Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Uganda

Uganda: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 3.4% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
3.4%
Change on year
up 33.3%
World rank
135th
of 185 countries
All-time high
3.6%
in 2003
All-time low
0.9%
in 2011
Years of data
12
2002–2021

Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Uganda, 2002–2021

12342002201120212002: 3.5 %2003: 3.6 %2005: 1.9 %2009: 3.6 %2010: 1.4 %2011: 0.881 %2012: 3.6 %2013: 1.9 %2014: 1.6 %2017: 3.4 %2019: 2.6 %2021: 3.4 %

Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2021, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Uganda stood at 3.4%.

The figure is up 33.3% on the previous year and up 287.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Uganda peaked at 3.6% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 2011.

That places Uganda 135th out of 185 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 3.2% 1.9% 3.6% 4
2010s 2.2% 0.9% 3.6% 7
2020s 3.4% 3.4% 3.4% 1

Countries ranked near Uganda

  1. 132 Bulgaria 3.5% compare
  2. 133 Kyrgyzstan 3.5% compare
  3. 134 Nigeria 3.5% compare
  4. 136 Bhutan 3.4% compare
  5. 137 Indonesia 3.3% compare
  6. 138 Oman 3.3% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More reference data data for Uganda

All data for Uganda →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Uganda?
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Uganda was 3.4% in 2021, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Uganda?
The highest recorded value was 3.6% in 2003.
What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Uganda?
The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 2011.
How does Uganda rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
Uganda ranks 135th out of 185 countries with data for 2021.
Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Uganda?
Over the last ten years it is up 287.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Uganda data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates
Unit
%
Source
Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
185 places, 5,169 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.