By Reuters

KAMPALA, Jan 20 - Uganda's gold exports leaped 75.8% last year from the previous 12 months, helped by record prices that attracted new dealers into the sector, Uganda's central bank said on Tuesday.

Gold has surpassed coffee as the east-African country's biggest export and source of foreign exchange. 

In 2025, Uganda shipped bullion worth $5.8 billion, up from $3.3 billion in 2024, Adam Mugume, the Bank of Uganda's executive director for research and economic analysis, told Reuters in an email, partly attributing the increase to the soaring international gold prices.

Uganda has emerged in recent years as a processing and trading centre for gold shipped in from neighbours including eastern Democratic Republic Congo, South Sudan and other areas, as Uganda produces little gold of its own. 

The price of gold rose more ‍than 64% in 2025 as global geopolitical tensions drove a surge in demand for the safe-haven metal.  

"The attractive gold prices have incentivised new entrants into the business, generating a significant volume of exports," Mugume said. He did not give volume figures.

Last year, Uganda inaugurated its first large-scale gold mine, a $250 million Chinese-owned project in eastern Uganda.