Population of Kenya

Kenya is one of the most varied lands on the planet both in terms of its geography and its ethnic population. The ethnicity split is arguably more diverse here than anywhere else on the planet but what are the numbers in regard to the Kenya population?

Kenya Population Statistics

The last official census took place in Kenya back in 2009 when it was confirmed that 38,610,097 people were living here. Estimates are released on a regular basis and in 2011, it was claimed that those numbers had risen to 41,070,934, The estimate for 2014 is 45,941,977, which would make this the 30th largest country in the world in terms of population numbers alone.

Kenya Population Density

As far as population density is concerned, Kenya has a surface area of 580,367 square kilometres which converts to 224,080 square miles and makes it the 47th largest country in the world in terms of pure land mass.

It is relatively sparsely populated, however, and for every square kilometre of land, there is an average of 79.2 people here (205 per square mile) and this means that is the 140th most densely populated country on earth.

Kenya Population – Kenya Population Pyramid

Kenya Population by Regions

Nairobi Province – 3,138,369
Central Province – 4,383,743
Coast Province – 3,325,307
Eastern Province – 5,668,123
North Eastern Province – 2,310,757
Nyanza Province – 5,442,711
Rift Valley Province – 10,006,805
Western Province – 4,334,282

Kenya Population by Religious Affiliation

Kenya Catholic Population – 9,010,684
Kenya Protestant Population – 18,307,466
Other Christian Population – 4.559,584
Kenya Hindu Population – 53,393
Traditionalist Population – 635,352
Other Religion Population– 557,450
No Religion Population – 922,128
Don’t Know  – 61,233

Kenya Muslim Population

Muslim Population – 4,304,798

Kenyan Population by Tribe – Kenya Population

1. Kikuyu tribe – 6,622,576
2. Luhya tribe – 5,338,666
3. Kalenjin tribe – 4,967,328
4. Luo tribe – 4,044,440
5. Kamba tribe – 3,893,157
6. Somali tribe – 2,385,572
7. Kisii tribe – 2,205,669
8. Mijikenda tribe – 1,960,574
9. Meru tribe -1,658,108
10. Turkana tribe – 988,592
11. Maasai tribe – 841,622
12. Teso tribe – 338,833
13. Embu tribe – 324,092
14. Taita tribe – 273,519
15. Kuria tribe – 260,401
16. Samburu tribe – 237,179
17. Tharaka tribe – 175,905
18. Mbeere – 168,155
19. Borana – 161,399
20. Basuba – 139,271
21. Swahili – 110,614
22. Gabra – 89,515
23. Orma – 66,275
24. Rendile – 60,437

Kenya Population – Population of Kenya

Kenya Population – Population of Kenya by Age

In 2011, the CIA world factbook produced a set of statistics based on the population estimate of the time that was declared at 41.07 million. As far as age breakdowns were concerned, it was revealed that 42.3% of the population of Kenya was aged between 0 and 14.

Additionally, it was shown that 55.1% were aged between 15 and 64 while just 2.6% of the Kenya population was aged 65 and over in 2011.

Kenya has sustained population growth, but it has both high birth and infant mortality rates. This is consistent with Africa as a whole and blame is being put on the HIV / AIDS epidemic but, statistics have shown that there has been some slight improvement in this area.

There has been marked improvement in life expectancy as well, particularly in recent years, and in 2006, the average level stood at 48.9 years. This figure rose, however, to 57.9 years in 2010

Population of Kenya – Kenya Population Clock

What is the population of Kenya (as of 2015)	47,979,981
Last UN Estimate (July 1, 2015)	46,748,617
Births Per Day	22,158
Deaths Per Day	5,153
Net Migrations Per Day	-137
Net Change Per Day	16,868
Population Change Since January 1st

Net population increase of 1 person every 5 seconds – Population estimated based on interpolation of World Population Prospects data.

Population of Kenya – Kenya Population Indicators

Indicator	Value	World Ranking
Median (Average) Age	18.99 years	163rd
Crude Birth Rate	32.463 births/thousand	32nd
Crude Death Rate	7.549 deaths/thousand	98th
Crude Net Migration Rate	-0.201 people/thousand	90th
Life Expectancy (Both Sexes)	63.14 years	153rd
Life Expectancy (Male)	61.13 years	156th
Life Expectancy (Female)	65.18 years	154th
Total Fertility Rate	4.077 children/woman	35th
Net Reproduction Rate	1.784 surviving daughters/woman	32nd
Sex Ratio At Birth	1.03 males per female	153rd
Infant Mortality Rate	46.314 deaths/1,000 live births	37th
Under Five Mortality	67.634 deaths/thousand	36th
Mean Age at Childbearing	28.552 years	109th

Kenya Population – Population growth in Kenya

With improved life expectancy and a drop in infant mortality, Kenya seems set to build on an ever increasing growth in population. By 2020, the UN predicts that the Kenyan population will have risen to 52,563.91 and it will be interesting to see if they are proved right.

The National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) conducted its latest national population and housing census in 2009. KNBS has since 1969 undertaken a national census every 10 years. The 2009 exercise was the fifth since independence, with the last four having been conducted in 1969, 1979, 1989 and 1999.

Kenya has a huge youthful population that is currently enjoying gender balance. The majority of are in the 15 and 64 age group, accounting for over 20.7 million of the population. Those under the age of 14 account for 16.6 million. The number of Kenyans over the age of 64 is slightly over just a million. Gender distribution in the population is almost 50/50.

Kenya Population – Kenya population growth rate

Kenya’s population has been growing at an average rate of three per cent annually — 15.3 million in 1979, 21.4 million in 1989, 28.7 million in 1999 and 38 million in 2009. This growth rate includes all peoples found in Kenya (with an exception of refugees) at the time of the census regardless of their citizenry status.

The ethnic distribution of the population according to the 2009 census indicated that the largest group of people are the Bantus, followed by the Nilotes and the minority Cushites who constitute only about two per cent of the population. In terms of communities, the Gikuyu lead in numbers constituting 17 per cent of the population, followed by Luhyas at 14 per cent, Kalenjins make up 13 per cent and Luos 10 per cent, Kamba 10 per cent, Kisii six per cent, Mijikenda five per cent, Meru four per cent, Turkana 2.5 per cent, and the Maasai 2.1 per cent. All other ethnic groups make up the remaining nine per cent and non-indigenous populations taking up another one per cent.

Kenya Population – Kenya Population Growth Rate

Year	Population	Yearly % Change	Yearly Change	Migrants (net)	Median Age	Fertility Rate	Density (P/Km²)	Urban Pop %	Urban Population	Country’s Share of World Pop	World Population	Kenya Global Rank
2020	52,186,722	2.53 %	1,227,284	-10,000	20	4.1	92	28.2 %	14,737,720	0.67 %	7,758,156,792	27
2025	58,610,170	2.35 %	1,284,690	-10,000	21	3.81	103	30.7 %	17,973,485	0.72 %	8,141,661,007	25
2030	65,411,901	2.22 %	1,360,346	-10,000	22	3.56	115	33.3 %	21,766,907	0.77 %	8,500,766,052	24
2035	72,599,575	2.11 %	1,437,535	-10,000	23	3.34	128	36 %	26,148,088	0.82 %	8,838,907,877	21
2040	80,090,725	1.98 %	1,498,230	-10,000	24	3.16	141	38.8 %	31,090,842	0.87 %	9,157,233,976	21
2045	87,770,496	1.85 %	1,535,954	-10,000	25	3	154	41.7 %	36,595,049	0.93 %	9,453,891,780	21
2050	95,504,636	1.7 %	1,546,828	-10,000	26	2.85	168	44.6 %	42,636,284	0.98 %	9,725,147,994	20

Kenya Population: Nairobi Population – Population of Nairobi 

According to the 2009 census, Nairobi had a population of 3,138,295 people. In 2011, Nairobi population rose to 3.36 million. Nairobi is the second-largest city by population in the East Africa region after Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Population of Kenya – Kenya Population Video

Kenya Population – History of Population Growth in Kenya

For many years Kenya enjoyed the dubious distinction of registering the highest population growth in the world. Then, at the turn of the millennium, the growth rate slowed down dramatically. The high-speed growth had stemmed from the fact that, until very recently, a man’s social and economic status in Kenya was largely determined by the number of children he sired. And, since polygamy was also widely accepted, a man of consequence could boast of having fathered maybe a hundred children, often more.

Kenyan tradition also dictates that once married, a couple must name a child after each of their own parents; which means they must continue to produce children until they have two of each sex. Add to the above the fact that Kenyans universally adore children, and that most Kenyan women would not consider themselves fulfilled unless they had born at least one child (whether married or not), and the reasons for the explosive birthrate are all too clear.

Kenya Population History – Population of Kenya

Year	Population	Yearly % Change	Yearly Change	Migrants (net)	Median Age	Fertility Rate	Density (P/Km²)	Urban Pop %	Urban Population	Country’s Share of World Pop	World Population	Kenya Global Rank
2017	48,466,928	2.57 %	1,215,479	-10,000	19	4.37	85	26.9 %	13,029,800	0.64 %	7,515,284,153	29
2016	47,251,449	2.61 %	1,201,147	-10,000	19	4.37	83	26.4 %	12,495,709	0.64 %	7,432,663,275	29
2015	46,050,302	2.69 %	1,144,398	-10,000	19	4.44	81	26 %	11,978,118	0.63 %	7,349,472,099	30
2010	40,328,313	2.67 %	995,855	-37,900	19	4.8	71	23.9 %	9,642,731	0.58 %	6,929,725,043	32
2005	35,349,040	2.62 %	856,644	5,000	18	5	62	21.9 %	7,756,542	0.54 %	6,519,635,850	33
2000	31,065,820	2.56 %	738,557	-4,300	17	5.07	55	20 %	6,223,277	0.51 %	6,126,622,121	34
1995	27,373,035	3.15 %	785,361	44,300	17	5.57	48	18.3 %	5,007,379	0.48 %	5,735,123,084	35
1990	23,446,229	3.58 %	757,103	1,000	16	6.54	41	16.7 %	3,926,795	0.44 %	5,309,667,699	37
1985	19,660,713	3.86 %	678,561	800	15	7.22	35	16.1 %	3,161,146	0.41 %	4,852,540,569	37
1980	16,267,906	3.82 %	556,333	-600	15	7.64	29	15.6 %	2,535,089	0.37 %	4,439,632,465	40
1975	13,486,241	3.69 %	446,755	-3,600	15	7.99	24	12.9 %	1,741,678	0.33 %	4,061,399,228	45
1970	11,252,466	3.43 %	349,553	-3,900	16	8.11	20	10.3 %	1,158,462	0.31 %	3,682,487,691	47
1965	9,504,702	3.24 %	279,852	0	19	7.48	12	8.6 %	817,908	0.29 %	3,322,495,121	57
1960	8,105,440	3.04 %	225,100	0	17	7.79	14	7.4 %	596,757	0.27 %	3,018,343,828	55
1955	6,979,939	2.81 %	180,636	0	19	7.48	12	6.4 %	448,051	0.25 %	2,758,314,525	57

Kenya Population – Decrease in Population Growth in Kenya

As to the sudden decline in the population growth rate, this has resulted not only from the impact of AIDS on Kenyan society, but also from the growing realization, especially among the rural population, that today’s couples can neither support nor finance the education of so many children. The emergence of a Kenyan middle class has also affected the  growth rate, with many professionals choosing to establish financial security before starting a family, and then opting to have only as many children as they can afford to educate to university level.

The changing social structure has also introduced a new phenomenon, the professional, and often single, Kenyan lady, who increasingly choose either to remain childless, or to have just one child.

Officially the population of Kenya is around 33.9 million, though the actual figure may be much larger, and the forecast annual growth rate is 2.56 percent (2005 estimate), which reflects the expected increased death rate due to AIDS—more than 1.2 million Kenyans are infected with the HIV Virus. Under-fourteens account for 42.5 percent of the population. Urban Kenyans, constituting )5 percent of the whole, are concentrated in a few ‘large cities such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru, while 67 percent of the people live in rural areas, mostly in the high-rainfall arable areas of the Central highlands, and Western Kenya. 80 percent of the land in Kenya, contains only 20 percent of the population.