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African economies
Uganda · Economy

Uganda economy: GDP, investment, trade and remittances

How large the Uganda economy is and how fast it is growing, who invests in it, what it sells and buys, how much its citizens abroad send home, who it owes and what it holds in reserve. The latest published year is shown with each figure.

GDP
US$62.0 billion
current US$, 2025
Real GDP growth
6.3%
2025
GDP per person
US$1,206
current US$, 2025
Exports of goods
US$12.8 billion
2025
Remittances received
US$2.8 billion
2025, 4.5% of GDP
Foreign direct investment, net inflows
US$3.4 billion
2025, 5.4% of GDP

Uganda economy snapshot: GDP, growth and income per person

Uganda's GDP was US$62.0 billion in 2025, after real growth of 6.3%.

GDP

Current US dollars.

020bn40bn60bn80bn201520172019202120232025GDP 2015: US$32.4 billionGDP 2016: US$29.2 billionGDP 2017: US$30.7 billionGDP 2018: US$32.9 billionGDP 2019: US$35.4 billionGDP 2020: US$37.6 billionGDP 2021: US$40.5 billionGDP 2022: US$45.6 billionGDP 2023: US$48.8 billionGDP 2024: US$53.9 billionGDP 2025: US$62.0 billion

Real GDP growth

Annual change, per cent. Red bars are contractions.

0%2%4%6%8%201520172019202120232025Real GDP growth 2015: 5.2%Real GDP growth 2016: 4.8%Real GDP growth 2017: 3.1%Real GDP growth 2018: 6.3%Real GDP growth 2019: 6.4%Real GDP growth 2020: 3.0%Real GDP growth 2021: 3.5%Real GDP growth 2022: 4.6%Real GDP growth 2023: 5.3%Real GDP growth 2024: 6.1%Real GDP growth 2025: 6.3%

GDP per person

Current US dollars.

05001k2k201520172019202120232025GDP per person 2015: US$863GDP per person 2016: US$753GDP per person 2017: US$765GDP per person 2018: US$792GDP per person 2019: US$822GDP per person 2020: US$846GDP per person 2021: US$883GDP per person 2022: US$963GDP per person 2023: US$1,002GDP per person 2024: US$1,078GDP per person 2025: US$1,206

Source: World Bank, 2025. Method

Who invests in Uganda and in what

Direct investment by investing country

Netherlands was the largest investing country in Uganda, at 59% of inward direct investment positions in 2024.

Inward direct investment positions in Uganda at the end of 2024: the stock of foreign direct investment, not a year's new flow. The 10 largest investing countries.

NetherlandsUS$11.4 billion58.7%
FranceUS$2.0 billion10.4%
United KingdomUS$1.5 billion7.9%
KenyaUS$1.4 billion7.3%
MauritiusUS$1.2 billion5.9%
BermudaUS$657 million3.4%
IndiaUS$452 million2.3%
South AfricaUS$410 million2.1%
SwitzerlandUS$379 million1.9%
ChinaUS$329 million1.7%

Source: IMF, 2024. Method

What Uganda sells and buys

Pearls, precious stones and metals was 50% of exports in 2025.

Uganda sold the most to United Arab Emirates, 40% of exports in 2025.

Exports by product, 2025

Tile area follows value. Each tile is a customs chapter of the Harmonized System; hover for the full name.

Natural, cultured pearls: US$6.4 billion, 50.0%Pearls, precious stones and metals50%Coffee, tea, mate and spices: US$2.5 billion, 19.9%Coffee, tea and spices20%Cocoa and cocoa preparations: US$633 million, 4.9%Cocoa an…5%Sugars and sugar confectionery: US$244 million, 1.9%Sugars2%Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation: US$196 million, 1.5%Animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products: US$177 million, 1.4%Beverages, spirits and vinegar: US$174 million, 1.4%Ceramic products: US$171 million, 1.3%Iron and steel: US$169 million, 1.3%Products of the milling industry: US$161 million, 1.3%Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates: US$157 million, 1.2%Vehicles: US$143 million, 1.1%All other chapters: US$1.6 billion, 12.7%All other chapters13%

Source: UN Comtrade, 2025. Method

Top buyers, 2025

Share of Uganda's exports.

United Arab EmiratesUS$5.2 billion40.5%
Hong KongUS$1.3 billion10.5%
ItalyUS$715 million5.6%
KenyaUS$676 million5.3%
Democratic Republic of the CongoUS$661 million5.2%
South SudanUS$524 million4.1%
GermanyUS$378 million3.0%
RwandaUS$364 million2.8%
NetherlandsUS$289 million2.3%
United StatesUS$211 million1.6%

Top suppliers, 2025

Share of Uganda's imports.

ChinaUS$3.3 billion17.7%
TanzaniaUS$2.7 billion14.3%
KenyaUS$1.6 billion8.6%
IndiaUS$1.5 billion7.9%
United Arab EmiratesUS$1.1 billion6.0%
South AfricaUS$1.0 billion5.4%
Burkina FasoUS$638 million3.4%
MozambiqueUS$613 million3.3%
JapanUS$539 million2.9%
EgyptUS$491 million2.6%

Source: UN Comtrade, 2025. Method

What Uganda buys, 2025

The 8 largest product chapters in imports.

Pearls, precious stones and metalsUS$6.4 billion33.9%
Mineral fuels and oilsUS$2.3 billion12.4%
Machinery and mechanical appliancesUS$1.3 billion6.7%
VehiclesUS$961 million5.1%
Electrical machinery and equipmentUS$884 million4.7%
PlasticsUS$718 million3.8%
Iron and steelUS$625 million3.3%
Fats and oilsUS$545 million2.9%

Source: UN Comtrade, 2025. Method

Trade balance of goods

Exports minus imports. Red bars are years when imports were larger. A year is left out when either side is not published.

-8.0bn-6.0bn-4.0bn-2.0bn0201520172019202120232025Trade balance 2015: -US$3.3 billion (exports US$2.3 billion, imports US$5.5 billion)Trade balance 2016: -US$2.3 billion (exports US$2.5 billion, imports US$4.8 billion)Trade balance 2017: -US$2.7 billion (exports US$2.9 billion, imports US$5.6 billion)Trade balance 2018: -US$3.6 billion (exports US$3.1 billion, imports US$6.7 billion)Trade balance 2019: -US$4.1 billion (exports US$3.6 billion, imports US$7.7 billion)Trade balance 2020: -US$4.1 billion (exports US$4.1 billion, imports US$8.3 billion)Trade balance 2021: -US$5.1 billion (exports US$4.0 billion, imports US$9.1 billion)Trade balance 2022: -US$6.2 billion (exports US$3.6 billion, imports US$9.7 billion)Trade balance 2023: -US$5.5 billion (exports US$6.3 billion, imports US$11.8 billion)Trade balance 2024: -US$5.8 billion (exports US$8.0 billion, imports US$13.8 billion)Trade balance 2025: -US$6.1 billion (exports US$12.8 billion, imports US$18.9 billion)

Source: UN Comtrade, 2025. Method

Remittances against foreign direct investment in Uganda

Foreign direct investment in Uganda was 1.2 times remittances in 2025.

Remittances receivedForeign direct investment, net inflows
01.0bn2.0bn3.0bn4.0bn201520172019202120232025Remittances 2015: US$902 millionRemittances 2016: US$1.1 billionRemittances 2017: US$1.2 billionRemittances 2018: US$1.3 billionRemittances 2019: US$1.4 billionRemittances 2020: US$1.1 billionRemittances 2021: US$1.2 billionRemittances 2022: US$1.3 billionRemittances 2023: US$1.5 billionRemittances 2024: US$1.4 billionRemittances 2025: US$2.8 billionForeign direct investment 2015: US$738 millionForeign direct investment 2016: US$626 millionForeign direct investment 2017: US$803 millionForeign direct investment 2018: US$1.1 billionForeign direct investment 2019: US$1.3 billionForeign direct investment 2020: US$1.2 billionForeign direct investment 2021: US$1.6 billionForeign direct investment 2022: US$3.0 billionForeign direct investment 2023: US$3.0 billionForeign direct investment 2024: US$3.1 billionForeign direct investment 2025: US$3.4 billion

Source: World Bank, 2026. Method

Remittances and investment as a share of GDP

The same two flows measured against the size of the economy.

Remittances, share of GDPForeign direct investment, share of GDP
0%2%4%6%8%201520172019202120232025Remittances 2015: 2.8%Remittances 2016: 3.9%Remittances 2017: 3.8%Remittances 2018: 4.1%Remittances 2019: 4.0%Remittances 2020: 2.8%Remittances 2021: 2.9%Remittances 2022: 2.7%Remittances 2023: 3.1%Remittances 2024: 2.7%Remittances 2025: 4.5%Foreign direct investment 2015: 2.3%Foreign direct investment 2016: 2.1%Foreign direct investment 2017: 2.6%Foreign direct investment 2018: 3.2%Foreign direct investment 2019: 3.7%Foreign direct investment 2020: 3.2%Foreign direct investment 2021: 4.1%Foreign direct investment 2022: 6.5%Foreign direct investment 2023: 6.1%Foreign direct investment 2024: 5.8%Foreign direct investment 2025: 5.4%

Source: World Bank, 2026. Method

Who Uganda owes

External debt stock by type of creditor. Creditor types cover public and publicly guaranteed debt; the grey part is the rest of the total external debt stock. A creditor type with no published figure is not shown.

Multilateral creditors held 42% of Uganda's external debt stock in 2024.

Public external debt owed to China was US$2.6 billion in 2024, 13% of the external debt stock.

MultilateralBilateralBondsCommercial banksRest of the totalPublic debt owed to China
010bn20bn30bn20152017201920212023Multilateral 2015: US$3.9 billionBilateral 2015: US$985 millionRest of the total 2015: US$4.7 billionMultilateral 2016: US$4.1 billionBilateral 2016: US$1.4 billionCommercial banks 2016: US$531 thousandRest of the total 2016: US$4.6 billionMultilateral 2017: US$4.9 billionBilateral 2017: US$2.0 billionCommercial banks 2017: US$8.4 millionRest of the total 2017: US$4.8 billionMultilateral 2018: US$5.0 billionBilateral 2018: US$2.6 billionCommercial banks 2018: US$50 millionRest of the total 2018: US$4.6 billionMultilateral 2019: US$5.7 billionBilateral 2019: US$2.9 billionCommercial banks 2019: US$83 millionRest of the total 2019: US$5.3 billionMultilateral 2020: US$7.2 billionBilateral 2020: US$3.6 billionBonds 2020: US$464 millionCommercial banks 2020: US$519 millionRest of the total 2020: US$5.9 billionMultilateral 2021: US$7.9 billionBilateral 2021: US$3.7 billionBonds 2021: US$697 millionCommercial banks 2021: US$487 millionRest of the total 2021: US$7.9 billionMultilateral 2022: US$7.9 billionBilateral 2022: US$3.7 billionBonds 2022: US$633 millionCommercial banks 2022: US$410 millionRest of the total 2022: US$8.5 billionMultilateral 2023: US$8.5 billionBilateral 2023: US$3.6 billionBonds 2023: US$888 millionCommercial banks 2023: US$1.0 billionRest of the total 2023: US$6.2 billionMultilateral 2024: US$8.7 billionBilateral 2024: US$3.7 billionBonds 2024: US$874 millionCommercial banks 2024: US$912 millionRest of the total 2024: US$6.4 billionPublic debt owed to China 2015: US$763 millionPublic debt owed to China 2016: US$1.1 billionPublic debt owed to China 2017: US$1.5 billionPublic debt owed to China 2018: US$1.9 billionPublic debt owed to China 2019: US$2.1 billionPublic debt owed to China 2020: US$2.6 billionPublic debt owed to China 2021: US$2.6 billionPublic debt owed to China 2022: US$2.7 billionPublic debt owed to China 2023: US$2.6 billionPublic debt owed to China 2024: US$2.6 billion

Source: World Bank, 2026. Method

Reserves and months of import cover

Total reserves including gold, and how many months of imports they cover.

Reserves, US$Months of imports
02.0bn4.0bn6.0bn024620152017201920212023Reserves 2015: US$2.9 billionReserves 2016: US$3.1 billionReserves 2017: US$3.7 billionReserves 2018: US$3.2 billionReserves 2019: US$3.2 billionReserves 2020: US$3.9 billionReserves 2021: US$4.9 billionReserves 2022: US$4.1 billionReserves 2023: US$3.9 billionReserves 2024: US$3.5 billionMonths of imports 2015: 4.5 monthsMonths of imports 2016: 5.2 monthsMonths of imports 2017: 5.5 monthsMonths of imports 2018: 4.0 monthsMonths of imports 2019: 3.6 monthsMonths of imports 2020: 4.3 monthsMonths of imports 2021: 5.0 monthsMonths of imports 2022: 4.0 monthsMonths of imports 2023: 3.2 monthsMonths of imports 2024: 2.3 months

Source: World Bank, 2026. Method

Aid received by Uganda

Net official development assistance and official aid received.

01.0bn2.0bn3.0bn4.0bn20152017201920212023Aid received 2015: US$1.6 billionAid received 2016: US$1.8 billionAid received 2017: US$2.0 billionAid received 2018: US$1.9 billionAid received 2019: US$2.0 billionAid received 2020: US$3.1 billionAid received 2021: US$2.6 billionAid received 2022: US$2.2 billionAid received 2023: US$2.3 billion

Source: World Bank, 2026. Method

More on Uganda

World Bank data pages for Uganda: GDP, GDP growth, GDP per person, remittances, foreign direct investment, reserves, months of imports, external debt, debt by creditor, aid. UN Comtrade: trade data. IMF: direct investment positions.