Census Analytical Report - Uganda Bureau of Statistics

Analytical ReportTable 2.5: Population Density of Uganda, 1948 – 2002Index 1948 1959 1969 1980 1991 2002Population (Millions) 5.0 6.5 9.5 12.6 16.7 24.2Population Density(Persons per Sq Km)25 33 48 64 85 123The results in Table A1.1 show that the Eastern region had the highest populationdensity of 226 persons per square kilometre in 2002 as compared to the Northernregion which had the lowest of 62 persons per square kilometre. Population densitiesfor Central and Western region were 176 and 127 persons per square kilometrerespectively. The population density of the districts varied between 22 persons persquare kilometre for Moroto district to 7,259 persons per square kilometre forKampala district.2.5 UrbanisationUrbanisation is defined as the increase in the proportion of the population living inurban areas. However, the definition of urban areas has been changing over time.The 2002 Census defined urban areas as only the gazetted ones while the earliercensuses included ungazetted trading centres with more than 1,000 people as part ofthe urban populationOnly 12 percent ofthe populationwas living inurban areas.Table 2.6 shows that the population of Uganda was predominantly rural with 88percent of the population living in rural areas in 2002. This level of urbanization isextremely low compared to Kenya and Tanzania, which relatively had 20 percent and22 percent respectively of their population living in urban areas, in 2002.Table 2.6: Trends in Urban Population, 1980 – 2002Population (Millions)Census Year Urban* TotalPercent ofPopulation inUrban AreasUrban GrowthRate (%)1980 0.84 12.6 6.7 --1991 1.65 16.7 9.9 6.12002 3.0 24.2 12.3 5.1* The information for the 1980 and 1991 censuses have been recast to the 2002 definition of urbanpopulation, and are therefore different from figures published in earlier reportsUrban Populationgrowth rate is 5.1per year between1991 and 2002.Table 2.6 shows that the urban population in Uganda has increased rapidly from lessthan one million persons in 1980 to 3 million 2002, representing a more than three-foldincrease. During the same period, the share of the population that lives in urban areasincreased from 6.7 percent to 12.3 percent. The urban population was characterizedby a high growth rate of 5.1 percent between 1991 and 2002.13