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Kampala

#96 largest metro areaAfrica

In Uganda

Metro population
3,652,000
0.044% of world population
Archive estimate
Annual growth
+4.85%
About 485 people a day
Archive estimate
Density
19,323/km²
189 km² metro area
City proper
1,680,600
Within the administrative boundary
GeoNames

About Kampala

With a metropolitan population of 3.652 million and annual growth of 4.9%, Kampala is Uganda's largest urban center. The city proper contains 1.68 million residents at a density of 19,323 people per km², making it a densely concentrated settlement. Situated at 1,223 m elevation, the city is served by Entebbe International Airport. Erias Lukwago leads the city administration.

This summary is AI-generated from the statistics on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.

Key Facts

Country
Uganda
Continent
Africa
World rank
#96 of 140
Share of country
7.1%
Leadership
Erias Lukwago
Elevation
1,223 m
Coordinates
0.316, 32.582

Airports

Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.

  • Entebbe International AirportEBB

    34 km from the city centre

Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.

Compared with the World's Largest Cities

Metropolitan population against the fifteen largest metro areas.

  1. Tokyo37.4M
  2. Delhi32.9M
  3. Shanghai29.2M
  4. São Paulo22.6M
  5. Dhaka22.5M
  6. Mexico City22.3M
  7. Cairo22.2M
  8. Mumbai21.7M
  9. Beijing21.5M
  10. Osaka19M
  11. New York18.9M
  12. Karachi17.1M
  13. Kinshasa17.1M
  14. Chongqing16.9M
  15. Lagos15.9M
  16. Kampala3.65M
Metro populations are archive estimates; boundaries differ between national statistical agencies.
Kampala compared with the fifteen largest metropolitan areas
NameMetro population
Tokyo37.4M
Delhi32.9M
Shanghai29.2M
São Paulo22.6M
Dhaka22.5M
Mexico City22.3M
Cairo22.2M
Mumbai21.7M
Beijing21.5M
Osaka19M
New York18.9M
Karachi17.1M
Kinshasa17.1M
Chongqing16.9M
Lagos15.9M
Kampala3.65M

Population Trend in Uganda

No free source publishes metropolitan population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.

020M40M60M80M100M120M1950197520002025205020752100projected →
This is Uganda's national population, not Kampala's. The legacy city series this page previously carried was generated by scaling the current figure, so it has been dropped rather than presented as history. Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Uganda population, 1950 to 2100
YearPopulation
19505,750,913
19607,640,973
197010,321,603
198013,275,741
199017,569,897
200024,000,150
201032,390,802
202044,457,152
203058,312,940
204072,020,418
205085,431,202
206097,542,311
2070107,461,466
2080114,812,179
2090119,267,678
2100120,835,192

Nearest Major Cities

Closest cities in our dataset by great-circle distance.

Kampala Population FAQ

What is the population of Kampala?

Kampala's metropolitan area has about 3,652,000 people, making it the 96th largest metro area in our dataset of 140 major cities.

What is the difference between Kampala's city and metro population?

About 1,680,600 people live within the city proper, while the wider metropolitan area holds roughly 3,652,000. Metro figures include surrounding commuter areas that fall outside the city's administrative boundary.

Is Kampala growing or shrinking?

Kampala is growing at +4.85% a year.

What share of Uganda's population lives in Kampala?

Kampala's metro area holds about 7.1% of Uganda's total population.

How densely populated is Kampala?

Kampala has roughly 19,323 people per km² across a metro area of about 189 km².

Which airports serve Kampala?

The nearest major airports are Entebbe International Airport (EBB).

Which country is Kampala in?

Kampala is in Uganda, in Africa.

Explore More Cities

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