Pallisa District population was 384,089 people as per the 12th/13th census night of 2002 population and housing census. The projected population for 2007 is 454,000. This population is distributed in 101 parishes spread in twenty sub-counties and one Town Council. There are 225,800 male representing 48 percent and 242,900 females representing 52 percent. The District has 93 males for every 100 females thus calling for gender focused and sensitive programmes/projects by decision makers and service providers. During the census night, it was found that 99 percent of the total population live in households, while 1% constituted homeless and institutional population.
There are five sub-counties with the population more than 25,000 people and these include; Buseta, Pallisa TC, Kadama, Kibale and Agule. Seven sub-counties have the population less than 20,000 people and these include; Petete, Bulangira, Kamuge, Kirika, Kibuku Puti-Puti and Pallisa sub-county. At rural urban divide, Pallisa District is generally considered a rural district with more than 90 percent of the population residing in rural areas. The only gazetted town council is Pallisa with a population of 27,900 people representing 6 percent of the total population.
Literacy rates - 54 percent of the population aged 10 years and above are literate that is can write or read with understanding in any language. There is a wide sex disparities still existing in the literacy rates with 57 percent of the males being literate compared to 43 percent of the females. The illiteracy rate is higher among women compared to males. Out of 100,831 registered as illiterate, 63,897 people representing 63 percent were females compared to 37,024 people representing 37 percent males.
Urbanisation - relates to the growth in the proportion of the population living in urban areas. According 2002 population and housing census, Pallisa District had only one gazetted urban centre at the level of a town council. The distribution of the population in 4,717 households was as follows; Kagwese ward has the highest population of 6,823 people of which 3,270 are men and 3,553 are women distributed in 1,362 households. Hospital ward has the least in population figures as shown in tabl2.3. Like in Kampala, Pallisa Town also receives day time population increase due to the fact that it’s one of the largest business centres in the District. There are upcoming rural growth centres of population concentration ranging between 500 and 5000 people spread all over the District. Notable are; Tirinyi, Kadama, Kibuku, Buseta, Sidanyi in Kibuku County. Kapala, Kaboloi, Agule in Pallisa County. Others are; Kibale, Petete, Butebo, Kakoro and Kabwangasi in Butebo County. These growth centres have been earmarked to be upgraded to the status of Town Boards (TBs) to enhance their administrative and planning functions. The District therefore has one of the highest urbanisation growth rates. The district has made it a must to always come up with a three year rolling development plan and ensured that each LLG equally develops one.
