About 7.5 million adult Ugandans don’t have a phone
Poverty, lack of access of electricity, cultural norms and high cost of gadgets have been cited as the main challenges hampering Ugandans from owning phones.
An estimated 7.5million adult Ugandans don’t have any mobile, according to Uganda Communications Commission’s Annual Communications Sector Report 2024 that was published by the Commission on 12th December 2025.
“Poverty is still a major barrier to mobile phone access and use in Uganda. While the country’s mobile teledensity reached about 90 lines per 100 people in 2024, showing rapid adoption, these numbers hide big differences among people. Around 7.5 million adults do not have a mobile connection, including 4.9 million women and 2.6 million men. The 7.5 million estimate is close to the national absolute poverty estimate according to the national statistical office, highlighting a strong link between poverty and mobile connectivity. Affordability is not just about the cost of calls or data—it is also tied to income and financial struggles,” the report reads in part.
The Commission cited the latest Uganda Bureau of Statistics survey, that indicates that 16.1% of Ugandans live on less than US$1 a day, which amounts to about 7.4 million people, with 5.4 million in rural areas and 2 million in urban areas.
According to Uganda Communications Commission, due to the widespread poverty, households and individuals prioritize spending on basic necessities such as food, housing, water, electricity, and education with the report noting, “On average, telecommunication services account for only about 3% of household and individual expenditure.”
The Annual Communications Sector Report 2024 also detailed the lack of access to electricity plays in access to phones highlighting that while digital adoption and usage are steadily increasing in Uganda, a major barrier particularly in terms of device penetration and the full realization of mobile device benefits remains the country’s persistent household energy deficit.
The Commission noted keeping mobile devices charged is as critical as owning the device, and yet, in many Ugandan households, the absence of reliable electricity turns mobile devices into occasional luxuries rather than daily tools.
“For these individuals, the lack of reliable power is a direct obstacle to mobile ownership and effective usage, especially of smartphones. Devices such as smartphones and tablets, which rely on continuous internet connectivity and have power-intensive features such as large screens and powerful processors, require frequent charging. In the absence of electricity, owning such devices becomes impractical, and their digital benefits such as internet access and app-based services remain largely inaccessible,” read in part the report.
The Commission noted that the gap is especially pronounced in rural and off-grid areas, where even if mobile coverage exists, the lack of electricity limits the ability to use devices for work, education, or essential services.
At the time of compiling the report, UCC noted that 53% of the households in Uganda have access to an electricity source, with 2.7 million households served by the national hydroelectric power grid, and 3 million covered by off grid energy solutions such as solar power.
“This translates into an estimated 23 million Ugandans that lack any form of consistent electricity access. Consequently, these communities tend to rely on basic and feature phones, which offer longer battery life and support essential services such as voice calls,” as noted by UCC.
The Commission also blamed the lack of access to mobile phones on the taxation on mobile devices, arguing that this significantly affects mobile service adoption, highlighting that although mobile data in Uganda is relatively affordable, averaging USD1.40 per GB, the second lowest in the region after Rwanda, the market is still dominated by basic and feature phones, with nearly 30 million in circulation.
“These devices are popular largely due to their lower cost and the absence of internet functionality. This means that while data services may appear affordable, the high upfront cost of smartphones, particularly those taxed at 40%, remains a key barrier. Low-cost smartphones average around USD 50, while internet-enabled feature phones cost roughly USD 20. The high cost of entry continues to drive users toward more affordable, non-smart devices, limiting the growth of Uganda’s ICT economy,”
Beyond the high poverty levels, high cost of phones, Uganda Communications Commission also cited cultural attitudes as part of the practices limiting phone services access, revealing that in some families and communities, women and young people face restrictions or disapproval for owning a mobile device, limiting their independence and access to services.
“In such settings, phone ownership is seen as unnecessary, inappropriate, or a source of moral concern. These social pressures, combined with poverty, reduce the number of people who can benefit from digital tools,” the report reads.
It adds that access to infrastructure and affordability are only part of the digital divide because a significant usage gap persists due to low digital literacy, to which Uganda Communications Commission cited figures from Uganda Bureau of Statistics that indicate that approximately 12 million Ugandans are illiterate.
“Many of these individuals, particularly in rural and underserved communities, may own mobile devices but lack the skills or confidence to use them effectively for productive purposes. This digital literacy gap hinders the uptake of services such as e-governance, e-health, and e-learning, further entrenching digital exclusion,” the report says.
