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UBOS: Uganda’s population at 41.6 million, females constitute 51%
The numbers. Uganda’s population at 41.6 million, females constitute 51 per cent. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- On average a working person is expected to work an average of 40 hours a week, but average about 60 per cent youth work for less than the standard 40 hours per week.
- The average earnings for employed youth in urban areas is 253,000 per month. The average earnings for employed youth in rural areas is 172,000 per month.
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has said that Uganda’s total population for mid-2020 is standing at 41.6 million people.
UBOS said Saturday in its bulletin that out of the total population, females constitute a majority of the population standing at 51 per cent compared to males at 49 per cent.
“The projected female population for mid-2020 is 41.1 million, Wakiso District remains the most populated Higher Local Government (HLG), with a projected population of 2,915,200 people followed by Kampala with 1,680,600 people,” said UBOS.
In the bulletin UBOS said Kalangala District has the least population projected at 67,200 persons in mid-2020.
In terms of households, UBOS said Uganda has a total of 7.3 million households, 75 per cent of which are in rural areas.
Uganda remains one of the few countries in Africa with the fastest population growth leading to high dependence ratio, which in a way is contributing to an increase in poverty levels and unemployment.
Revealing the current state of population growth in the country, UBOS said Uganda’s population growth rate stands at 3 per cent per annum.
The population density (number of people per square kilometres) is 173 persons. The average number of persons per household stands at 4.7 persons.
“The proportion of persons aged 10 years and above, able to read and write intelligibility in any language (literacy rate) is 74 per cent according to Uganda national household survey 2016/17,” said UBOS.
Quoting the Labour Market Transition of Young People in Uganda: School to Work Transition Report 2015, UBOS said the youth in Uganda constitutes 19.4 per cent (approximately 6.7 million) of the total population. 71 per cent of the youth live in rural areas while 29 per cent live in urban areas, 23 per cent of the households are headed by youths.
The youth employment to population ratio stands at 74 per cent in other words about seven out of every 10 youths are employed, 743 per cent of the employed youth are in rural areas.
55 per cent of the young people are employed in the agriculture sector with the females accounting for 60 per cent compared to males at 40 per cent; 15 per cent of the young people are employed in the trade sector that includes wholesale trade, retail trade or sales and repair.
A youth may be defined in several contexts. United Nations says youth is a person aged between 15 and 35 years, while in Uganda a youth is a person aged 18 to 30 year.
On average a working person is expected to work an average of 40 hours a week, but average about 60 per cent youth work for less than the standard 40 hours per week.
The employed youth who are paid wages and salary earnings of Shs213,000 per month on average.
The average earnings for employed youth in urban areas is 253,000 per month. The average earnings for employed youth in rural areas is 172,000 per month.
