Ugandan Youth Are Under Attack—By a Broken System
Uganda is one of the youngest nations in the world, yet its youth are the most neglected, exploited, and betrayed. These numbers don’t just reflect a crisis—they scream injustice.
The Ugly Truth: Youth Statistics in Uganda
- 78% of the population is under 30 — yet youth have no real power, no jobs, and no future.
- Over 41% of youth graduates are unemployed. Degrees have become expensive pieces of paper.
- 60%+ are stuck in informal jobs—boda bodas, hawking, hand-to-mouth hustles. No security, no benefits, no dignity.
- Only 15% make it through secondary school. The rest are left behind by a failed education system.
- 1 in 4 girls aged 15–19 is a mother. No sex education. No support. Just shame and silence.
- Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of youth deaths. Depression, pressure, and hopelessness are killing us quietly.
- Drug and alcohol abuse is rising fast—because what else is there to escape the pain?
- 70% of youth are in agriculture—but own no land, earn no profit, and work like slaves for elites and middlemen.
- Only 4% of MPs are under 30. Youth are used as campaign pawns—then discarded like trash after elections.
This Is Not Just A Crisis—It’s Deliberate Neglect
We are not poor because we’re lazy.
We are not silent because we agree.
We are not jobless because we failed—we were failed.
We’re Tired. We’re Angry. We’re Ready.
This is not a request. This is a warning.
Ugandan youth are organizing, rising, and refusing to be silenced.
We are not waiting for change. We ARE the change.
The time is now. The power is ours. The movement has begun. we deserve better.
— National Youth Movement – Uganda
