As of 2020, over *** thousand Kenyans were living abroad. The United States was the main destination for those emigrating from Kenya, hosting nearly *** thousand immigrants. The United Kingdom followed closely. Around ***** thousand Kenyans lived in the country that year.

As of 2020, over *** thousand Kenyans were estimated to be living abroad, the majority in the United States and the United Kingdom. The number of those emigrating from Kenya progressively increased in the last 20 years. In 2000, around ***** thousand Kenyan immigrants dwelled other countries in the world.

Key information about Kenya population

• The Kenya population reached 51.5 million people in Dec 2023, compared with the previously reported figure of 50.6 million people in Dec 2022
• The data reached an all-time high of 51.5 million people in Dec 2023 and a record low of 6.1 million people in Dec 1950

• In the latest reports, Kenya Unemployment Rate increased to 3.0 % in Dec 2020
• Monthly earnings of the Kenya population was 590.5 USD in Jun 2023
• Kenya Labour Force Participation Rate increased to 73.7 % in Dec 2023

These data were produced by the WorldPop Research Group at the University of Southampton. This work was part of the GRID3 project with funding from the United Nations Children's Fund ( UNICEF ) - Population Modelling for use in Routine Health Planning and Monitoring project (contract no. 43335861). Projects partners included the Kenya Unicef Regional and Country Offices, WorldPop research group at the University of Southampton and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network in the Columbia Climate School at Columbia University. Assane Gadiaga (WorldPop) led the input processing and the modelling work following the Random Forest (RF)-based dasymetric mapping approach developed by Stevens et al. (2015). Thomas Abbott supported the covariates processing work. In-country engagements were done by David Kyalo, Olena Borkovska ( GRID3 , Maria Muniz (Unicef). Using the 2009 and 2019 census data from the Kenya’s National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the US Census Bureau released the census-based total population projections, population by age and gender and digital sub-counties boundaries. Duygu Cihan helped in the preparation of these input population data. Attila N Lazar, Edith Darin and Heather Chamberlain advised on the modelling procedure. The work was overseen by Attila N Lazar and Andy J Tatem.

Recommended citations

Gadiaga A. N., Abbott T. J., Chamberlain H., Lazar A. N., Darin E., Tatem A. J. 2023. Census disaggregated gridded population estimates for Kenya (2022), version 2.0. University of Southampton. doi:10.5258/SOTON/WP00762

License

These data may be distributed using a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License, specified in legal code. Contact release[at]worldpop.org for more information.

The authors followed rigorous procedures designed to ensure that the used data, the applied method and thus the results are appropriate and of reasonable quality. If users encounter apparent errors or misstatements, they should contact WorldPop at release[at]worldpop.org.

WorldPop, University of Southampton, and their sponsors offer these data on a "where is, as is" basis; do not offer an express or implied warranty of any kind; do not guarantee the quality, applicability, accuracy, reliability or completeness of any data provided; and shall not be liable for incidental, consequential, or special damages arising out of the use of any data that they offer.

Graph and download economic data for Number of Identified Exporters to Kenya from U.S. Virgin Islands (VIKENA475SCEN) from 1997 to 1997 about USVI, Kenya, exports, and business.

Kenya KE: Population Projection: Mid Year: Growth data was reported at 0.840 % in 2050. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.860 % for 2049. Kenya KE: Population Projection: Mid Year: Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 2.020 % from Jun 1979 (Median) to 2050, with 72 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.040 % in 1979 and a record low of 0.840 % in 2050. Kenya KE: Population Projection: Mid Year: Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Kenya – Table KE.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

kenya - Employment to Population Ratio for Kenya was 63.09% in January of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, kenya - Employment to Population Ratio for Kenya reached a record high of 63.62 in January of 2021 and a record low of 63.09 in January of 2024. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for kenya - Employment to Population Ratio for Kenya - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on October of 2025.

United States Visitor Arrivals: Africa: Kenya data was reported at 1,912.000 Person in Mar 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,124.000 Person for Feb 2025. United States Visitor Arrivals: Africa: Kenya data is updated monthly, averaging 1,497.000 Person from Jan 2000 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 303 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,814.000 Person in Aug 2019 and a record low of 8.000 Person in Apr 2020. United States Visitor Arrivals: Africa: Kenya data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Travel and Tourism Office. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.Q001: Visitor Arrivals.

Kenya KE: Population Projection: Mid Year data was reported at 70,755,460.000 Person in 2050. This records an increase from the previous number of 70,156,565.000 Person for 2049. Kenya KE: Population Projection: Mid Year data is updated yearly, averaging 30,605,901.000 Person from Jun 1950 (Median) to 2050, with 101 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 70,755,460.000 Person in 2050 and a record low of 6,121,184.000 Person in 1950. Kenya KE: Population Projection: Mid Year data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Kenya – Table KE.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

Abstract

The 1998 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) is a nationally representative survey of 7,881 women age 15-49 and 3,407 men age 15-54. The KDHS was implemented by the National Council for Population and Development (NCPD) and the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), with significant technical and logistical support provided by the Ministry of Health and various other governmental and nongovernmental organizations in Kenya. Macro International Inc. of Calverton, Maryland (U.S.A.) provided technical assistance throughout the course of the project in the context of the worldwide Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) programme, while financial assistance was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID/Nairobi) and the Department for International Development (DFID/U.K.). Data collection for the KDHS was conducted from February to July 1998.

Like the previous KDHS surveys conducted in 1989 and 1993, the 1998 KDHS was designed to provide information on levels and trends in fertility, family planning knowledge and use, infant and child mortality, and other maternal and child health indicators. However, the 1998 KDHS went further to collect more in-depth data on knowledge and behaviours related to AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), detailed “calendar” data that allows estimation of contraceptive discontinuation rates, and information related to the practice of female circumcision. Further, unlike earlier surveys, the 1998 KDHS provides a national estimate of the level of maternal mortality (i.e. related to pregnancy and childbearing). The KDHS data are intended for use by programme managers and policymakers to evaluate and improve health and family planning programmes in Kenya.

OBJECTIVES OF THE SURVEY

The principal aim of the 1998 KDHS project is to provide up-to-date information on fertility and childhood mortality levels, nuptiality, fertility preferences, awareness and use of family planning methods, use of maternal and child health services, and knowledge and behaviours related to HIV/AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases. It was designed as a follow-on to the 1989 KDHS and 1993 KDHS, national-level surveys of similar size and scope. Ultimately, the 1998 KDHS project seeks to:

• Assess the overall demographic situation in Kenya;
• Assist in the evaluation of the population and reproductive health programmes in Kenya;
• Advance survey methodology; and
• Assist the NCPD to strengthen its capacity to conduct demographic and health surveys.

The 1998 KDHS was specifically designed to: - Provide data on the family planning and fertility behaviour of the Kenyan population, and to thereby enable the NCPD to evaluate and enhance the national family planning programme; - Measure changes in fertility and contraceptive prevalence and at the same time study the factors which affect these changes, such as marriage patterns, desire for children, availability of contraception, breastfeeding habits, and important social and economic factors; - Examine the basic indicators of maternal and child health in Kenya, including nutritional status, use of antenatal and maternity services, treatment of recent episodes of childhood illness, and use of immunisation services; - Describe levels and patterns of knowledge and behaviour related to the prevention of AIDS and other sexually transmitted infection; - Measure adult and maternal mortality at the national level; and - Ascertain the extent and pattern of female circumcision in the country.

MAIN RESULTS

Fertility. The survey results demonstrate a continuation of the fertility transition in Kenya. Marriage. The age at which women and men first marry has risen slowly over the past 20 years. Fertility Preferences. Fifty-three percent of women and 46 percent of men in Kenya do not want to have any more children. Family Planning. Knowledge and use of family planning in Kenya has continued to rise over the last several years. Early Childhood Mortality. Results from the 1998 KDHS data make clear that childhood mortality conditions have worsened in the early-mid 1990s;Maternal Health. Utilisation of antenatal services is high in Kenya; in the three years before the survey, mothers received antenatal care for 92 percent of births (Note: These data do not speak to the quality of those antenatal services). Childhood Immunisation. The KDHS found that 65 percent of children age 12-23 months are fully vaccinated: this includes BCG and measles vaccine, and at least 3 doses of both DPT and polio vaccines. Infant Feeding. Almost all children (98 percent) are breastfed for some period of time; however, only 58 percent are breastfed within the first hour of life, and 86 percent within the first day after birth. Nutritional Status The results indicate that one-third of children in Kenya are stunted (i.e., too short for their age), a condition reflecting chronic malnutrition; and 1 in 16 children are wasted (i.e., very thin), a problem indicating acute or short-term food deficit.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour regarding HIV/AIDS and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections. As a measure of the increasing toll taken by AIDS on Kenyan society, the percentage of respondents who reported “personally knowing someone who has AIDS or has died from AIDS” has risen from about 40 percent of men and women in the 1993 KDHS to nearly three-quarters of men and women in 1998. Female Circumcision. The results indicate that 38 percent of women age 15-49 in Kenya have been circumcised. The prevalence of FC has however declined significantly over the last 2 decades from about one-half of women in the oldest age cohorts to about one-quarter of women in the youngest cohorts (including daughters age 15+).

Geographic coverage

The 1998 KDHS sample is national in scope, with the exclusion of all three districts in North Eastern Province and four other northern districts (Samburu and Turkana in Rift Valley Province and Isiolo and 4 Marsabit in Eastern Province). Together the excluded areas account for less than 4 percent of Kenya's population

Analysis unit

• Household
• Women age 15-49
• Men age 20-54
• Children under five

Universe

The population covered by the 1998 KDHS is defined as the universe of all women age 15-49 in Kenya and all husband age 20-54 living in the household.

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

The 1998 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) covered the population residing in private households1 throughout the country, with the exception of sparsely-populated areas in the north of the country that together comprise about 4 percent of the national population. Like the 1993 KDHS, the 1998 KDHS was designed to produce reliable national estimates as well as urban and rural estimates of fertility and childhood mortality rates, contraceptive prevalence, and various other health and population indicators. The design also allows for estimates of selected variables for the rural parts of 15 oversampled districts. Because of the relative rarity of maternal death, the maternal mortality ratio is estimated only at the national level.

In addition to the KDHS principal sample of women, a sub-sample of men age 15-54 were also interviewed to allow for the study of HIV/AIDS, family planning, and other selected topics.

SAMPLING FRAME AND FIRST-STAGE SELECTION

The KDHS utilised a two-stage, stratified sampling approach. The first step involved selecting sample points or "clusters"; the second stage involved selecting households within sample points from a list compiled during a special KDHS household listing exercise.

The 1998 KDHS sample points were the same as those used in the 1993 KDHS, and were selected from a national master sample (i.e., sampling frame) maintained by the Central Bureau of Statistics. From this master sample, called NASSEP-3,3 were drawn 536 sample points: 444 rural and 92 urban.

Selected districts were oversampled in the 1998 KDHS in order to produce reliable estimates for certain variables at the district level. Fifteen districts were thus targeted in both the 1993 and 1998 KDHS: Bungoma, Kakamega, Kericho, Kilifi, Kisii, Machakos, Meru, Murang'a, Nakuru, Nandi, Nyeri, Siaya, South Nyanza, Taita-Taveta, and Uasin Gishu. In addition, Nairobi and Mombasa were targeted. Due to this oversampling, the 1998 KDHS is not self-weighting (i.e., sample weights are needed to produce national estimates). Within each of the 15 oversampled (rural) districts, about 400 households were selected. In all other rural areas combined, about 1,400 households were selected, and 2,000 households were selected in urban areas. The total number of households targeted for selection was thus approximately 9,400 households. Within each sampling stratum, implicit stratification was introduced by ordering the sample points geographically within the hierarchy of administrative units (i.e., sublocation, location, and district within province).

SELECTION OF HOUSEHOLDS AND INDIVIDUALS

The Central Bureau of Statistics began a complete listing of households in all sample points during November 1997 and finished the exercise in February 1998. In the end, listing in 6 of 536 sample points4 could not be completed (and were thus not included in the survey) due to problems of inaccesibility. From these 530 household lists, a systematic sample of households was drawn, with a "take" of 22 households in urban clusters and 17 households in the rural clusters for a total of 9,465 households. All women age 15-49 were targeted for interview in the selected households. Every second household was identified for inclusion in the male survey; in those households, all men age 15-54 were identified and considered

In 2025, *** percent of Kenya’s population live below **** U.S. dollars per day. This meant that over 8.9 million Kenyans were in extreme poverty, most of whom were in rural areas. Over *** million Kenyans in rural communities lived on less than **** U.S. dollars daily, an amount *** times higher than that recorded in urban regions. Nevertheless, the poverty incidence has declined compared to 2020. That year, businesses closed, unemployment increased, and food prices soared due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Consequently, the country witnessed higher levels of impoverishment, although improvements were already visible in 2021. Overall, the poverty rate in Kenya is expected to decline to ** percent by 2025. Poverty triggers food insecurity Reducing poverty in Kenya puts the country on the way to enhancing food security. As of November 2021, *** million Kenyans lacked sufficient food for consumption. That corresponded to **** percent of the country's population. Also, in 2021, over one-quarter of Kenyan children under five years suffered from chronic malnutrition, a growth failure resulting from a lack of adequate nutrients over a long period. Another *** percent of the children were affected by acute malnutrition, which concerns a rapid deterioration in the nutritional status over a short period. A country where prosperity and poverty walk side by side The poverty incidence in Kenya contrasts with the country's economic development. In 2021, Kenya ranked among the ten highest GDPs in Africa, at almost *** billion U.S. dollars. Moreover, its gross national income per capita has increased to ***** U.S. dollars over the last 10 years, a growth of above**** percent. Generally, while poverty decreased in the country during the same period, Kenya still seems to be far from reaching the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to eliminate extreme poverty by 2030.

In 2024, around ** percent of the population in Kenya lived in extreme poverty, the majority in rural areas. Those living on less than **** U.S. dollars a day in rural regions added up to around **** million, while around *** million extremely poor people resided in urban areas. During the period observed, the poverty incidence in Kenya peaked in 2022, likely due to the disruption to the country's economy caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Kenya KE: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data was reported at 3.852 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.917 Ratio for 2015. Kenya KE: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 6.425 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.126 Ratio in 1966 and a record low of 3.852 Ratio in 2016. Kenya KE: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Kenya – Table KE.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Total fertility rate represents the number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her childbearing years and bear children in accordance with age-specific fertility rates of the specified year.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: it can indicate the status of women within households and a woman’s decision about the number and spacing of children.

The 1998 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) is a nationally representative survey of 7,881 women age 15-49 and 3,407 men age 15-54. The KDHS was implemented by the National Council for Population and Development (NCPD) and the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), with significant technical and logistical support provided by the Ministry of Health and various other governmental and nongovernmental organizations in Kenya. Macro International Inc. of Calverton, Maryland (U.S.A.) provided technical assistance throughout the course of the project in the context of the worldwide Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) programme, while financial assistance was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID/Nairobi) and the Department for International Development (DFID/U.K.). Data collection for the KDHS was conducted from February to July 1998. Like the previous KDHS surveys conducted in 1989 and 1993, the 1998 KDHS was designed to provide information on levels and trends in fertility, family planning knowledge and use, infant and child mortality, and other maternal and child health indicators. However, the 1998 KDHS went further to collect more in-depth data on knowledge and behaviours related to AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), detailed “calendar” data that allows estimation of contraceptive discontinuation rates, and information related to the practice of female circumcision. Further, unlike earlier surveys, the 1998 KDHS provides a national estimate of the level of maternal mortality (i.e. related to pregnancy and childbearing). The KDHS data are intended for use by programme managers and policymakers to evaluate and improve health and family planning programmes in Kenya. OBJECTIVES OF THE SURVEY The principal aim of the 1998 KDHS project is to provide up-to-date information on fertility and childhood mortality levels, nuptiality, fertility preferences, awareness and use of family planning methods, use of maternal and child health services, and knowledge and behaviours related to HIV/AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases. It was designed as a follow-on to the 1989 KDHS and 1993 KDHS, national-level surveys of similar size and scope. Ultimately, the 1998 KDHS project seeks to: Assess the overall demographic situation in Kenya; Assist in the evaluation of the population and reproductive health programmes in Kenya; Advance survey methodology; and Assist the NCPD to strengthen its capacity to conduct demographic and health surveys. The 1998 KDHS was specifically designed to: Provide data on the family planning and fertility behaviour of the Kenyan population, and to thereby enable the NCPD to evaluate and enhance the national family planning programme; Measure changes in fertility and contraceptive prevalence and at the same time study the factors which affect these changes, such as marriage patterns, desire for children, availability of contraception, breastfeeding habits, and important social and economic factors; Examine the basic indicators of maternal and child health in Kenya, including nutritional status, use of antenatal and maternity services, treatment of recent episodes of childhood illness, and use of immunisation services; Describe levels and patterns of knowledge and behaviour related to the prevention of AIDS and other sexually transmitted infection; Measure adult and maternal mortality at the national level; and Ascertain the extent and pattern of female circumcision in the country. MAIN RESULTS Fertility. The survey results demonstrate a continuation of the fertility transition in Kenya. Marriage. The age at which women and men first marry has risen slowly over the past 20 years. Fertility Preferences. Fifty-three percent of women and 46 percent of men in Kenya do not want to have any more children. Family Planning. Knowledge and use of family planning in Kenya has continued to rise over the last several years. Early Childhood Mortality. Results from the 1998 KDHS data make clear that childhood mortality conditions have worsened in the early-mid 1990s;Maternal Health. Utilisation of antenatal services is high in Kenya; in the three years before the survey, mothers received antenatal care for 92 percent of births (Note: These data do not speak to the quality of those antenatal services). Childhood Immunisation. The KDHS found that 65 percent of children age 12-23 months are fully vaccinated: this includes BCG and measles vaccine, and at least 3 doses of both DPT and polio vaccines. Infant Feeding. Almost all children (98 percent) are breastfed for some period of time; however, only 58 percent are breastfed within the first hour of life, and 86 percent within the first day after birth. Nutritional Status The results indicate that one-third of children in Kenya are stunted (i.e., too short for their age), a condition reflecting chronic malnutrition; and 1 in 16 children are wasted (i.e., very thin), a problem indicating acute or short-term food deficit. Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour regarding HIV/AIDS and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections. As a measure of the increasing toll taken by AIDS on Kenyan society, the percentage of respondents who reported “personally knowing someone who has AIDS or has died from AIDS” has risen from about 40 percent of men and women in the 1993 KDHS to nearly three-quarters of men and women in 1998. Female Circumcision. The results indicate that 38 percent of women age 15-49 in Kenya have been circumcised. The prevalence of FC has however declined significantly over the last 2 decades from about one-half of women in the oldest age cohorts to about one-quarter of women in the youngest cohorts (including daughters age 15+).

This coverage shows the road networks of Kenya derived from topographic map sheets (1978-1997). This Dataset was found online at http://www.ilri.org/gis/ and was uploaded as a polyline shapefile.