Population figures
Total country population
45,905,417
Forcibly displaced population
Refugees (under UNHCR's mandate):
1,656,440
Asylum-seekers:
45,848
IDPs (of concern to UNHCR):
0
Other people in need of international protection:
0
Other
Statelessness persons
67,000
Host community
2,659,400
Others of concern to UNHCR
0
Country context
Uganda, located in East Africa, is recognized for its progressive approach to refugee management, guided by its Refugees Act of 2006 and the accompanying Refugees Regulations of 2010. The country has the largest refugee population in Africa providing asylum to refugees, particularly from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and other countries in the East, Horn, and Great Lakes Regions of Africa. Asylum seekers from the DRC, South Sudan, and Sudan are granted refugee status on a prima facie basis, while those from other countries undergo individual Refugee Status Determination (RSD). Refugees are primarily settled in 12 districts alongside host communities. The refugee population is predominantly young, with children under 18 years constituting 57% of the refugee population. Uganda hosts 990,000 refugee children, 660,000 of whom are under the age of 12 years. Women and children constitute 78% of the refugee population.
Uganda continues to be a model of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) through the government-led Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF). This structure is spearheaded by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) together with the Ministry of Local Government (MoLG). Pledges made by Uganda at the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) in 2023 emphasize a multi-stakeholder approach to refugee management with focus on increasing resilience and self-reliance; taking actions against climate change; localizing the refugee response; building durable solutions, and transition management. Uganda’s refugee policy is characterized by the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) and the Settlement Transformation Agenda (STA), which aim to integrate refugees into national development planning. The government has made significant progress in promoting refugee self-reliance, offering opportunities for participation in agricultural value chains, vocational skills training, and employment. Despite these efforts, refugees still face challenges related to access to land, economic opportunities, and environmental degradation in refugee-hosting areas.
...Although Uganda is a party to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, it has not yet acceded to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. Uganda has, however, acknowledged the presence of stateless persons on its territory. The country concluded a national population and housing census in 2024 in which it enumerated persons belonging to indigenous communities not recognised under the Constitution as being entitled to citizenship by birth. In 2019, the country pledged to resolve the circumstances that make certain categories of persons stateless in addition to conducting a legal study to understand their plight; conduct law reforms that address statelessness; and accede to the 1961 Reduction of Statelessness Convention. The country has also signed regional treaties like the Brazzaville Declaration and Munyonyo Declaration to resolve statelessness among protracted refugees.
Nevertheless, Uganda continues to encourage refugee inclusion, with efforts to integrate refugees into national systems and create economic opportunities. The government is also focusing on environmental sustainability and addressing climate change impacts in refugee-hosting districts. Uganda’s commitments to refugee integration and environmental protection are reflected in its pledges at the Global Refugee Forum. In sum, the country’s settlement approach continues to illustrate a more progressive refugee response.
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Sources: UNHCR Refugee Data finder https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/ | 2024 mid-year figures. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2022). World Population Prospects 2022, Online Edition https://population.un.org/wpp/assets/Files/WPP2022_Data_Sources.pdf