Education and career perspectives of young Ugandans: A mix of challenges, gaps and high aspirations

Higher education and career aspirations among the youth are usually associated with socioeconomic achievements under the right conditions: access to good-quality education, labor market growth, flexible working conditions and personal effort. In Uganda, most young people aspire to complete upper secondary or tertiary education and get professional and well-paid dream jobs by the age of 30. But they face multiple constraints that prevent them from achieving that goal, particularly those who are less affluent.

This blog discusses the views of Ugandans, aged 15 to 25, on education and career aspirations. They stem from Uganda’s High Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS), implemented by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, with support from the World Bank Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) and the Poverty and Equity Global Practice. The data – collected in the 14^th round of the HFPS, between August and September 2023 - covers a wide range of topics that reflect households’ dynamics and are fundamental to inform policymaking.

The population of this East African country is young, and according to the United Nations, it is estimated that the 15 to 25 age group will increase by 6 million in 2050, reaching a total of 17 million. Considering this projection, helping young people to obtain a good education, develop valuable skills and get decent jobs will be important for their wellbeing and to strengthen the country’s economy. Hence, designing effective policies and programs to achieve these goals will require a good understanding of youth’s aspirations and the elements that shape their professional future. 

Findings and challenges

Most of the interviewees were either studying, 51 percent, or working, 39 percent. Those who were not in education, employment, or training (NEET) accounted for 10 percent of the total population in that group (Figure 1.)

The most significant difference between those working or studying was observed when the poorest and richest consumption quintiles were compared: in the former, 46 percent were working and 39 percent were studying, and in the latter, 31 percent were employed, and 60 percent were still in education(*).

All respondents were asked to report the level of education they aspired to achieve should they have no constraints. More than half would like to obtain a university degree, with a higher share among the richest quintile when compared to the poorest: 77 versus 45 percent (Figure 2.)

This finding is consistent with the most recent poverty assessment prepared in 2022 by the World Bank, as tertiary education generates the highest income.

However, between 2019 and 2020, only 8 percent of the adult population continued their education after finishing high school at the national level. This indicates that there are significant obstacles preventing Ugandan youth from pursuing a post-secondary degree. When asked about the constraints limiting their aspirations, the majority, 69 percent, explained that courses were unaffordable. This was followed by domestic obligations, 7 percent; parents’ death, 6 percent; pregnancy, 3 percent – female participants were significantly more likely to mention those reasons. These were followed by frequent illnesses, also with 3 percent. There were other causes, such as parents’ separation, lack of motivation or not being smart enough.

In addition, interviewees were asked about the dream job they would like to have before turning 30 years old. The most popular choices were medical workers, technicians/engineers, teachers, sales/businesses, economists/lawyers and tailors. Agriculture accounted only for less than 5 percent (Figure 3.)

Young Ugandans value having a good salary, developing skills and considering the job as interesting. Only 18 percent of the interviewees currently employed feel they have a dream job. Once we exclude those employed and doing a job they like, 58 percent of remaining respondents think they are likely to get a dream job before turning 30 years old. This share is higher among those who are studying, 74 percent, and those from the richest consumption quintile, 71 percent. But the expectation of those not working nor studying was significantly lower, 36 percent.
 

The gap between aspirations and reality

Although the share of agriculture has been gradually falling in Uganda over the past decade, the current picture of the labor market looks quite different to the dream job scenario showed in Figure 3. According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, 60 percent of all working adults were employed by the agriculture industry in 2021, which is in sharp contrast to the 4 percent of interviewees selecting agriculture as a dream job. But finding non-farming roles can be challenging due to various constraints, such as low education levels and limited access to basic infrastructure.

There is no doubt Ugandan youth have high aspirations, so it is important to help them materialize them by addressing structural impediments and providing adequate support.

Given the current - and future - importance of agriculture in the labor market, it is essential to transform the industry and provide better opportunities for young Ugandans in the rural sector. Finally, realigning aspirations that are unlikely to be achieved with more realistic alternatives, and providing young people with accurate information about prospects in the labor market, as well as career counseling, can be helpful.

Further findings, insights and policy recommendations can be found in our report: What Do You Want to Be? Education and Work Aspirations Among the Ugandan Youth. The microdata used for this analysis is freely available here.


(*) Quintiles were calculated using consumption per adult equivalent accounting for regional differences in prices across rural and urban areas of different regions from UNPS 2019/20 and UNHS 2019/20. Quintiles were created using a phone survey sample.