Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A report from the 2024 Population and Housing Census has revealed that life expectancy in Uganda has risen to 68.5 years, an increase from the 63.7 years recorded in the 2014 census.

According to the report, females continue to live longer than their male counterparts. While presenting the findings, Chris Mukiza, the UBOS Executive Director and census commissioner, noted that this is a very important welfare measure for society. “People are living longer, and it doesn’t happen by accident,” he added.

Mukiza further mentioned that the census also revealed women have continued to outlive men, a trend also noted in the 2014 census. “On average, women live up to 70.1 years, whereas men live up to 66.9 years,” the report reads.

In addition to rising life expectancy, Uganda’s total population was confirmed at 45.9 million, with 50 percent between the ages of 0-17 years, 23.5 percent between 18-30 years, and 22 percent between 31-50 years. Only 5 percent of the population is over 60 years old.

The census also shows that fertility rates have reduced to 4.5 children per woman, down from 5.8 in the previous census.   Furthermore, child mortality has dropped to 34 out of every 1,000 births, compared to 50 in 2014.

“The trend in under-five mortality is now at 46 out of 1,000, down from 74 recorded 10 years ago.”