of 47 economies; Senegal (2.73%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 46% in 2013. That is 11% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 125th of 187 in 1991 → 146th of 187 in 2000 → 146th of 187 in 2010 → 152nd of 187 in 2020 → 152nd of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.75% | +0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 2.74% | -0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 2.75% | -0.1 pp |
| 2022 | 2.89% | -0.5 pp |
| 2021 | 3.42% | -0.4 pp |
| 2020 | 3.82% | +0.8 pp |
| 2019 | 3.06% | -0.2 pp |
| 2018 | 3.25% | -0.2 pp |
| 2017 | 3.43% | +0.4 pp |
| 2016 | 3% | +0.3 pp |
| 2015 | 2.68% | +0.3 pp |
| 2014 | 2.36% | +0.4 pp |
| 2013 | 1.91% | -1.6 pp |
| 2012 | 3.55% | +0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 3.52% | -0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 3.62% | +0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 3.6% | +0.6 pp |
| 2008 | 3.04% | +0.4 pp |
| 2007 | 2.67% | +0.4 pp |
| 2006 | 2.26% | +0.4 pp |
| 2005 | 1.9% | -0.8 pp |
| 2004 | 2.7% | -0.9 pp |
| 2003 | 3.6% | +0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 3.5% | -0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 3.52% | -0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 3.53% | +0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 3.46% | +0.0 pp |
| 1998 | 3.42% | +0.2 pp |
| 1997 | 3.21% | +0.0 pp |
| 1996 | 3.17% | -0.0 pp |
| 1995 | 3.19% | -0.3 pp |
| 1994 | 3.46% | -0.0 pp |
| 1993 | 3.49% | -0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 3.55% | +0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 3.45% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Uganda’s Unemployment in 1992?
3.55% (1992). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of total labor force, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Uganda’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -20.4% in total — about 0.7% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 2.75%; 2024: 2.74%; 2023: 2.75%; 2022: 2.89%; 2021: 3.42%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS — Unemployment Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.