Economy - overview Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regularrainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper and cobalt. Agriculture isthe most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force.Coffee is the major export crop and accounts for the bulk of export revenues.Since 1986 the government - with the support of foreign countries and internationalagencies - has acted to rehabilitate and stabilize the economy by undertakingcurrency reform, raising producer prices on export crops, increasing pricesof petroleum products, and improving civil service wages. The policy changesare especially aimed at dampening inflation and boosting production and exportearnings. In 1990-94, the economy turned in a solid performance based on continuedinvestment in the rehabilitation of infrastructure, improved incentives forproduction and exports, and gradually improving domestic security. The economyagain prospered in 1995 with rapid growth, low inflation, growing foreigninvestment, a trimmed bureaucracy, and the continued return of exiled Indian-Ugandanentrepreneurs.

GDP purchasing power parity - $16.8 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 7.1% (1995 est.)

GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $900 (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 55%
industry : 12%
services: 33% (1995)

Inflation rate - consumer price index 7.3% (1996 est.)

Labor force
total: 8.361 million (1993 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 86%, industry 4%, services 10% (1980 est.)

Unemployment rate NA%

Budget
revenues: $766.5 million
expenditures : $894.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95 est.)

Industries sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles, cement

Industrial production growth rate 15% (1994)

Electricity - capacity 155,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - production 611 million kWh (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita 31 kWh (1995 est.)

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

Exports
total value: $555 million (f.o.b., FY94/95)
commodities : gold, cotton, coffee, tea, corn, fish
partners: Spain 23%, France 14%, Germany 14%, Italy 10%, Netherlands 8%

Imports
total value: $1.18 billion (c.i.f., FY94/95)
commodities: petroleum products, machinery, metals, transportation equipment, cottonpiece goods, food
partners: Kenya 26%, UK 12%, Japan 8%, Germany 8%, India 5.5%

Debt - external $3.4 billion (1995 est.)

Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency 1 Ugandan shilling (USh) = 100 cents

Exchange rates Ugandan shillings (USh) per US$1 - 1,030.3 (December 1996), 1,046.1(1996), 968.9 (1995), 979.4 (1994), 1,195.0 (1993), 1,133.8 (1992)

Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June

NOTE: The information regarding Uganda on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Uganda Economy 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Uganda Economy 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.