Annual population growth in Kenya
Kenya: Annual population growth was 1.09 million in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
1.09 million
Change on year
up 5.2%
World rank
17th
of 236 countries
All-time high
1.20 million
in 2009
All-time low
124,386
in 1951
Years of data
73
1951–2023
Annual population growth in Kenya, 1951–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual population growth in Kenya is 1.09 million, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 5.2% on the previous year and down 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual population growth in Kenya peaked at 1.20 million in 2009 and was at its lowest, 124,386, in 1951.
That places Kenya 17th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 73 years of available data.
Annual population growth in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 124,386 | — |
| 1952 | 139,720 | +12.3% |
| 1953 | 150,604 | +7.8% |
| 1954 | 164,243 | +9.1% |
| 1955 | 181,158 | +10.3% |
| 1956 | 198,384 | +9.5% |
| 1957 | 217,188 | +9.5% |
| 1958 | 229,921 | +5.9% |
| 1959 | 247,948 | +7.8% |
| 1960 | 272,568 | +9.9% |
| 1961 | 292,458 | +7.3% |
| 1962 | 311,543 | +6.5% |
| 1963 | 328,661 | +5.5% |
| 1964 | 345,567 | +5.1% |
| 1965 | 364,545 | +5.5% |
| 1966 | 379,741 | +4.2% |
| 1967 | 393,236 | +3.6% |
| 1968 | 407,767 | +3.7% |
| 1969 | 420,869 | +3.2% |
| 1970 | 429,109 | +2.0% |
| 1971 | 420,100 | -2.1% |
| 1972 | 417,157 | -0.7% |
| 1973 | 428,778 | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 435,237 | +1.5% |
| 1975 | 441,594 | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 445,948 | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 471,204 | +5.7% |
| 1978 | 505,303 | +7.2% |
| 1979 | 526,541 | +4.2% |
| 1980 | 557,797 | +5.9% |
| 1981 | 583,045 | +4.5% |
| 1982 | 604,667 | +3.7% |
| 1983 | 640,197 | +5.9% |
| 1984 | 668,534 | +4.4% |
| 1985 | 686,864 | +2.7% |
| 1986 | 699,871 | +1.9% |
| 1987 | 714,448 | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 740,131 | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 762,215 | +3.0% |
| 1990 | 774,218 | +1.6% |
| 1991 | 753,859 | -2.6% |
| 1992 | 735,952 | -2.4% |
| 1993 | 734,726 | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 739,944 | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 744,617 | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 742,458 | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 757,551 | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 786,301 | +3.8% |
| 1999 | 845,350 | +7.5% |
| 2000 | 909,480 | +7.6% |
| 2001 | 976,277 | +7.3% |
| 2002 | 1.01 million | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 1.02 million | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 1.06 million | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 1.08 million | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 1.11 million | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 1.13 million | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 1.17 million | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 1.20 million | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 1.19 million | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 1.16 million | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 1.13 million | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 1.10 million | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 1.06 million | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 1.04 million | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 1.05 million | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 1.06 million | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 1.01 million | -4.6% |
| 2019 | 995,720 | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 1.01 million | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 1.00 million | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 1.03 million | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 1.09 million | +5.2% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 1.09 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 167,005, 6.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 1.09 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 359,940, 3.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 183,728 | 124,386 | 247,948 | 9 |
| 1960s | 351,696 | 272,568 | 420,869 | 10 |
| 1970s | 452,097 | 417,157 | 526,541 | 10 |
| 1980s | 665,777 | 557,797 | 762,215 | 10 |
| 1990s | 761,498 | 734,726 | 845,350 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.07 million | 909,480 | 1.20 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.08 million | 995,720 | 1.19 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.03 million | 1.00 million | 1.09 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More population data for Kenya
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.0288 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.22 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.0288 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1094 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 85,212 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.9 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7363 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.038 (2100)
- Population density 183.07 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 6.40 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual population growth in Kenya?
- Annual population growth in Kenya was 1.09 million in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual population growth recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 1.20 million in 2009.
- What is the lowest annual population growth recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 124,386 in 1951.
- How does Kenya rank for annual population growth?
- Kenya ranks 17th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual population growth rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Annual population growth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 73 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).