country profile

Uganda

Sub-Saharan AfricaLow income51.38M population

Last updated October 1, 2026

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Severely underprepared

Composite GEFRI Score

Severe readiness constraints across dimensions

Uganda shows severely limited readiness to meet the challenges and opportunities of education in a rapidly changing world (13th percentile worldwide). Key structural conditions limit capacity to plan, implement, and sustain forward-looking reforms.

32.33Composite score
Global percentile
13th
Global rank
#155
Regional rank
#28
Viewing data for
Severely underprepared
Infrastructure
36.73
9th percentileGlobal avg. 70.44
Severely underprepared
Human Capital
40.39
12th percentileGlobal avg. 66.18
Severely underprepared
Innovation
37.91
35th percentileGlobal avg. 48.64
Severely underprepared
Governance
33.01
29th percentileGlobal avg. 47.24
Critically unprepared
Access & Parity
13.63
8th percentileGlobal avg. 60.85

Country profile

Uganda faces substantial readiness constraints across core dimensions. Its weakest results are in Human Capital (40, 12th percentile), Infrastructure (37, 9th percentile), Governance (33, 29th percentile), GEFRI Composite (32, 13th percentile) and School Access and Gender Parity (14, 8th percentile). These gaps continue to weigh on overall readiness.

Uneven scores across dimensions show where readiness conditions are less aligned. Limited electricity or internet coverage still constrains classrooms, preventing large-scale digital instruction. Literacy or tertiary enrollment gaps thin the talent pipeline and limit the country’s capacity to develop future-ready skills.

Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Policy execution and regulatory capacity remain weak, leaving reforms fragmented and hard to sustain. Gender parity leans toward boys in secondary pathways, signalling persistent barriers for girls.

Some indicators are imputed, so the profile should be read with moderate caution.

Key insights

Falls below many peers at the 13th percentile.

Places 155th worldwide.

Holds a regional position of 28th within Sub-Saharan Africa.

Scores range from Human Capital (40.4) to Access & Parity (13.6), reflecting variation across dimensions.

Trails regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.

Regional peers: Sub-Saharan Africa

Composite GEFRI Score

Global rankRegional rankCountryScore
601Mauritius69.61
632South Africa69.19
——SeychellesMicrostate64.29
853Botswana63.09
974Namibia59.08
1005Ghana58.30
1156Cabo Verde49.23
1167Eswatini49.00
1238Rwanda44.68
1279Kenya43.15
12810Senegal43.13
12911Gabon43.09
13012Gambia, The42.98
13213Cote d'Ivoire41.42
13414Equatorial Guinea41.18
13815Zambia38.41
13916Lesotho38.37
——Sao Tome and PrincipeFCSMicrostate37.61
14117Togo37.45
14418Benin36.70
14519Zimbabwe36.55
14720Tanzania35.50
14821CameroonFCS35.19
14922Mauritania34.31
15023ComorosFCS34.12
15124Sierra Leone33.64
15225Congo, Rep.FCS32.41
15326Angola32.38
15427Burkina FasoFCS32.36
15528Uganda32.33
15729NigeriaFCS31.96
15830MalawiFCS30.65
15931MozambiqueFCS30.61
16032EthiopiaFCS30.53
16133Madagascar29.66
16234MaliFCS29.64
16435Guinea28.53
16636Guinea-BissauFCS27.88
16837Liberia25.30
16938Congo, Dem. Rep.FCS24.51
17039NigerFCS24.18
17140Burundi24.14
17241SudanFCS22.72
17342EritreaFCS20.93
17443ChadFCS20.88
17544SomaliaFCS20.58
17645Central African RepublicFCS20.48
17746South SudanFCS18.93