• Poverty in Uganda has reduced from 56% in 1995 to 16.1% today.
  • Households in subsistence farming have dropped from 68.9% to 33.1% by FY 2023/24.
  • Coffee export earnings have reached a record $2.2 billion, crossing $1 billion for the first time.

The Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi, says Ugandans are wealthier today than they were three decades ago, citing major reductions in poverty levels and strong growth in agricultural exports.

Speaking while reflecting on the impact of government reforms, Ggoobi said national poverty levels have declined sharply from 56 percent in 1995 to 16.1 percent today.

“As a result of the reforms we have implemented, Ugandans are wealthier now. Poverty has fallen from 56 percent in 1995 to 16.1 percent,” Ggoobi said.

He also pointed to a major shift away from subsistence farming, noting that the proportion of households engaged in subsistence economic activities has dropped significantly.

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“In 2010, about 68.9 percent of households were still in the subsistence economy. By the 2023/2024 financial year, that figure had reduced to 33.1 percent,” he noted.

Ggoobi attributed these changes to government-led financial inclusion and wealth creation programmes under the NRM administration, particularly Operation Wealth Creation (OWC).

“These are the results of deliberate financial inclusion programmes spearheaded by the NRM government, including Operation Wealth Creation. People remember when we were distributing coffee seedlings and other inputs. The results are now visible,” he said.

He revealed that Uganda’s coffee sector has recorded historic gains, with export earnings reaching unprecedented levels.

“Our coffee exports have increased to 2.2 billion dollars. For the first time in Uganda’s history, coffee receipts crossed the one-billion-dollar mark in the last financial year, and they doubled within the same year,” Ggoobi said.

According to the Treasury, the strong performance of coffee and other export commodities continues to strengthen household incomes and the wider economy, positioning Uganda as a key agricultural player in Africa.