01Key Takeaways
- Uganda imported $11.78 billion worth of goods in 2023, up 20.8% from $9.75 billion in 2022, a sharp increase and the most recent year with verified trade data available in this dataset.
- Mineral fuels led every import category at 18.0% ($2.12 billion), with precious stones and metals ranking a close second at 16.2% ($1.90 billion).
- China was Uganda's largest import partner, supplying 19.5% of imports, worth $2.29 billion.
- The top three import partners together accounted for 42.9% of total import value.
025-Year Trend
| Year | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $7.7B | $8.3B | $9.1B | $9.7B | $11.8B |
03Top Import Markets (2023)
| Rank | Partner | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | $2.3B | 19.5% |
| 2 | United Arab Emirates | $1.4B | 12.2% |
| 3 | Tanzania | $1.3B | 11.3% |
| 4 | India | $1.3B | 10.7% |
| 5 | Kenya | $824.2M | 7.0% |
| 6 | Japan | $449.1M | 3.8% |
| 7 | Saudi Arabia | $416.4M | 3.5% |
| 8 | South Africa | $306.9M | 2.6% |
| 9 | Ghana | $234.4M | 2.0% |
| 10 | Malaysia | $234.0M | 2.0% |
04Top Import Categories (2023)
| Rank | Category | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mineral Fuels, Mineral Oils and Products of their Distillation; Bituminous Substances; Mineral Waxes | $2.1B | 18.0% |
| 2 | Natural or Cultured Pearls, Precious or Semi-Precious Stones, Precious Metals, Metals Clad with Precious Metal, and Articles thereof; Imitation Jewellery; Coin | $1.9B | 16.2% |
| 3 | Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery and Mechanical Appliances; Parts thereof | $914.7M | 7.8% |
| 4 | Vehicles other than Railway or Tramway Rolling-Stock, and parts and accessories thereof | $844.1M | 7.2% |
| 5 | Plastics and Articles thereof | $558.4M | 4.7% |
| 6 | Electrical Machinery and Equipment and parts thereof; Sound Recorders and Reproducers, Television Image and Sound Recorders and Reproducers, and Parts and Accessories of such Articles | $541.0M | 4.6% |
| 7 | Iron and Steel | $527.1M | 4.5% |
| 8 | Pharmaceutical Products | $507.1M | 4.3% |
| 9 | Cereals | $402.9M | 3.4% |
| 10 | Animal or Vegetable Fats and Oils and their Cleavage Products; Prepared Edible Fats; Animal or Vegetable Waxes | $339.8M | 2.9% |
05Trade Partner Map
06Analysis
Import Value Climbed Sharply in 2023, Extending a Five-Year Rise
Uganda imported $11.78 billion worth of goods in 2023, up 20.8% from $9.75 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 the import side of trade for the same East African economy covered on the export side of this dataset.
Import value stood at $7.70 billion in 2019. It rose to $8.25 billion in 2020, then climbed further to $9.09 billion in 2021 and $9.75 billion in 2022. Import value then jumped to $11.78 billion in 2023, the high point of this five-year window.
This dataset does not explain what drove that sharp 2023 acceleration. Import value in 2023 nonetheless rose in every single year of this five-year window, an unbroken climb rather than an isolated spike. A gain of 20.8% marks the steepest single-year increase across this entire period. That steady five-year climb stands in sharp contrast to the export side of trade for this same country, where value moved within a comparatively narrow band before its own sudden 2023 jump. This is Uganda's fifth consecutive year of import growth in this dataset, with no year showing a decline.
Fuel and Gold Together Anchor an Import List Tied to Refining
Mineral fuels led every import category in 2023, worth $2.12 billion, or 18.0% of the total, by a narrow margin the largest single category on this list. Precious stones and metals ranked a close second at 16.2%, worth $1.90 billion. Gold imported from neighboring countries is increasingly being refined in Uganda before being re-exported. That pattern is reflected in precious stones and metals ranking among the top import categories here and among the top export categories on the export side of this dataset. Machinery and mechanical appliances followed at 7.8%, worth $914.73 million. These first three categories, fuel, precious metals and machinery, together account for well over four in ten dollars of total import value.
Vehicles contributed 7.2%, worth $844.07 million, and plastics added 4.7%, worth $558.42 million. Electrical machinery and equipment contributed a further 4.6%, worth $541.05 million. These categories point to an economy still heavily reliant on imported machinery, transport equipment and industrial materials alongside its energy and gold-refining needs.
Iron and steel added 4.5% ($527.14 million), and pharmaceutical products contributed 4.3% ($507.12 million). Cereals contributed 3.4%, worth $402.87 million, and animal, vegetable and microbial fats and oils closed out the top ten at 2.9%, worth $339.79 million, the smallest share among all ten categories on this list. Fuel and precious metals together account for well over a third of total import value. A long tail of machinery, vehicles and industrial inputs fills out the rest of this list. These ten categories span energy, precious metals, transport and industrial inputs, reflecting an economy that imports both raw materials for re-export and finished goods for domestic use.
China, the UAE and Tanzania Lead a Moderately Concentrated Partner List
China was Uganda's largest import partner in 2023, taking 19.5% of imports, worth $2.29 billion. United Arab Emirates ranked second at 12.2%, worth $1.43 billion. Tanzania followed at 11.3%, worth $1.33 billion. Together, these top three partners accounted for 42.9% of total import value, a notably concentrated grouping. That level of concentration reflects a small number of dominant trading and manufacturing partners rather than a broadly diversified sourcing base.
India contributed 10.7% ($1.26 billion), and Kenya added 7.0% ($824.25 million). Japan followed at 3.8% ($449.15 million), and Saudi Arabia added 3.5% ($416.36 million). Several of these partners also rank among Uganda's leading export partners, reflecting the same regional and gold-trading ties visible on both sides of this dataset.
South Africa contributed 2.6% ($306.87 million). Ghana ranked ninth at 2.0% ($234.37 million), essentially tied with Malaysia at 2.0% ($233.96 million). This list spans Asia, the Middle East and Africa, a mix reflecting both manufacturing suppliers and regional gold-trading partners. Ranks four through ten here are packed within roughly nine percentage points of each other, a wider spread than seen among ranks one through three.
Taken together, this dataset's most recent confirmed year describes an import profile anchored in fuel and precious metals, extending a steady five-year climb that accelerated sharply in 2023. That profile is sourced from a partner base led by China, alongside a gold-trading hub and regional neighbors that also appear among the country's top export partners. This partner list spans manufacturing powerhouses, a gold-trading hub and regional neighbors, mirroring several of the same relationships visible on the export side of this dataset.