AGUACYCLE
Sub-Saharan Africa

Uganda

Capital: Kampala · Low income · Pop. 50.0 million

18.1%
Safely managed drinking water
20.36%
Safely managed sanitation
824
m³ freshwater / person / yr
2%
Water stress · Low

Source: World Bank Open Data (WHO/UNICEF JMP & FAO AQUASTAT) · drinking water 2024

In Uganda, 18.1% of the population uses safely managed drinking water — an improved source, located on premises, available when needed, and free from contamination (2024 estimate). That leaves roughly 41.0 million people without safely managed drinking water at home.

Sanitation tracks closely: 20.36% use safely managed sanitation services and 23.9% have at least a basic service (2024).

Uganda has about 824 cubic meters of renewable internal freshwater per person each year — below the ~1,000 m³ threshold widely used to define water scarcity. It withdraws the equivalent of 2% of those internal resources annually (low water stress).

Agriculture accounts for about 41% of Uganda's water withdrawals, the rest going to households and industry.

Common questions

How many people in Uganda have safe drinking water?

18.1% of Uganda's population uses safely managed drinking water (2024), per WHO/UNICEF data; about 41.0 million people do not.

Does Uganda have enough freshwater?

Uganda has roughly 824 m³ of renewable internal freshwater per person per year, and uses about 2% of it annually (low stress).

Elsewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa