National Labour Force Survey 2021
Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) · 2021 (fieldwork June to December 2021) · last checked 30 October 2026
Uganda's main source on work and employment. It measures who is working, unemployed or outside the labour force, and how much work is informal.
National Labour Force Survey 2021
Cite this source
Explore all indicators
| Indicator | Population | Estimate | Source table / page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour force participation rate | Working-age population | 48% | Key findings |
| Unemployment rate | Labour force | 12% | Key findings |
| Youth unemployment rate | Youth in the labour force | 17% | Key findings |
| Youth not in employment, education or training | Youth 18-30 | 41% | Key findings |
| Informal employment (excluding agriculture) | Employed persons | 88% | Key findings |
Source: UBOS NLFS 2021 key findings. A national figure may not fit your study population; check the population and period before you use one as p in a sample size calculation.
About this source
Uganda's main source on work and employment. It measures who is working, unemployed or outside the labour force, and how much work is informal.
- Latest round
- 2021 (fieldwork June to December 2021)
- Access
- Report: open. Microdata: request through the UBOS Microdata Archive.
- Last checked
- 30 October 2026
How researchers can use it
- Employment and youth unemployment context for proposals.
- Background on informal work for livelihoods, health-financing and social protection studies.
Labour force participation, employment, unemployment, informality, youth not in employment, education or training (NEET), and working conditions.
Access the data
- Download the key findings (link below). The main report is on the UBOS release page.
Methodological cautions
- Labour definitions changed between rounds, so compare with 2016/17 and 2019/20 figures carefully.
How to cite it
Use the button for APA, Vancouver, Harvard, MLA and Chicago, and for EndNote, Zotero and Mendeley files. Citations name the original publisher as author, not Methods Bench.
Publisher's own citation: Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS). National Labour Force Survey (NLFS) 2021: Key Findings. Presented at the dissemination workshop, Serena Hotel, Kampala, 16 November 2022.
Related reports and guides
Methods Bench links to official sources and does not host copies.