The population of Uganda in 2003 was estimated by the United Nations at 25,827,000, which placed it as number 40 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In that year approximately 2% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 51% of the population under 15 years of age. There were 99 males for every 100 females in the country in 2003. According to the UN, the annual population growth rate for 2000–2005 is 3.24%, with the projected population for the year 2015 at 39,335,000. The population density in 2002 averaged 102 per sq km (265 per sq mi). However, density varied from 260 per sq km (673 per sq mi) in Kabale to 14 per sq km (36 per sq mi) in the dry Karamoja plains. The northern, eastern, and western regions are less densely populated than the region along the north shore of Lake Victoria.
It was estimated by the Population Reference Bureau that 14% of the population lived in urban areas in 2001. The capital city, Kampala, had a population of 1,154,000 in that year. Other major cities were Jinja, 60,979; Masaka, 49,070; and Mbale, 53,634. According to the United Nations, the urban population growth rate for 2000–2005 was 5.7%.