The overall life expectancy of Ugandans at birth in 2024 was 68.2 years, a rise from 63.7% in 2014, according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS).
This was revealed on Thursday during the launch of the National Population and Housing Census 2024 main report by Prime Minister Rt Hon Robinah Nabbanja at the Serena Hotel Kampala in the presence of the State Minister in charge of Planning, Hon. Amos Lugoloobi, UBOS board chairman Dr Albert Byamugisha and UBOS Executive Director Dr Chris Mukiza.
According to Dr Mukiza, the findings of the National Population and Housing Census 2024 are timely in relation to the current planning cycle.
“In particular, the data and information will provide baseline information for the fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), consequent planning up to the lowest administrative level and monitoring projects and programmes, to mention a few,” he said.
Dr Mukiza noted that life expectancy at birth is a measure that is often used to gauge the overall health and well-being of a nation.
It gives a summary measure of the mortality experience of the population at all ages. A life table consists of data on survivorship and the probability of individuals dying within a given population.
“An increase in life expectancy could be attributed to improvements in healthcare. The life expectancy at birth for males (66.9 years) was lower compared to their female counterparts (70.1 years). This means that males and females born in Uganda now and subjected to the current levels of mortality at the different ages would expect to live for 66.9 years and 70.1 years respectively,” he said.
According to UBOS, between 2014 and 2024, males and females gained more than 4 years and 6 years in their life expectancy at birth respectively. This could be attributed to an improvement in childhood mortality rates as they are at the core of determining life expectancies at birth.
Teso has the highest life expectancy of 78 years and Ankole has the lowest life expectancy at birth of 60 years.
On infant mortality, findings show that for every 1,000 children born alive, 34 die before they celebrate their 1st birthday.
“The Under-5 mortality for the 12-month period before the 2024 NPHC is 46 deaths per 1,000 live births.”
On the pregnancy-related mortality ratio, the estimate for the last 12 months is 233 female deaths per 100,000 live births.
“The maternal mortality ratio for the 12-month period before the 2024 NPHC is estimated at 207 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.”
The 2024 National Population and Housing Census (NPHC) collected information that was used to compute mortality levels and these included deaths in the households, survival of parents, children ever borne and children survival, births and survival of those births in the last 12 months.
The total fertility rate is 4.5 children per woman, which is a decline from 5.8 children in 2014. The crude birth rate was 33.2 births per 1,000 population.
On Adolescent Childbearing, 6.5 percent of adolescent girls aged 10-19, had begun childbearing. Five percent had a live birth and 1.5 percent were pregnant with their first child.
Present at the launch of the report were; Hon Jacob Oboth Oboth, the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs and Hon Hanifah Kawooya Bangirana, State Minister of Health in charge of general duties, among others.
