UK compared with Uganda
Making Comparisons. Crunching Numbers.
How does Uganda compare to UK? It might seem silly to make such a comparison as each person’s take on Uganda, UK or for that matter, any place, will be quite different. What this page seeks to do is to give you facts and figures rather than stories and anecdotes.
UK and Uganda – two small places in a big world.
For a start, we forget how big a continent is Africa. Uganda may look a small country on the map but it is almost the same size (236,000 sq km) to UK (245,000 sq km). Uganda has less people (32 millions) than UK (61 millions). But whilst in UK most people live in towns and cities, in Uganda, many still live in the countryside. In UK migrants are a sensitive issue, increasing at a net rate of 2.2 per 1000 people per year, though the large majority have a legal right to stay. In Uganda there are 256,000 refugees from civil wars in neighbouring countries, plus 1.2-1.7 million Ugandans displaced from their homes by the legacy of fighting in the north of the country.
A different way of birth.
Uganda has somany more youngsters (50% under 15 years old compared to 17% in UK). This is because Uganda’s birth rate is so much higher (48/1000 people compared to UK’s 11/1000, and Nepal 30/1000), and while British ladies bear only 1.7 babies on average (Nepal 2.6), their Ugandan sisters are having 6.8!
A different way of death.
But at the other end of life, UK is well ahead. UK life expectancy at birth is 79 years, while in Uganda it is only 52 (Nepal 65). Wanda and Bill both should be dead if they were average Ugandans. The key in Uganda is to survive infancy. Then things look a bit brighter, for infant mortality in Uganda is 67 deaths per 1000 live births, thirteen times that if UK (5 deaths/1000). With HIV/AIDS too there is a world of difference. Though improvements have been made in recent years, still ~72,000 Ugandans die of it each year, when in UK, with twice as many people, less than 500 die. In Britain, each case is a personal tragedy. In Uganda, it is a national disaster as well.
A different way of earning.
We certainly earn our money differently, Ugandans largely in agriculture and Britons largely in the services. For one, the economy generates coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco; for the other, banking, insurance, financial services, tourism, media and cultural services.
Economic Indicator Uganda UK _
Labour in Agriculture 82% 2% Labour in Industry 5% 18% Labour in Services 13% 80% GDP /person £730 £24,000 (Nepal £730)There is no doubt about it, Uganda is a poorer country by a very long way. Gross Domestic Product per person in Uganda is £950. For UK it is £15,900. Interestingly though, UK is a less unequal nation in terms of income, the top 10% having 29% of national income, whereas in Uganda, the top 10% have 37% (Nepal 41%!).
We all like to talk
In UK we like to talk. There are now as many mobiles as there are people, and for every 100 of us, 62 are internet users. In Uganda, there are only 1.6 internet users per 100 people. But phones – mobile phone usage has far overtaken use of landlines. There are 6.6 mobiles per 100 and the number is fast growing. Just as well, as getting around in Uganda is still not that easy. For a country of similar size to UK, it has only 16,000 km paved roads, compared to UK’s total of 388,000 km.
A similar way of faith?
Statistics on religious faith can be misleading. The table below shows religions on both countries according to the 2001 (UK) and 2003 (Ug) censuses.
Religion Uganda UK _
Christian 84% 72% Muslim 12% 3% Hindu 1% Other 3% 1% None 1% 23%On the face of it, both countries most people sign up for one religion or another. The reality is different. In UK, most people who call themselves Christians do not go. Regular church attendance is ~10%. In Uganda, things are more complex. There are a lot of committed Christians, but many are not. There is a social Christianity that is acceptable in a way that being an atheist is not, being a spirit worshipper is old fashioned and being a Muslim is too tribally specific. But this social Christianity is not strong enough to expel corruption from the nation, or reduce tribalism to a minor harmless phenomenon.
Some figures have been given for Nepal, as that was where we once worked.Map of Uganda
March 2012
i think all this is wrong but the pictures are well cool!!!!!!!!!!!
Kirsty, glad you like some of the pictures, more on Flickr. But do tell us, is working alongside Ugandan Christians to bring health care to the rural poor such a wrong thing?
Bill, I think Kirsty has never been to Uganda, all above is true… very true
I lived in Uganda for almost 4 years of my life and i would agree that these statistics are correct, although some are perhaps misleading in the way they are written. You do find that most Ugandans are christians or believe in some kind of God. I would say this could be because the majority are relatively poor and therefore need something to base thier hopes on.
Hi Camilla, thanks for the interest. Indeed, most Ugandans have fairly strong religious identification, though serious faith is the practice of a (still substantial) minority. As for belief being driven by poverty – consider why is the proportions of Americans who believe so much higher than Europeans? It is a function of their different cultural histories don’t you think? Anyway, living here makes you think afresh, doesn’t it!
Thanks for the seemingly good and accurate comparisons.
Camilla,I think christianity is not just for poor people.The UK was more powerfull and prosperous when it was a practical christian nation.America is doing quite well too with its huge number of christians and has since taken over the mantle of leadership from the UK.South Korea is one of the most economically stable nations on earth with millions of devoute christians.
Just for the record,am a ugandan.
Thanks for the seemingly good and accurate comparisons.
Camilla,I think christianity is not just for poor people.The UK was more powerfull and prosperous when it was a practical christian nation.America is doing quite well too with its huge number of christians and has since taken over the mantle of leadership from the UK.South Korea is one of the most economically stable nations on earth with millions of devoute christians.
Just for the record,am a ugandan.
i don’t think it’s a right idea to compare a 3rd world country to a 1st world country cos all the results will be full of biasness
Agandi Kiyembo sebo. We do understand the statistical pitfalls of such comparisons. But the two nations are more different still than the mere figures indicate. The figures are pointers, not moral judgements. But thanks for teh comments. Bill and Wanda
Religion or no religion Uganda and all Ugandans are pooor where as UK is rich.
thanks
https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dGdMSHhQZEEyYkhEYVFmbndjNGNCaEE6MQ
Do you mind filling in this survey for me about Uganda
Sorry, as we do not know the source of this spreadsheet, we are compelled to decline. Bill and Wanda.
i am a ugandan but i think you got it all wrong when you stated that 78000 die each year of HIV as this is very untrue . last year it was recorded that only 2450 had died of the HIV and no wonder why uganda was awarded the HIV fighter award by the all africa congress any way can not explain much perhaps next time you think of stating things make sure you are very sure .
Nadia, it is correct to say that Uganda has made BIG improvements. And the Government takes this seriously. However, I have looked for more up to date sources, and I have figure of 78000 with 74000. The death toll is coming down, but not as fast as some would have us beleive. Keep up you part in the fight agaist HIV/AIDS, and thanks for commenting.