Rural residents and poor citizens contend with largest shortfalls in energy provision.
Key findings
- More than six in 10 Ugandans (62%) live in areas served by the national electric grid. o A slim majority (53%) of rural residents live within reach of the grid, compared to 80% of urban residents. Citizens with post-secondary education and economically better-off citizens are far more likely to live in areas served by the grid than those with less schooling and lower economic status.
- Fewer than three in 10 Ugandans (28%) are connected to the national power grid. o Among those who are connected to the grid, 55% say their electricity works "most of the time" or "all of the time." o Among all Ugandans, only 15% enjoy electricity that is available most/all of the time, including just 7% of rural residents and 12% of those experiencing high lived poverty.
- Electricity ranks ninth among the most important problems that Ugandans want their government to address.
- More than half (55%) of citizens say the government is doing a "fairly good" or "very good" job of providing a reliable electricity supply.
Achieving universal access to affordable electricity in the sub-Saharan Africa region by 2030 would require connecting 90 million people annually, which is three times the current rate of progress (International Energy Agency, 2022). In Uganda, despite abundant energy resources, the energy sector faces significant challenges, including high electricity access costs and rising power demand (Daily Express, 2023).
Uganda's electricity infrastructure is concentrated in urban areas, leaving rural communities - where more than three-fourths of the population live - with limited access to dependable electricity. According to the Uganda National Household Survey 2019/2020, only 18.9% of Ugandans are connected to the national grid, with most connections located in urban areas (Rüdenauer, 2024). This urban-rural gap in electricity access is a significant obstacle to economic development, the provision of social services, and the overall quality of life in rural regions.
In collaboration with international partners, the Ugandan government has initiated programmes to promote off-grid solutions, including solar power, to enhance electricity access in rural areas (GIZ, 2023). In 2022, the World Bank (2022) allocated U.S. $568 million (Sh2 trillion) to Uganda's Electricity Access Scale-up Project, which aims to increase electricity access for households, businesses, industrial parks, and public institutions (Umeme, 2022). Despite these initiatives, progress remains slow, and substantial investment and policy reforms are needed to achieve universal electricity access in Uganda. Expanding access to reliable and affordable electricity is vital for advancing the country's broader development goals, including poverty alleviation and improvements in education and health care.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
A recent Afrobarometer survey provides an on-the-ground look at electricity access in the country. Findings show that while a majority of citizens live in zones served by the national electricity grid, fewer than one in five enjoy a reliable electricity supply. Rural residents and poor citizens are especially unlikely to have reliable power.
Even so, more than half of Ugandans say the government is doing a good job of providing electricity.
Caroline Nakayiza Caroline Nakayiza is a sampling assistant at Hatchile Consult Ltd.
Eric Otu Beecham Eric Otu Beecham is a monitoring, evaluation, and learning assistant for Afrobarometer.
Madrine Namubiru Madrine Namubiru is a monitoring and evaluation officer at Hatchile Consult Ltd., the Afrobarometer national partner in Uganda.
