Real interest rate in Uganda
Uganda: Real interest rate was 14.7% in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Real interest rate in Uganda, 1983–2018
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2018, real interest rate in Uganda stood at 14.7%.
The figure is down 7.2% on the previous year and up 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, real interest rate in Uganda peaked at 23.0% in 2002 and was at its lowest, -53.4%, in 1988.
That places Uganda 12th out of 149 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Real interest rate in Uganda, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | -20.4% | — |
| 1984 | -2.7% | -86.9% |
| 1985 | -43.7% | +1530.1% |
| 1986 | -43.8% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | -52.1% | +18.9% |
| 1988 | -53.4% | +2.6% |
| 1989 | -35.0% | -34.5% |
| 1990 | -4.0% | -88.7% |
| 1991 | 6.7% | -268.4% |
| 1992 | -4.1% | -161.6% |
| 1994 | 13.0% | -417.1% |
| 1995 | 9.9% | -24.3% |
| 1996 | 15.0% | +52.5% |
| 1997 | 17.7% | +17.9% |
| 1998 | 11.1% | -37.4% |
| 1999 | 21.7% | +95.4% |
| 2000 | 10.6% | -51.0% |
| 2001 | 17.3% | +63.2% |
| 2002 | 23.0% | +32.7% |
| 2003 | 10.3% | -55.1% |
| 2004 | 4.3% | -58.0% |
| 2005 | 21.8% | +401.6% |
| 2006 | 15.9% | -26.9% |
| 2007 | 11.0% | -31.0% |
| 2008 | 13.2% | +20.6% |
| 2009 | -34.7% | -362.4% |
| 2010 | 13.8% | -139.6% |
| 2011 | 11.4% | -17.4% |
| 2012 | 21.5% | +88.9% |
| 2013 | 19.0% | -11.5% |
| 2014 | 15.7% | -17.6% |
| 2015 | 16.6% | +5.6% |
| 2016 | 18.2% | +10.1% |
| 2017 | 15.9% | -12.8% |
| 2018 | 14.7% | -7.2% |
Uganda compared with similar countries
- Uganda's 14.7% is above the median for low income countries, which is 7.3%, 2.0× the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Uganda's 14.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.9%, 3.0× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Real interest rate in Uganda changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | -1530.1% | -2.7% | -43.7% |
| 1994 | +417.1% | -4.1% | 13.0% |
| 2005 | +401.6% | 4.3% | 21.8% |
| 2009 | -362.4% | 13.2% | -34.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | -35.9% | -53.4% | -2.7% | 7 |
| 1990s | 9.7% | -4.1% | 21.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 9.3% | -34.7% | 23.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.3% | 11.4% | 21.5% | 9 |
Countries ranked near Uganda
- 9 East Timor 15.8% compare
- 10 Bahrain 15.3% compare
- 11 Mauritania 15.2% compare
- 13 Azerbaijan 14.7% compare
- 14 Gambia 13.1% compare
- 15 Kenya 13.0% compare
More financial sector data for Uganda
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is real interest rate in Uganda?
- Real interest rate in Uganda was 14.7% in 2018, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest real interest rate recorded in Uganda?
- The highest recorded value was 23.0% in 2002.
- What is the lowest real interest rate recorded in Uganda?
- The lowest recorded value was -53.4% in 1988.
- How does Uganda rank for real interest rate?
- Uganda ranks 12th out of 149 countries with data for 2018.
- Is real interest rate rising or falling in Uganda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Uganda data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Real interest rate (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
An interest rate is the amount charged, expressed as a percentage of the principal over a period of time, by the owners of certain kinds of financial assets for putting the financial assets at the disposal of another institutional unit. The real interest rate is the lending interest rate adjusted for inflation as measured by the GDP deflator. The terms and conditions attached to lending rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability. This indicator is expressed as a percentage (a÷b)*100.