Uganda: Compensation of employees (current LCU)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 78.22% from 3.49 trillion in 2019 (12.25% a year on average, compounded). Since 2015 it is up 181.67% from 2.21 trillion in 2015 (12.19% a year on average, compounded).

What the numbers say

In 2024, Uganda's compensation of employees (current LCU) rose 18.1% on 2023 (from 5.27 trillion to 6.23 trillion).

Across the 8 yearly changes before that (2016 to 2023), the average change was +11.5% and a typical year strayed about 3.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.7 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 18.1% in 2024. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 433.23 billion a year. A straight line explains 97% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Uganda had the 10th highest value of the 89 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Uganda in the 2024 ranking

• Argentina — 6th of 89: 13.07 trillion
• Hungary — 7th of 89: 6.5 trillion
• Mongolia — 8th of 89: 6.27 trillion
• Tanzania — 10th of 89: 5.9 trillion
• Costa Rica — 11th of 89: 5.09 trillion
• Madagascar — 12th of 89: 3.92 trillion

What this measures

Compensation of employees is defined as the total remuneration, in cash or in kind, payable by an enterprise to an employee in return for work done by the latter during the accounting period. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

All 10 values

Compensation of employees (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Angola — 3.18 trillion (2024)
• Botswana — 34.03 billion (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 1.07 trillion (2024)
• Burundi — 480.99 billion (2021)
• Cabo Verde — 21.7 billion (2020)
• Cameroon — 1.08 trillion (2021)
• Central African Republic — 81.21 billion (2021)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 6.58 trillion (2022)
• Congo, Rep. — 343.51 billion (2021)
• Côte d'Ivoire — 2.04 trillion (2023)

More public sector data for Uganda

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 1.3 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 4.67 trillion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.96% (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 2 million (2025)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 46,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.24% (2020)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 9.02% (2025)
• CPIA business regulatory environment rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3 (2025)
• CPIA debt policy rating (1=low to 6=high) — 4 (2025)
• CPIA economic management cluster average (1=low to 6=high)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Uganda's compensation of employees (current LCU)?

6.23 trillion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2015?

It is up 181.67% from 2.21 trillion in 2015 (12.19% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 6.23 trillion in 2024 and the lowest 2.21 trillion in 2015.

How does Uganda rank?

10th highest of 89 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in compensation of employees (current LCU) unusual for Uganda?

In 2024, Uganda's compensation of employees (current LCU) rose 18.1% on 2023 (from 5.27 trillion to 6.23 trillion). Across the 8 yearly changes before that (2016 to 2023), the average change was +11.5% and a typical year strayed about 3.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.7 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.XPN.COMP.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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