01Key Takeaways
- Uganda exported $6.31 billion worth of goods in 2023, up 76.2% from $3.58 billion in 2022, a sharp jump and the most recent year with verified trade data available in this dataset.
- Precious stones and metals led every export category at 35.4% ($2.23 billion), more than double the next-largest category.
- The United Arab Emirates was Uganda's largest export partner, taking 21.7% of exports, worth $1.37 billion.
- The top three export partners together accounted for 44.9% of total export value.
025-Year Trend
| Year | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $3.6B | $4.1B | $4.0B | $3.6B | $6.3B |
03Top Export Markets (2023)
| Rank | Partner | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Arab Emirates | $1.4B | 21.7% |
| 2 | Kenya | $736.8M | 11.7% |
| 3 | India | $728.4M | 11.6% |
| 4 | South Sudan | $536.5M | 8.5% |
| 5 | Congo - Kinshasa | $410.9M | 6.5% |
| 6 | Hong Kong SAR China | $321.9M | 5.1% |
| 7 | Rwanda | $280.2M | 4.4% |
| 8 | Italy | $260.6M | 4.1% |
| 9 | Germany | $212.7M | 3.4% |
| 10 | Tanzania | $169.4M | 2.7% |
04Top Export Categories (2023)
| Rank | Category | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natural or Cultured Pearls, Precious or Semi-Precious Stones, Precious Metals, Metals Clad with Precious Metal, and Articles thereof; Imitation Jewellery; Coin | $2.2B | 35.4% |
| 2 | Coffee, Tea, Mate and Spices | $1.1B | 17.0% |
| 3 | Cereals | $189.0M | 3.0% |
| 4 | Mineral Fuels, Mineral Oils and Products of their Distillation; Bituminous Substances; Mineral Waxes | $186.8M | 3.0% |
| 5 | Ceramic Products | $183.3M | 2.9% |
| 6 | Iron and Steel | $153.9M | 2.4% |
| 7 | Cocoa and Cocoa Preparations | $141.4M | 2.2% |
| 8 | Fish and Crustaceans, Molluscs and other Aquatic Invertebrates | $134.0M | 2.1% |
| 9 | Wood and Articles of Wood; Wood Charcoal | $134.0M | 2.1% |
| 10 | Products of the Milling Industry; Malt; Starches; Inulin; Wheat Gluten | $130.8M | 2.1% |
05Trade Partner Map
06Analysis
Export Value Nearly Doubled in 2023 After Three Flat Years
Uganda exported $6.31 billion worth of goods in 2023, up 76.2% from $3.58 billion in 2022. This is the most recent year with verified trade data available in this dataset. The dataset covers a full five years, from 2019 through 2023, tracking this East African economy.
Export value stood at $3.56 billion in 2019. It rose to $4.15 billion in 2020, then eased to $3.97 billion in 2021 and $3.58 billion in 2022, the low point of this five-year window. Export value then jumped to $6.31 billion in 2023.
This dataset does not explain what drove that sharp 2023 jump. Export value in 2023 nonetheless stands well above every earlier year in this window, nearly double the 2022 total. A gain of 76.2% describes a genuine surge rather than a gradual climb. That surge reversed three years of relatively flat, even slightly declining, export value. That narrow band across 2019 through 2022 stands in sharp contrast to the sudden jump recorded in 2023.
Precious Stones and Metals Dominate an Export List Reshaped by Gold
Precious stones and metals led every export category in 2023, worth $2.23 billion, or 35.4% of the total. That is by a wide margin the largest single category on this list, more than double the next-largest category. Uganda's gold exports surged sharply in 2023 as new processing capacity came online, even as sanctions hit one major processor. That surge is reflected in precious stones and metals topping this export list and in the sharp jump in total export value that year. Coffee, tea and spices ranked second at 17.0%, worth $1.07 billion. Coffee has long been one of Uganda's signature agricultural exports, remaining the second-largest category even as gold-related exports have grown to dominate the list.
Cereals contributed 3.0% ($188.96 million), and mineral fuels added a nearly identical 3.0% ($186.76 million). Ceramic products added 2.9%, worth $183.29 million.
Iron and steel contributed 2.4%, worth $153.92 million, and cocoa and cocoa preparations added 2.2%, worth $141.41 million. Fish and crustaceans contributed 2.1% ($134.01 million), and wood and articles of wood added a nearly identical 2.1% ($133.96 million). Products of the milling industry closed out the top ten at 2.1% ($130.79 million), the smallest share among all ten categories on this list. It is still a sizeable figure on its own, though the smallest here. Precious stones and coffee together account for well over half of total export value. A long tail of agricultural and industrial goods fills out the rest of this list. These ten categories together span minerals, agriculture and light manufacturing, reflecting an economy still anchored in commodity exports even as its value composition shifts.
The UAE, Kenya and India Lead a Concentrated Partner List
The United Arab Emirates was Uganda's largest export partner in 2023, taking 21.7% of exports, worth $1.37 billion. Kenya ranked second at 11.7%, worth $736.83 million. India followed closely at 11.6%, worth $728.43 million. Together, these top three partners accounted for 44.9% of total export value. That is a notably concentrated grouping for a top-three list. That level of concentration is common among smaller export economies where a handful of commodities and partners dominate total trade.
South Sudan contributed 8.5% ($536.46 million), and Congo - Kinshasa added 6.5% ($410.87 million). Hong Kong SAR China followed at 5.1% ($321.94 million), and Rwanda added 4.4% ($280.22 million). Several of these partners are regional neighbors, reflecting established trade corridors across East Africa alongside the newer gold-driven flow toward the Middle East.
Italy contributed 4.1% ($260.61 million). Germany ranked ninth at 3.4%, worth $212.69 million. Tanzania closed out the top ten at 2.7%, worth $169.42 million, the smallest share among the ten partners listed here. This list spans the Middle East, East Africa and Asia. Ranks four through ten here are packed within roughly six percentage points of each other, a tighter cluster than the wide gap separating the top three.
Taken together, this dataset's most recent confirmed year describes an export profile reshaped by a single category, precious stones and metals, alongside a longstanding base of coffee and regional agricultural trade. That profile is sourced from a partner base topped by a gold trading hub, alongside longstanding regional and agricultural markets. This mix of a dominant trading hub, regional neighbors and longstanding agricultural buyers illustrates how quickly a single commodity can reshape a country's overall trade profile.