Kenya Demographics

Population of Kenya (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Kenya

Kenya Population
58,636,412
see live
Yearly Change
+1.92%
Global Share
0.71%
Global Rank
26

Median Age

The median age in Kenya is 20.3 years (2026).

Fertility in Kenya

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
3.07
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Kenya

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
64.2
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
66.5
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
62.0
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Kenya


Infant Mortality
28.2
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
39.0
(per 1,000 live births)


Kenya Urban Population

Currently, 32.6% of the population of Kenya is urban (19,107,929 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Kenya is 103 people per km² (267 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 569,140 km² (219,746 sq. miles).

Largest Cities, Towns and Urban Centers in Kenya

The 30 largest of 104 cities, towns and urban centers, ranked by population at the census of August 24, 2019 (by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics).

RankCity, Town or Urban CenterPopulation
1Nairobi4,397,073
2Mombasa1,208,333
3Nakuru570,674
4Ruiru490,120
5Eldoret475,716
6Kisumu397,957
7Kikuyu323,881
8Thika251,407
9Naivasha198,444
10Karuri194,342
11Ongata Rongai172,569
12Garissa163,399
13Kitale162,174
14Juja156,041
15Kitengela154,436
16Kiambu147,870
17Mlolongo136,351
18Malindi119,859
19Mandera114,718
20Kisii112,417
21Kakamega107,227
22Ngong102,323
23Mtwapa90,677
24Wajir90,116
25Lodwar82,970
26Limuru81,316
27Athi RiverMavoko81,302
28Meru80,191
29Nyeri80,081
30Isiolo78,650
See all 104 cities, towns and urban centers in Kenya

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.