Economy - overview:
Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper, cobalt, gold, and other minerals. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force. Coffee accounts for the bulk of export revenues. Since 1986, the government - with the support of foreign countries and international agencies - has acted to rehabilitate and stabilize the economy by undertaking currency reform, raising producer prices on export crops, increasing prices of petroleum products, and improving civil service wages. The policy changes are especially aimed at dampening inflation and boosting production and export earnings. During 1990-2001, the economy turned in a solid performance based on continued investment in the rehabilitation of infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports, reduced inflation, gradually improved domestic security, and the return of exiled Indian-Ugandan entrepreneurs. Growth continues to be solid, despite variability in the price of coffee, Uganda's principal export, and a consistent upturn in Uganda's export markets. In 2000, Uganda qualified for enhanced Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief worth $1.3 billion and Paris Club debt relief worth $145 million. These amounts combined with the original HIPC debt relief added up to about $2 billion.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$35.88 billion (2008 est.)
$33.57 billion (2007)
$30.9 billion (2006)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):
$15.04 billion (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.9% (2008 est.)
8.6% (2007 est.)
6.6% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita:
$1,100 (2008 est.)
$1,100 (2007 est.)
$1,100 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 29%
industry: 24.8%
services: 46.2% (2008 est.)

Labor force:
14.48 million (2008 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 82%
industry: 5%
services: 13% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 37.7% (2002)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
45.7 (2002)

Investment (gross fixed):
26.5% of GDP (2008 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.72 billion
expenditures: $3.05 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2008 est.)

Public debt:
19.5% of GDP (2008 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10.5% (2008 est.)

Central bank discount rate:
14.68% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
19.11% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:
$1.363 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:
$1.302 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:
$907.3 million (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares:
$103.4 million (2005)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, pulses, cut flowers; beef, goat meat, milk, poultry

Industries:
sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles; cement, steel production

Industrial production growth rate:
7% (2008 est.)

Electricity - production:
1.161 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:
899.7 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:
180 million kWh (2006)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:
11,570 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:
115.2 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:
11,540 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:
-$933 million (2008 est.)

Exports:
$2.03 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

Exports - commodities:
coffee, fish and fish products, tea, cotton, flowers, horticultural products; gold

Exports - partners:
Netherlands 10.2%, Belgium 9.8%, Germany 7.9%, France 7.2%, Rwanda 5.6% (2007)

Imports:
$3.579 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

Imports - commodities:
capital equipment, vehicles, petroleum, medical supplies; cereals

Imports - partners:
Kenya 31.8%, China 7.8%, UAE 7.7%, South Africa 5.9%, India 5.2%, Japan 4.8% (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.8 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Debt - external:
$1.705 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA