Government Expenditure: Uganda

Analysis# Uganda Government Expenditure Uganda's government expenditure stood at 21.127% of GDP in 2026, reflecting sustained elevated spending levels after a significant expansion over the past two decades. The current figure sits just below the all-time peak of 21.964% recorded in 2021 but substantially higher than the 2009 low of 11.756%. Since 2004, government expenditure has surged 35.5%, marking a fundamental shift in Uganda's fiscal posture toward greater public investment and social spending. The sharpest increase occurred between 2019 and 2021, when expenditure jumped from 18.269% to 21.964%—a spike driven largely by pandemic-related spending and economic contraction. Following this peak, expenditure moderated in 2022–2024, dipping to 18.687%, before rebounding sharply to 21.791% in 2025. The 2026 projection of 21.127% suggests government spending will remain anchored near elevated levels, indicating Uganda's policy commitment to higher public expenditure as a structural feature of its fiscal framework.