Quick answerMbarara is a city in Uganda, with 264,425 people inside the city limits in 2024. It is best known for the Ankole long-horned cattle, the Igongo Cultural Centre and the Lake Mburo. Its official languages are English and Swahili, and its currency is the Ugandan shilling.
Mbarara is one of the largest cities in Uganda, with 264,425 people in the 2024 census. It stands in the south-west of the country and is the commercial centre of the Ankole sub-region, known for its long-horned cattle.
Key facts
| Country | Uganda |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 264,425 (2024) |
| Elevation | 1473 m above sea level |
| Time zone | Africa/Kampala |
| Language | English, Swahili |
| Currency | Ugandan shilling (UGX, USh) |
| Coordinates | 0.613° S, 30.658° E |
Overview
Mbarara is one of the largest cities in Uganda, in the south-west of the country. It had 264,425 people in the 2024 census, up from 199,066 in 2014, and stands at 1,473 metres above sea level, about 270 kilometres south-west of Kampala.
Mbarara was founded in 1901 and grew as the commercial centre of the Ankole sub-region, trading cattle, milk, bananas and coffee from the surrounding hills. The city is the home of the Ankole people, famous for their long-horned cattle, and the Igongo Cultural Centre tells the history of the region's kingdoms.
Today Mbarara is the largest city in western Uganda, with a university, hospitals and markets serving the whole south-west. Lake Mburo National Park, the smallest of Uganda's savanna parks, lies nearby, and the city is the main stop on the road from Kampala to Rwanda.
What Mbarara is known for
- Ankole long-horned cattle
- Igongo Cultural Centre
- Lake Mburo
- Mbarara University
Landmarks
- Igongo Cultural Centre
- Biharwe Eclipse Monument
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology
- Lake Mburo National Park
- Ankole cattle
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Mbarara?
About 264,000 people live in Mbarara (264,425 in the 2024 census), up from 199,066 in 2014. That makes Mbarara one of the largest cities in Uganda and the largest city in the west of the country, as well as the commercial centre of the Ankole sub-region.
What is Mbarara famous for?
Mbarara is famous as the commercial centre of south-western Uganda and the home of the Ankole people, known for their long-horned cattle. It is known for the Igongo Cultural Centre, for its markets and university, and as the gateway to Lake Mburo National Park.
Where is Mbarara located?
Mbarara is in south-western Uganda, about 270 kilometres south-west of Kampala on the road to Rwanda. It stands at 1,473 metres above sea level and is the gateway to Lake Mburo National Park. Its coordinates are 0.61° S, 30.66° E, in the Ankole sub-region.
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Keep exploring
- Uganda — the country Mbarara is in
- Kampala — another city in Uganda
- Jinja — another city in Uganda
- Lira — another city in Uganda
- All cities in Uganda
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
- Wikipedia — Mbarara
- Uganda Bureau of Statistics — National Population and Housing Census 2024
- citypopulation.de — Mbarara City (UBOS census data)
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.