Free Access | October 2026

The Gender Pay Gap in Uganda: Extent and Drivers

Authors/Editors: Madina M. Guloba (PhD) ,  Phionah Namuliira (PhD) ,  Jude Ssebuliba

Abstract:

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 households, highlighting ongoing economic inequalities within families. The Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition results illustrating the “adjusted” gender pay gap indicate that the gap was 53.5% in 2019/20, driven by observable characteristics (7.3%) such as education, sector, occupation, and region, and unobservable factors (46.2%) including discrimination, entrenched cultural norms, unequal returns to education and skills, undervaluation of women’s work, and limited bargaining power. These findings underscore the importance of leveraging education to further close the pay gap, establishing and investing in facilities that reduce care and domestic burdens on women in the workforce, and deliberately fostering an environment that encourages the formalisation of work. Collectively, these measures can promote equitable participation in the labour market and further reduce gender pay disparities.