Uganda at its true size
Uganda covers 241,038 km², number 79 of 194 countries by area. Home to 51,384,894 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 241,038 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 51,384,894 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 213 per km² |
| Capital | Kampala |
| Local time in Kampala | |
| Time zone | UTC+3 IANA |
| Currency | Ugandan shilling (UGX) Wikidata |
| Languages | English, Swahili |
| Traffic | On the left |
| Region | Eastern Africa, Africa |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Landlocked |
| Calling code | +256 |
| Codes | UG · UGA · 800 |
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Where Uganda ranks
Among the independent states, in 43 rankings. Each links to its table.
People
- Population#31 of 19451 million people#9 of 54 in Africa
- Population density#48 of 194213 people per km²#9 of 54 in Africa
- Urban population#167 of 19232% urban#45 of 54 in Africa
- Fertility rate#19 of 1924.17 births per woman#17 of 54 in Africa
- Population growth#21 of 192+2.70% a year#12 of 54 in Africa
- Birth rate#11 of 19234.4 births per 1,000 people#10 of 54 in Africa
- Death rate#176 of 1924.8 deaths per 1,000 people#53 of 54 in Africa
- Children under 15#10 of 19243.1% under 15#10 of 54 in Africa
- People over 65#187 of 1922.2% aged 65 and over#51 of 54 in Africa
- Net migration#151 of 192−2.3 per 1,000 people#46 of 54 in Africa
- Refugees abroad#94 of 1900.25 refugees abroad per 1,000 people#35 of 54 in Africa
Health & education
Economy
- GNI per capita#166 of 185$1,120 a person#35 of 52 in Africa
- Internet users#183 of 1849% online#51 of 52 in Africa
- GDP per capita (PPP)#167 of 184$3,488 a person#38 of 52 in Africa
- GDP growth#26 of 187+6.3% a year#11 of 52 in Africa
- Inflation#71 of 176+3.6% a year#23 of 50 in Africa
- Unemployment#149 of 1782.7% of the labour force#44 of 53 in Africa
- Extreme poverty#10 of 14954.4% under $3.00 a day#10 of 47 in Africa
- Income inequality (Gini)#51 of 149a Gini index of 38.2#24 of 47 in Africa
- Jobs in agriculture#9 of 17864.9% of jobs#8 of 53 in Africa
- Jobs in industry#170 of 1787.3% of jobs#46 of 53 in Africa
- Jobs in services#168 of 17827.9% of jobs#45 of 53 in Africa
- Foreign investment#34 of 1845.4% of GDP#10 of 52 in Africa
- Exports#129 of 16821.4% of GDP#31 of 49 in Africa
- Military spending#67 of 1552.0% of GDP#16 of 50 in Africa
- Mobile subscriptions#148 of 19183 subscriptions per 100 people#33 of 54 in Africa
Energy & environment
- CO₂ per person#170 of 1850.17 tonnes a person#41 of 53 in Africa
- Forest area#147 of 19212% forest#38 of 54 in Africa
- Renewable energy#5 of 19090.9% renewable#5 of 54 in Africa
- Access to electricity#169 of 19255.3% with electricity#33 of 54 in Africa
- Air pollution (PM2.5)#45 of 19131.2 µg/m³#24 of 54 in Africa
- Protected land#106 of 19116.1% of the land protected#26 of 54 in Africa
- Arable land#10 of 19043.6% of the land arable#4 of 54 in Africa
- Water stress#113 of 1765.8% of its available fresh water#29 of 53 in Africa
- Precipitation#77 of 1801,180 mm a year#20 of 54 in Africa
Governance & safety
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of Uganda’s area, lit up on the map →
- United Kingdom0.99×Uganda and United Kingdom are almost exactly the same size.
- Ghana1.01×Uganda and Ghana are almost exactly the same size.
- Romania1.01×Uganda and Romania are almost exactly the same size.
- Laos1.02×Uganda and Laos are almost exactly the same size.
- Guinea0.98×Uganda and Guinea are almost exactly the same size.
- Ecuador0.94×Uganda is 6% smaller than Ecuador.
How many times does Uganda fit into…
- Russia: about 71 times
- Canada: about 41 times
- United States: about 41 times
The land itself
Rivers, summits and lakes Uganda shares with the rest of the world. Turn on “Rivers & lakes” and “Physical names” in the atlas to see them on the map.
Rivers
- Nile6,650 km
- White Nile2,620 km
- Kagera400 km
- Semliki230 km
Summits
- Mount Stanley5,109 m
- Mount Elgon4,321 m
Lakes
- Lake Victoria68,100 km²
- Lake Albert5,270 km²
- Lake Edward2,150 km²
- Lake Kyoga1,720 km²
Rivers are listed by the published length of their whole course, not the part inside Uganda. Figures from Wikidata, features from Natural Earth.
Neighbours
Questions about Uganda
- How big is Uganda?
- Uganda covers 241,038 km², which makes it number 79 of 194 countries by area. About 51,384,894 people live there (2025), 213 per km².
- Is Uganda bigger than United Kingdom?
- Uganda and United Kingdom are almost exactly the same size. Uganda: 241,038 km²; United Kingdom: 242,495 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Uganda?
- Uganda lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Which countries border Uganda?
- Uganda shares a land border with DR Congo, Tanzania, South Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda.