The latest 2024 National Housing and Population Census (NHPC) in Uganda unveils a notable statistic: 43% of individuals aged 10 and above now possess mobile phones, equating to approximately 13.6 million people. This marks a significant increase of 2.6 million users since the 2014 census.
Within the mobile phone owning demographic, the report reveals that 37% of individuals possess a single phone, while 6% own two or more devices. Additionally, fixed telephone lines are present in 8% of households throughout the country.
Urban areas exhibit a higher prevalence of mobile phone ownership at 46%, in contrast to rural regions where ownership stands at 41%.
Moreover, gender differences in ownership emerge, with men generally outnumbering women as mobile phone users, except in the Ankole sub-region where women dominate.
Regional variances in Mobile Phone adoption
Across different sub-regions, Buganda leads in mobile phone ownership with a rate of 59%, followed by Ankole at 48%. Conversely, the Karamoja sub-region reports the lowest penetration rate at only 20% of individuals owning mobile devices.
Education level plays a pivotal role in mobile phone ownership, with rates ascending from 27% among those without formal education to 92% among individuals with post-secondary qualifications.
Furthermore, mobile phone ownership aligns with age demographics, with lower rates among children (5%) and higher rates among the elderly (43%).
These census findings resonate with Uganda’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda, emphasizing the importance of enhancing ICT accessibility and ensuring affordable internet services for all, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals.
