Rank #98 by World Population

🇰🇪Kenya

Kenya has a population of 55,339,003, ranking #98 in the world. The capital is Nairobi. Located in Sub-Saharan Africa .

World Bank: Lower middle income

55,339,003

Population

#98

World Rank

63.6

Life Expectancy

$1,943

GDP Per Capita

Kenya, #98 by world population

Kenya Population History (1960-2024)

The country of Kenya had a population of 7,695,307 in 1960 and 56,432,944 in 2024, a 7.3× growth over 64 years. The peak was 56,432,944 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 3.16%.

Kenya population, 1960–2024 · Source: U.S. Census Bureau — decennial census & Population Estimates

56,432,944

Population (2024)

7,695,307

Population (1960)

56,432,944

Peak (2024)

3.16%

Avg Annual Growth

Year	Population	Change	Annual %	Source
1960	7,695,307	-	-	estimate
1961	7,987,770	+292,463	+3.80%	estimate
1962	8,299,308	+311,538	+3.90%	estimate
1963	8,627,971	+328,663	+3.96%	estimate
1964	8,973,535	+345,564	+4.01%	estimate
1965	9,338,078	+364,543	+4.06%	estimate
1966	9,717,816	+379,738	+4.07%	estimate
1967	10,111,057	+393,241	+4.05%	estimate
1968	10,518,823	+407,766	+4.03%	estimate
1969	10,939,695	+420,872	+4.00%	estimate
1970	11,368,791	+429,096	+3.92%	estimate
1971	11,788,904	+420,113	+3.70%	estimate
1972	12,206,060	+417,156	+3.54%	estimate
1973	12,634,835	+428,775	+3.51%	estimate
1974	13,070,078	+435,243	+3.44%	estimate
1975	13,511,671	+441,593	+3.38%	estimate
1976	13,957,623	+445,952	+3.30%	estimate
1977	14,428,819	+471,196	+3.38%	estimate
1978	14,934,126	+505,307	+3.50%	estimate
1979	15,460,666	+526,540	+3.53%	estimate
1980	16,018,459	+557,793	+3.61%	estimate
1981	16,601,507	+583,048	+3.64%	estimate
1982	17,206,175	+604,668	+3.64%	estimate
1983	17,846,374	+640,199	+3.72%	estimate
1984	18,514,906	+668,532	+3.75%	estimate
1985	19,201,768	+686,862	+3.71%	estimate
1986	19,901,646	+699,878	+3.64%	estimate
1987	20,616,096	+714,450	+3.59%	estimate
1988	21,356,219	+740,123	+3.59%	estimate
1989	22,118,434	+762,215	+3.57%	estimate
1990	22,892,651	+774,217	+3.50%	estimate
1991	23,646,514	+753,863	+3.29%	estimate
1992	24,382,460	+735,946	+3.11%	estimate
1993	25,117,188	+734,728	+3.01%	estimate
1994	25,857,130	+739,942	+2.95%	estimate
1995	26,601,751	+744,621	+2.88%	estimate
1996	27,344,211	+742,460	+2.79%	estimate
1997	28,101,768	+757,557	+2.77%	estimate
1998	28,888,057	+786,289	+2.80%	estimate
1999	29,733,408	+845,351	+2.93%	estimate
2000	30,642,890	+909,482	+3.06%	estimate
2001	31,619,170	+976,280	+3.19%	estimate
2002	32,629,808	+1,010,638	+3.20%	estimate
2003	33,652,223	+1,022,415	+3.13%	estimate
2004	34,713,455	+1,061,232	+3.15%	estimate
2005	35,796,484	+1,083,029	+3.12%	estimate
2006	36,904,008	+1,107,524	+3.09%	estimate
2007	38,036,349	+1,132,341	+3.07%	estimate
2008	39,206,351	+1,170,002	+3.08%	estimate
2009	40,408,891	+1,202,540	+3.07%	estimate
2010	41,598,567	+1,189,676	+2.94%	estimate
2011	42,758,461	+1,159,894	+2.79%	estimate
2012	43,888,303	+1,129,842	+2.64%	estimate
2013	44,986,791	+1,098,488	+2.50%	estimate
2014	46,051,440	+1,064,649	+2.37%	estimate
2015	47,088,526	+1,037,086	+2.25%	estimate
2016	48,139,687	+1,051,161	+2.23%	estimate
2017	49,197,766	+1,058,079	+2.20%	estimate
2018	50,207,107	+1,009,341	+2.05%	estimate
2019	51,202,827	+995,720	+1.98%	estimate
2020	52,217,334	+1,014,507	+1.98%	estimate
2021	53,219,166	+1,001,832	+1.92%	estimate
2022	54,252,461	+1,033,295	+1.94%	estimate
2023	55,339,003	+1,086,542	+2.00%	estimate
2024	56,432,944	+1,093,941	+1.98%	estimate

Demographics

Population	55,339,003
Population Growth Rate	1.98%
Urban Population	31.6%
Fertility Rate	3.21 births/woman
Life Expectancy	63.6 years
Infant Mortality Rate	34.7 per 1,000
Literacy Rate	-

Economy & Trade

$1,943

GDP Per Capita

5.4%

Unemployment Rate

Lower middle income

Income Level

38.5

Gini Index (inequality)

41.1%

Trade (% of GDP)

Health & Education

4.4%

Health Expenditure (% GDP)

0.29

Physicians per 1,000

4.0%

Education Expenditure (% GDP)

34.7

Infant Mortality (per 1,000)

Development & Connectivity

76.2%

Electricity Access

29.4%

Internet Users

122

Mobile Subs per 100

95.3

People per km2

-10,003

Net Migration

Environment

6.2%

Forest Area

Other Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi

Kenya in global context

Kenya is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.

World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →

Other related entities

Angola (36,749,906)Benin (14,111,034)Botswana (2,480,244)Burkina Faso (23,025,776)Burundi (13,689,450)All countries →

Country rankings

Populated Countries in the World Countries With Highest GDP Per Capita Countries With Highest Life Expectancy Countries With Highest Fertility Rates Countries With Highest Literacy Rates Urbanized Countries in the World Fastest Growing Countries by Population Countries With Highest Infant Mortality Countries With Highest Income Inequality Countries With Most International Tourism All rankings →

Frequently Asked Questions

Kenya has a population of 55,339,003, ranking #98 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 1.98%.

Life expectancy in Kenya is 63.6 years. The infant mortality rate is 34.7 per 1,000 live births.

Kenya's GDP per capita is $1,943. It is classified as a lower middle income country by the World Bank.

31.6% of Kenya's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 95.3 people per square kilometer.

Literacy data for Kenya is available from the World Bank.

Sources: World Bank Open Data

International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.

With 55,339,003 residents, Kenya is a country in Sub-Saharan Africa . Its population is growing quickly, by about 2.0% a year.

GDP per capita is roughly $1,943, placing Kenya among lower-income economies. Life expectancy is 63.6 years, below the global average, with a fertility rate of 3.2 births per woman, and 31.6% of the population lives in urban areas.

Source: World Bank Open Data, 2026.