Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Uganda
Uganda: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income was 13.4% in 2019. ▼ Falling
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Uganda, 1989–2019
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ. Measured in %.
Analysis
Uganda recorded 13.4% for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in 2019.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Uganda peaked at 20.1% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 11.2%, in 1996.
That places Uganda 42nd out of 123 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Uganda, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 20.1% | — |
| 1992 | 13.9% | -30.8% |
| 1996 | 11.2% | -19.4% |
| 1999 | 14.2% | +26.8% |
| 2002 | 12.9% | -9.2% |
| 2005 | 12.8% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 12.7% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 12.2% | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 13.1% | +7.4% |
| 2019 | 13.4% | +2.3% |
Uganda compared with similar countries
- Uganda's 13.4% is above the median for low income countries, which is 10.5%, 1.3× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Uganda's 13.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.1%, 1.2× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 20.1% | 20.1% | 20.1% | 1 |
| 1990s | 13.1% | 11.2% | 14.2% | 3 |
| 2000s | 12.8% | 12.7% | 12.9% | 3 |
| 2010s | 12.9% | 12.2% | 13.4% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Uganda
More poverty & inequality data for Uganda
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 4.28 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 1,920 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -1.96 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 12.46 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 12.5% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Uganda?
- Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Uganda was 13.4% in 2019, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Uganda?
- The highest recorded value was 20.1% in 1989.
- What is the lowest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Uganda?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.2% in 1996.
- How does Uganda rank for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
- Uganda ranks 42nd out of 123 countries with data for 2019.
- Is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income rising or falling in Uganda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Uganda data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The percentage of people in the population who live in households whose per capita income or consumption is below half of the median income or consumption per capita. The median is measured at 2021 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) using the Poverty and Inequality Platform (http://www.pip.worldbank.org). For some countries, medians are not reported due to grouped and/or confidential data. The reference year is the year in which the underlying household survey data was collected. In cases for which the data collection period bridged two calendar years, the first year in which data were collected is reported.