How to use Pearl Insights: guide and frequently asked questions

What is the population of Uganda in 2024?

Uganda's National Population and Housing Census of May 2024 counted 45,905,417 people, up 32.5% from 34,634,650 in the 2014 census (Uganda Bureau of Statistics, final results).

How many districts are there in Uganda?

The 2024 census reports 146 local governments: 135 districts and 11 cities (Arua, Fort Portal, Gulu, Hoima, Jinja, Kampala, Lira, Masaka, Mbale, Mbarara and Soroti). Cities are counted separately from the districts they were carved from.

Which district in Uganda has the most people?

Wakiso District, with 3,411,177 people in the 2024 census, followed by Kampala City (1,797,722) and Yumbe District (945,100).

What are the sub-regions of Uganda?

The Uganda Bureau of Statistics groups districts and cities into 17 sub-regions within the Central, Eastern, Northern and Western regions, for example Acholi, Ankole, Busoga, Karamoja, Lango, Teso and West Nile. Each has a census profile on Pearl Insights.

How big is Uganda's national budget for FY 2026/27?

The approved budget for FY 2026/27 is UGX 84.39 trillion, as presented in the Budget Speech. The Budget page breaks it down by programme, vote and local government, with the speech and Ministry of Finance workbooks as sources.

How do I find the nearest hospital, police station or NIRA office?

Open Services and press "Use my location", or choose a district. The page lists the closest hospital, Health Centre IV and III, police station, NIRA office, court, school and market with straight-line distance and a Directions link. Your location stays on your device.

Which government office handles a passport, national ID, TIN or business registration?

The "Who does what" guide on the Services page lists 44 common government services with the responsible agency, the ministry, where to go and the official website, for example NIRA for national IDs, URSB for business names, URA for a TIN and Immigration for passports.

Where can I see data for my district?

Each district and city has a profile with its 2024 population, growth since 2014, households, water, electricity, schooling, mapped health facilities and schools, sub-county tables and the approved local government budget.

Can I compare districts?

Yes. Compare puts up to four districts or cities side by side on census indicators, growth, mapped services and local budgets, and can be printed or saved as a PDF.

Is Pearl Insights available in Luganda or Swahili?

Pages can be translated into Luganda, Swahili, Runyankore-Rukiga, Acholi, Alur and Kinyarwanda with the language menu (Google Translate loads only when you pick a language). Pearl AI also answers in Lusoga, Ateso, Lango and Lugbara.

Is Pearl Insights an official government website?

No. Pearl Insights is an independent civic data platform. Its figures come from official and open sources, such as the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, the Ministry of Finance and OpenStreetMap, and every figure names its source.

How current is the data?

Population and the 37 census indicators come from the 2024 census. Budget figures are the approved estimates for FY 2024/25 to FY 2026/27. Facility locations are an OpenStreetMap snapshot taken in mid-2026. Each page shows its source and date.

A facility is wrong or missing. How do I fix it?

Use "Report issue" on the facility or the Report button in the Atlas: the report goes to the Pearl Insights team with a reference number. Facility records come from OpenStreetMap, so you can also correct the place there; the fix appears after the next data update.

Is there an API or a download?

Yes. A free public REST API serves districts, facilities, census indicators, sub-regions and the budget as JSON, with an OpenAPI description and a live console. Most tables also download as CSV.

What can Pearl AI answer?

Questions about Uganda's districts, census 2024 indicators, public services, the national and local budgets and sub-regions, in plain language. Every number in an answer is checked against the site's data before it is shown, and answers cite their sources.

Why does Pearl AI refuse some questions?

It answers only from the data on this site and says so rather than guess. Each connection also has a daily number of new questions to keep the service free; answers that were already given stay available.

Can I use the numbers in my report or article?

Yes. Credit the original publisher (for example the Uganda Bureau of Statistics or the Ministry of Finance) and Pearl Insights. Pearl Insights' own compilations are shared under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence.

What does Pearl Insights store about me?

Preferences stay on your device (cookie choices, language, tour progress, dashboards and Pearl AI chats). Usage statistics are anonymous and use no cookies, and you can switch them off. Newsletter addresses are kept on the Pearl Insights server only after you confirm.