The Uganda Atlas

Population growth

Projected population

Region 1991 Census

1996 (a)

1998 (a)

2000 (a)

2015

Central

4,843,594

5,627,800 5,906,500 6,185,400 8,438,400

Eastern

4,128,469

4,983,100 5,307,300 5,631,600 8,547,400

Northern

3,151,955

3,763,600 3,992,200 4,220,700 6,230,100

Western Uganda

4,547,705

5,473,100 5,823,000 6,172,600 9,300,700

16,671,705

19,847,600 21,029,000 22,210,300 32,516,600

Source : MFPED: Statistical Abstract, (1998)

NEMA (1998): State of Environment Report for Uganda (1998)

Population growth rate

Population growth by region

Population size (million) and Population growth rate (%)

Central Eastern Northern Western Uganda Region Population (m) Population growth rate (%)

Population size (million) and Population growth rate (%)

1948 1959 1969 1980 1991 2002 2008

Population growth rate (%)

Population (m)

Source : NEMA (2008) SOER

on infrastructure such as land, roads, with water supply, energy grids, the built environment, and services such as education and health. The result is that the pressures on rural lands, forests, water and biological resources is increasing dramatically to meet the needs of the growing population. There are regional differences in population growth.

The total population of Uganda has increased from 4.8 million in 1948 to 29.6 in July 2008, and is likely to reach 103.2 million by 2050 (MFPED 2007, UBOS 2008). The population growth rate is one of the highest in the world, at 3.2 per cent. This is significant as there are six times as many people trying to survive on the same amount of natural resources as there were 60 years ago. Already, the government has been unable to keep up with demands

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