Journal
Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research
MJAAR
Beyond GDP: An Examination of Uganda’s Economic Growth and the Lag in Subjective Well-Being Gains
Dr. Arinaitwe Julius, Dr. Ariyo Gracious Kazaara
| Journal | Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research (MJAAR) |
| Volume / Issue | Vol. 5, No. 3 |
| Published | 31 March 2026 |
| ISSN | 3006-6417 |
Abstract
This study examined the paradoxical relationship between Uganda's sustained economic growth and the persistent lag in subjective well-being improvements among its citizens. Using a cross-sectional research design, secondary data from the Uganda National Household Survey and Afrobarometer surveys (2005-2023) were analyzed, comprising 15,000 households and 25,000 individual respondents. Univariate, bivariate, and binary logistic regression analyses were employed to assess trends in GDP growth and well-being indicators, identify determinants of subjective wellbeing, and examine differential impacts across population subgroups. Results revealed that despite macroeconomic expansion, mean subjective well-being scores remained moderate (62.39 out of 100), with significant disparities across income quintiles, employment status, geographic locations, and access to basic services. Bivariate analysis demonstrated statistically significant associations between well-being and employment status (χ²=702.94, p
Keywords
Economic Growth
Cite This Article
Dr. Arinaitwe Julius & Dr. Ariyo Gracious Kazaara (2026). Beyond GDP: An Examination of Uganda’s Economic Growth and the Lag in Subjective Well-Being Gains. Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research, 5(3). https://journals.miu.ac.ug/pages/article.php?article_id=269
More in This Issue
View full issue →
36
The Democratization of Journalism and the Erosion of Principles
media democratization
journalistic ethics
citizen journalism
structural equation modelling
37
The Futility of the Social Gaze: Embracing Authentic Living in an Age of Perpetual Judgment
Social Gaze and Perpetual Judgment
38
The Paradox of Plenty and the Specter of Bewitchment: A Political Economic Analysis of Africa’s Resource Curse and the Imperative for Structural Transformation
Political Economic Analysis and Structural Transformation
39
The Paradox of the “One-Eyed King”: PLO Lumumba, Decolonial Critique, and the Contradictions of Postcolonial Elites in African Education
decolonization
PLO Lumumba
postcolonial elites
African education
40
The Primacy of Religious Explanatory Frameworks in African Contexts: A Critical Analysis of Potential Socioeconomic Ramifications
Religious attribution
explanatory frameworks
socioeconomic outcomes
locus of control