Life expectancy at birth in Uganda
Uganda: Life expectancy at birth was 68.25 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
68.25 years
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
184th
of 236 countries
All-time high
68.25 years
in 2023
All-time low
39.71 years
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Life expectancy at birth in Uganda, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, life expectancy at birth in Uganda stood at 68.25 years. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in Uganda peaked at 68.25 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 39.71 years, in 1950.
Uganda ranks 184th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth in Uganda, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 39.71 years | — |
| 1951 | 40.22 years | +1.3% |
| 1952 | 40.75 years | +1.3% |
| 1953 | 41.3 years | +1.3% |
| 1954 | 41.84 years | +1.3% |
| 1955 | 42.42 years | +1.4% |
| 1956 | 43.02 years | +1.4% |
| 1957 | 43.65 years | +1.5% |
| 1958 | 44.31 years | +1.5% |
| 1959 | 44.95 years | +1.4% |
| 1960 | 45.63 years | +1.5% |
| 1961 | 46.27 years | +1.4% |
| 1962 | 46.82 years | +1.2% |
| 1963 | 47.38 years | +1.2% |
| 1964 | 47.85 years | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 48.3 years | +1.0% |
| 1966 | 48.46 years | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 49.01 years | +1.1% |
| 1968 | 49.28 years | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 49.51 years | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 49.62 years | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 47.15 years | -5.0% |
| 1972 | 47.16 years | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 46.99 years | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 46.86 years | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 46.52 years | -0.7% |
| 1976 | 46.17 years | -0.7% |
| 1977 | 45.84 years | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 45.6 years | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 45.38 years | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 43.45 years | -4.3% |
| 1981 | 43.46 years | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 43.31 years | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 43.49 years | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 43.71 years | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 45.5 years | +4.1% |
| 1986 | 45.65 years | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 47.36 years | +3.7% |
| 1988 | 47.48 years | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 47.49 years | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 47.56 years | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 47.55 years | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 47.67 years | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 47.68 years | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 47.67 years | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 47.71 years | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 47.76 years | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 48.03 years | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 48.26 years | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 48.98 years | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 49.64 years | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 50.58 years | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 51.44 years | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 52.41 years | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 53.7 years | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 54.93 years | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 56.12 years | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 57.25 years | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 58.25 years | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 59.16 years | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 59.96 years | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 60.79 years | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 61.58 years | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 62.35 years | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 63.06 years | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 63.83 years | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 64.49 years | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 65.17 years | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 65.78 years | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 66.35 years | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 66.41 years | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 66.45 years | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 67.67 years | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 68.25 years | +0.9% |
Uganda compared with similar countries
- Uganda's 68.25 years is above the median for low income countries, which is 63.65 years, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Uganda's 68.25 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.1 years, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 42.22 years | 39.71 years | 44.95 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 47.85 years | 45.63 years | 49.51 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 46.73 years | 45.38 years | 49.62 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 45.09 years | 43.31 years | 47.49 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 47.89 years | 47.55 years | 48.98 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.35 years | 49.64 years | 59.16 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.34 years | 59.96 years | 66.35 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 67.2 years | 66.41 years | 68.25 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Uganda
More health data for Uganda
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.2 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.34 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 853.6 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 6,666 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 111 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0787 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.34 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth in Uganda?
- Life expectancy at birth in Uganda was 68.25 years in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in Uganda?
- The highest recorded value was 68.25 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in Uganda?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.71 years in 1950.
- How does Uganda rank for life expectancy at birth?
- Uganda ranks 184th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in Uganda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Uganda data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy at birth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy at birth.