October 2026
The Gender Pay Gap in Uganda: Extent and Drivers
Despite increasing policy focus on women’s economic empowerment, gender pay disparities remain deeply entrenched in Uganda. This study examines the size and causes of the gender pay gap using data from four rounds of the Uganda National Household Survey (2012/13 - 2023/24). Descriptive analysis shows that the “unadjusted” gender pay gap has consistently ranged between 43% and 52%. The disparities are especially evident among employed workers aged 31-64, within the services sector, in rural areas, in informal employment, among individuals with disabilities, and in polygamous unions. Intra-household analysis also reveals that men earned more than women in over 90% of dual-income ho...
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May 2026
How has the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran affected Uganda’s economy?
This policy note illustrates how the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran has affected the Ugandan economy. Since the war began, the clearest effects on Uganda show up at the fuel prices, but not yet in the other headline figures. Diesel rose 10.2 percent and petrol 5.8 percent between February and April 2026, feeding straight into transport and food costs. Remittances from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar fell by a combined USD 7 million, from USD 69 million to USD 62 million, between February and March. And 63 percent of firms surveyed in the January March 2026 Business Climate Index (BCI) report being hurt by the war, mainly through higher fuel, shipping, and freight costs. As suc...
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May 2026
Corporal Punishment and Learning Outcomes: Evidence from Primary Schools in Uganda.
This paper examines the impact of corporal punishment on learning outcomes in primary schools in Uganda. Using nationally representative pupil and school-level data linked to household information, I exploit exogenous variation in awareness campaigns as an instrument for corporal punishment to identify causal effects. On average, exposure to corporal punishment reduces the probability of being proficient in English by 6.6 percentage points and in mathematics by 7.7 percentage points. Moreover, the negative effect of corporal punishment is strongest in communities in which corporal punishment is socially disapproved, while it is comparatively smaller in areas in which corporal punishm...
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May 2026
Impact of Sugarcane Production Participation on Household Food Security in Uganda
The paper examines the impact of sugarcane production on household food security in Uganda. It is among the few studies in Uganda providing new empirical insights into household food security. Specifically, it demonstrates how cultivating sugarcane or not impacts household livelihood outcomes in communities where sugarcane is grown compared to households in the same regions that do not grow cane. The paper uses quantitative techniques (Poisson, ordered probit, PSM and IPW) on primary cross- sectional survey data from 1771 farming households conducted in 2021 across three sugarcane- growing subregions of Uganda— Bunyoro, Buganda and Busoga. The data were weighed; hence, the results a...
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December 2025
Is Uganda Ready For Large-Scale Adoption Of Electric Mobility Vehicles?
This study examines Uganda’s readiness for a large-scale transition to electric mobility (E-mobility), driven by the urgent need to decarbonise the transport sector and combat severe air pollution. The study leverages quantitative data from surveys and perceptions from Key Informant Interviews and Focus Group Discussions. The findings reveal that Uganda has a moderate level of EV adoption readiness (0.67), performing slightly above the African average (0.58) but still behind its East African peers, such as Rwanda (0.74) and Kenya (0.7). While there is growing consumer interest, abundant renewable energy potential, and the availability of strategic natural resources for EV manufactu...
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October 2026
The Gender Pay Gap in Uganda: Extent and Drivers
Despite increasing policy focus on women’s economic empowerment, gender pay disparities remain deeply entrenched in Uganda. This study examines the size and causes of the gender pay gap using data from four rounds of the Uganda National Household Survey (2012/13 - 2023/24). Descriptive analysis shows that the “unadjusted” gender pay gap has consistently ranged between 43% and 52%. The disparities are especially evident among employed workers aged 31-64, within the services sector, in rural areas, in informal employment, among individuals with disabilities, and in polygamous unions. Intra-household analysis also reveals that men earned more than women in over 90% of dual-income ho...
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November 2021
Digital technologies uptake is still low in Ugandan Secondary and Tertiary institutions
The Ugandan Government has recognised the use of digital technologies in education as an avenue for providing learners and trainers’ opportunities to operate with ease in a highly digitalised economy and fast-evolving world of work. In this regard, policies and initiatives have been put in place to facilitate the implementation of digital technology in schools to improve the quality of education. However, findings reveal that several challenges such as lack of digital literacy skills among teachers/trainers, fragile ICT infrastructure and high computer student ratios still limit the uptake of digital technologies. This has left the majority of the students lagging behind in the era o...
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December 2025
Is Uganda Ready For Large-Scale Adoption Of Electric Mobility Vehicles?
This study examines Uganda’s readiness for a large-scale transition to electric mobility (E-mobility), driven by the urgent need to decarbonise the transport sector and combat severe air pollution. The study leverages quantitative data from surveys and perceptions from Key Informant Interviews and Focus Group Discussions. The findings reveal that Uganda has a moderate level of EV adoption readiness (0.67), performing slightly above the African average (0.58) but still behind its East African peers, such as Rwanda (0.74) and Kenya (0.7). While there is growing consumer interest, abundant renewable energy potential, and the availability of strategic natural resources for EV manufactu...
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September 1996
Nature and Determinants ofDomestic Savings in Uganda
Adequate saving is an essential precondition for sustained economic growth. A higher rate of savings means less consumption now in return for increased wealth and future consumption. The increased Wealth will reflect reduced foreign liabilities; and where concerns about foreign indebtedness are constraining economic growth, increased domestic savings will mean more domestic investment. An open economy like that of Uganda can attract foreign savings to help finance growth, but risk and other considerations limit the extent to which domestic investment can proceed independently of domestic savings. The close correlation between levels of investmentand rates ofdomestic saving across count...
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January 2025
Understanding Women’s Labour Market Challenges in Uganda
This policy brief addresses the underrepresentation of women in Uganda’s labour market, where their participation stands at 39.3% compared to 57.9% for men. Key challenges include wage disparities, with women earning less across all education levels, and a high concentration in low-skilled roles, particularly in the informal sector. Women face significant caregiving burdens, spending 29.7 hours weekly on unpaid care work, which limits their employment opportunities. To address the above challenges there is a need for several interventions, including implementing targeted vocational training, promoting workplace flexibility, expanding social protections for women in vulnerable employment,...
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