Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Uganda

Uganda: Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care was 68.4% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
68.4%
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
15th
of 134 countries
All-time high
94.3%
in 2006
All-time low
68.4%
in 2022
Years of data
19
2003–2022

Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Uganda, 2003–2022

0204060801002003201220222003: 90.3 % of people at risk2004: 85.3 % of people at risk2005: 92.6 % of people at risk2006: 94.3 % of people at risk2007: 94.1 % of people at risk2008: 91.9 % of people at risk2009: 81.4 % of people at risk2010: 75.7 % of people at risk2011: 69.3 % of people at risk2012: 72.9 % of people at risk2013: 79.5 % of people at risk2014: 77.3 % of people at risk2016: 75.3 % of people at risk2017: 74.1 % of people at risk2018: 68.8 % of people at risk2019: 70.5 % of people at risk2020: 70.1 % of people at risk2021: 68.9 % of people at risk2022: 68.4 % of people at risk

Source: Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School. Measured in % of people at risk.

Analysis

Uganda recorded 68.4% for risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 19 years on record.

That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and down 6.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Uganda peaked at 94.3% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 68.4%, in 2022.

That places Uganda 15th out of 134 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.

Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Uganda, year by year

Annual values for Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk) in Uganda, 2003 to 2022.
Year % of people at risk Change
2003 90.3%
2004 85.3% -5.5%
2005 92.6% +8.6%
2006 94.3% +1.8%
2007 94.1% -0.2%
2008 91.9% -2.3%
2009 81.4% -11.4%
2010 75.7% -7.0%
2011 69.3% -8.5%
2012 72.9% +5.2%
2013 79.5% +9.1%
2014 77.3% -2.8%
2016 75.3% -2.6%
2017 74.1% -1.6%
2018 68.8% -7.2%
2019 70.5% +2.5%
2020 70.1% -0.6%
2021 68.9% -1.7%
2022 68.4% -0.7%

Uganda compared with similar countries

  • Uganda's 68.4% is below the median for low income countries, which is 82.4%, 83% of the median. (17 countries reporting)
  • Uganda's 68.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 51.7%, 1.3× the median. (36 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 90.0% 81.4% 94.3% 7
2010s 73.7% 68.8% 79.5% 9
2020s 69.1% 68.4% 70.1% 3

Countries ranked near Uganda

  1. 12 Estonia 78.3% compare
  2. 13 Togo 72.4% compare
  3. 14 Mauritania 69.1% compare
  4. 16 Tajikistan 68.2% compare
  5. 17 Congo 63.7% compare
  6. 18 Sudan 63.3% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More health data for Uganda

All data for Uganda →

Frequently asked questions

What is risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Uganda?
Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Uganda was 68.4% in 2022, according to Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School.
What is the highest risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care recorded in Uganda?
The highest recorded value was 94.3% in 2006.
What is the lowest risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care recorded in Uganda?
The lowest recorded value was 68.4% in 2022.
How does Uganda rank for risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care?
Uganda ranks 15th out of 134 countries with data for 2022.
Is risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care rising or falling in Uganda?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Uganda data come from?
The figures come from Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School, published as part of Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Uganda. Statizoid, drawing on Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/risk-of-catastrophic-expenditure-for-surgical-care-percent-of-people-at-risk/uganda/

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About this data

Indicator
Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk)
Unit
% of people at risk
Source
Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
173 places, 3,065 data points, 2003–2022
Last refreshed

The proportion of population at risk of catastrophic expenditure when surgical care is required. Catastrophic expenditure is defined as direct out of pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care exceeding 10% of total income.