Distributional effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on the Ugandan economy. In 2020, Uganda’s GDP growth rate was its lowest since 2000, owing to weak growth in services. With the exception of food relief and tax deferrals, the government did not implement new tax-benefit measures to support vulnerable populations during the crisis. The general tax-benefit system also had a negligible effect on cushioning income losses.