Internal and international labor migration in Uganda: the contribution of remittances to household livelihoods

Gideon Rutaremwa, Makerere University

This paper highlights the role of both internal and international remittances in improving the livelihoods of individuals and households in Uganda. Findings from this study will provide a better understanding of the characteristics of migrants in sending and receiving countries and thereby help inform national policy-makers about trends in migration and remittances, determinants and consequences, and development impacts. A total of 2,000 households (urban and rural combined) in Uganda provided information on migration and remittances for this study. Available evidence shows that about 20% of Uganda’s population (equivalent to about 3.6 million persons in 2009) had migrated from one district to another, and 0.2% had migrated from outside Uganda. Migration is slightly higher among the males than their female counterparts. The paper also highlights two issues: (i) the level of internal migration and international migration in Uganda; and (ii) the contribution of remittances to national development in Uganda.