The 2021 poverty status report released by the Ministry of Finance has observed a general reduction in poverty in Uganda with at least 10% of the population attaining NDP II target to attain middle-income status of USD 1,039 per capita income.
The report themed, Jobs, Informality and Poverty in Uganda: Insights on Performance Before and During COVID-19 has been released in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Releasing the report, Joseph Enyimu, the Commissioner Economic Development Policy and Research at the finance ministry noted that poverty decreased from 56.4% in FY 1992/93 to 20.3% in 2019/20.
He however says without the COVID-19 pandemic, Uganda would have registered a lower poverty rate of 18.7%. He adds that a few districts met the NDP II poverty reduction target of 14% by 2019/20.
Highest poverty has remained persistent in the regions of Acholi, Karamoja, Bukedi, and Busoga accordingly.
He has attributed the trend to among others drought, crop pests and diseases, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Floods and poor harvest in the 2019/20 season had a disproportionately higher negative impact in areas with low rates of registered land rights, drought in Karamoja and other parts of the country negatively impacted household consumption levels,” the report states.
