A woman helps an old woman drink water in Atedeoi Village, Lotisan Sub-county, Moroto District. PHOTOS/SIMON PETER EMWAMU
The number of Ugandans living below the poverty line has declined from 8.3 million to about 7 million over the past five years, according to the 2023/24 Uganda National Household Survey (UNHS) released by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos).
The report, launched yesterday in Kampala, shows the national poverty rate has fallen from 20.3 percent in 2019/20 to 16.1 percent, signaling a notable reduction in poverty across the country. However, despite the national progress, poverty in Karamoja has worsened significantly, rising from 65 percent to 74.2 percent.
According to the Ubos report, the lowest poverty rates were recorded in Kigezi (166,300 people), Ankole (106,800), and Kampala (19,200). The report further indicates that poverty remains predominantly a rural issue. While the poverty rate in rural areas declined from 23.4 percent to 19.4 percent, urban areas saw a smaller drop from 11.7 percent to 10.3 percent. Of the 7 million people now classified as poor, 5.3 million live in rural areas, compared to 1.7 million in urban settings.
“The national poverty rate stands at 16.1 percent, which translates to 7 million people,” said Mr Stephen Baryahirwa, the head of the Department of Socio-Economic Surveys and Censuses at Ubos. “Of these, more than 900,000 are from Karamoja, where the poverty rate is 74.2 percent. That means Karamoja alone accounts for 13.4 percent of Uganda’s total poor,” he added. Mr Baryahirwa added that the Karamoja Sub-region now requires an estimated 0.3 percent of national resources to lift its population out of poverty.
Other regions with high poverty numbers include Busoga (840,700), Buganda (767,900), West Nile (730,000), Bukedi (718,400), Teso (709,100), Lango (481,200) and Bunyoro (454,900). The poverty line in Uganda is defined as living on less than $1.04 (approximately Shs3,800) per day. Inequality and Expenditure Patterns The report also tracks income inequality across sub-regions. Buganda South, Elgon, Karamoja, and Lango registered improvements, while Teso experienced a significant increase in income inequality, with its Gini coefficient rising from 0.288 in 2019/20 to 0.346 in 2023/24.
Child poverty remains alarmingly high, with a prevalence rate of 77.7 percent. In terms of household spending, the report shows that 44.2 percent of total household expenditure is on food. Expenditures on food were highest in the Northern region (52.6 percent) and lowest in Kampala (25.6 percent).
Other major expenditure categories include housing, electricity, water, gas, and fuel. “For food, more than half of all household expenditure is spent in this area, especially in the North,” Mr. Baryahirwa noted. State Minister for Finance (Planning) Amos Lugoloobi, who represented Finance Minister Matia Kasaija at the launch, described the reduction in poverty as a sign that Ugandans are responding positively to government development programs.
“This reflects how much Ugandans have embraced the NRM government’s message of transforming every citizen into the money economy,” he said. He, however, acknowledged that poverty remains deeply entrenched in some regions, particularly Karamoja (74.2%) and Bukedi (29.9%), despite targeted interventions. The Ubos Executive Director, Dr Chris Mukiza, called for a renewed focus on regional equity and more efficient use of natural resources to accelerate poverty eradication.
