Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in Uganda

Uganda: Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median was 7.1% in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
7.1%
Change on year
up 14.5%
World rank
45th
of 120 countries
All-time high
13.4%
in 1989
All-time low
5.0%
in 1996
Years of data
10
1989–2019

Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in Uganda, 1989–2019

0510151989200420191989: 13.4 %1992: 7.4 %1996: 5 %1999: 7.2 %2002: 6.3 %2005: 6.7 %2009: 6.6 %2012: 6.7 %2016: 6.2 %2019: 7.1 %

Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in Uganda is 7.1%, measured in 2019.

That represents a change of up 14.5% on the previous year and up 7.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in Uganda peaked at 13.4% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 1996.

That places Uganda 45th out of 120 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.

Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in Uganda, year by year

Annual values for Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in Uganda, 1989 to 2019.
Year % Change
1989 13.4%
1992 7.4% -44.7%
1996 5.0% -32.1%
1999 7.2% +43.3%
2002 6.3% -11.7%
2005 6.7% +6.0%
2009 6.6% -2.0%
2012 6.7% +1.3%
2016 6.2% -7.6%
2019 7.1% +14.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 13.4% 13.4% 13.4% 1
1990s 6.5% 5.0% 7.4% 3
2000s 6.6% 6.3% 6.7% 3
2010s 6.6% 6.2% 7.1% 3

Countries ranked near Uganda

  1. 42 Chile 7.5% compare
  2. 43 Greece 7.3% compare
  3. 44 Croatia 7.1% compare
  4. 46 Sweden 7.0% compare
  5. 47 Latvia 7.0% compare
  6. 48 Iran, Islamic Republic of 6.9% compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More poverty & inequality data for Uganda

All data for Uganda →

Frequently asked questions

What is relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in Uganda?
Relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in Uganda was 7.1% in 2019, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median recorded in Uganda?
The highest recorded value was 13.4% in 1989.
What is the lowest relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median recorded in Uganda?
The lowest recorded value was 5.0% in 1996.
How does Uganda rank for relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median?
Uganda ranks 45th out of 120 countries with data for 2019.
Is relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median rising or falling in Uganda?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.2%. 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 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in Uganda. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/stat/relative-poverty-share-of-people-below-40-of-the-median/uganda/

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About this data

Indicator
Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median
Unit
%
Source
World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
120 places, 2,148 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 40% of the median.