Population Case Study -
Youthful Population in Uganda
General Information
50% of Uganda's population is under 15 years old
The dependency ratio has increased significantly over the years: 100 in 1969 to 122 in 1995
Very high fertility rate and a very low contraceptive prevalence rate
The country has a high prevalence of AIDS
This results in excess
mortality and lower life
expectancy rates than
otherwise would be
expected
The high fertility rate and
youthful age structure has
resulted in the build up of a
population momentum
Even if fertility were to drop
drastically to replacement
levels, the population of
Uganda would still continue to
grow for 40-50 years
This has far reaching implications
for the development of the
individual within the family and
the nation as a whole, particularly
because of its low level of
development and technology
Impacts - Social
Family Welfare
Health of mothers and children
is adversely affected by high
fertility
Early child bearing
Teenage pregnancies increases the number
of young mothers who lack material
resources to support their children
Can affect the initial
development and
growth of their children
Encourages school drop outs
Acts as a barrier to the
advancement of women and
their future independence
Exposure to AIDS is increased
Increased demand for health services
Because of high fertility
The health infrastructure
can't cope with this so there
is an uneven distribution and
poor access to facilities and
low per capita expenditure
Demand for social security
The proportion of elderly is fairly low
However, the youthful
population and their
problems (unemployment
and general poverty)
result in high dependency
No comprehensive social security policy and the
individual household has to become responsible
Impacts - Environmental
The high population growth is
resulting in degradation of the
environment
The increasing land
fragmentation and decrease
in soil fertility is causing crop
yields to fall
The increasing use of marginal
lands which can't support
agriculture sustainability
The depletion of wetlands to
expand agricultural lands and
forest depletion to gain land use
firewood for fuel
Impacts - Economic
Increased
demand for
education
services
The government wanted to achieve universal
primary education by 2003 but the high birth rate
hindered this
The population of
primary school age
is expected to grow
from 3.3 million
(1991) to 7.2 million
by 2021
Much larger
expenditures will be
needed to pay for an
increasing number of
teachers, classrooms,
materials and
equipment
Labour force and employment
The youthful population accounts for a
substantial expansion of the labour force which
is mainly agriculture and the informal sector
The potential labour force is expected to
double between 1991-2021 to reach 16.8
million
There are very few employment opportunities in the formal sector
and this limits the growth of the economy; problems of
unemployment, underemployment, rural-urban migration and crime
Urbanisation
and Housing
The provision of
adequate housing
and social
amenities is not
keeping pace with
the increasing
population
Outcomes include over crowding, growth of slums and deterioration
Very low numbers have access to
electricity and safe drinking water and
pit latrines are the dominant form of
toilet facility