The proportion of Ugandans aged 15 years and above accessing formal financial services has increased over the past three years, according to new findings from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), pointing to gradual but uneven progress in financial inclusion, household welfare, and rural livelihoods.
The data is contained in the Uganda Harmonised Integrated Survey, an annual statistical programme that integrates the Uganda National Panel Survey and the Annual Agricultural Survey. The report was released this month by UBOS.
According to the findings, the proportion of persons aged 15 years and above who had access to bank services increased by 2.7% from 10.7% in 2022 to 13.4% in 2025.
Closely related to this trend, the proportion of persons aged 15 years and above who owned active bank accounts increased by 2.1% from 6.0% in 2022 to 8.1% in 2025.
The report further shows a continued shift towards digital financial platforms, with mobile money emerging as the most widely accessed financial service.
Nationally, the proportion of persons aged 15 years and above who had access to mobile money services increased by 13.3% from 34.4% in 2022 to 47.7% in 2025.
However, the findings also indicate a decline in some traditional forms of credit access. The proportion of persons who obtained credit in cash decreased by 1.9% from 15.3% in 2022 to 13.4% in 2025, while those who obtained credit in kind decreased by 2% from 16.1% in 2022 to 14.1% in 2025.
Beyond financial services, the survey highlights changes in household economic activity, showing that the proportion of households operating household enterprises increased from 36.9% in 2022 to 38.8% in 2025.
In rural areas, the proportion of households operating enterprises rose by 2% from 34.3% in 2022 to 36.3% in 2025, reflecting a continued reliance on small income-generating activities.
The report also points to improvements in household and housing conditions. Access to improved water increased from 70.2% to 78.4%, while electricity access rose from 65.2% to 74.8% over the same period.
On poverty dynamics, UBOS data shows a mixed picture of movement in and out of poverty. About 8.9% of households were chronically poor across all three survey years, while 14.5% moved into poverty and 9.7% moved out of poverty.
Agriculture remains central to household livelihoods, with 63.9% of households engaged in agriculture in the 2024/2025 period. Of these, 56.6% were engaged in agriculture across all three years.
Among households consistently engaged in agriculture, 90.9% were crop-growing households, underscoring the dominance of crop farming in Uganda’s rural economy.
The survey further shows changes in crop production patterns, with an increase in the proportion of households growing key staples and cash crops between 2021/22 and 2024/25. Coffee-growing households increased by 4.7%, while cassava increased by 5.1%, alongside banana for food (matooke).
In addition, the proportion of agricultural households receiving extension services increased by 3.1% between 2021/22 and 2024/25, pointing to gradual improvements in access to agricultural support services.
UBOS notes that the findings reflect both progress and persistent structural challenges in income stability, financial access, and rural livelihoods, even as digital financial services continue to expand across the country.