Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Kenya
Kenya: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre was 30.14 people per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
30.14 people per square kilometre
Change on year
up 2.7%
World rank
146th
of 215 countries
All-time high
30.14 people per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
1.18 people per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Kenya, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Kenya stood at 30.14 people per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.7% on the previous year and up 19.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Kenya peaked at 30.14 people per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.18 people per square kilometre, in 1961.
Kenya ranks 146th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Kenya, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.18 people per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 1.26 people per square kilometre | +6.3% |
| 1963 | 1.34 people per square kilometre | +6.1% |
| 1964 | 1.41 people per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 1965 | 1.5 people per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1966 | 1.58 people per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1967 | 1.67 people per square kilometre | +5.8% |
| 1968 | 1.78 people per square kilometre | +6.1% |
| 1969 | 1.89 people per square kilometre | +6.4% |
| 1970 | 2.03 people per square kilometre | +7.2% |
| 1971 | 2.19 people per square kilometre | +8.3% |
| 1972 | 2.39 people per square kilometre | +9.0% |
| 1973 | 2.62 people per square kilometre | +9.4% |
| 1974 | 2.87 people per square kilometre | +9.5% |
| 1975 | 3.13 people per square kilometre | +9.2% |
| 1976 | 3.4 people per square kilometre | +8.6% |
| 1977 | 3.67 people per square kilometre | +8.1% |
| 1978 | 3.95 people per square kilometre | +7.4% |
| 1979 | 4.21 people per square kilometre | +6.5% |
| 1980 | 4.46 people per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 1981 | 4.71 people per square kilometre | +5.8% |
| 1982 | 4.98 people per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 1983 | 5.26 people per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 1984 | 5.54 people per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 1985 | 5.83 people per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1986 | 6.13 people per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1987 | 6.42 people per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1988 | 6.72 people per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 1989 | 7.02 people per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1990 | 7.32 people per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 1991 | 7.6 people per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1992 | 7.87 people per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 1993 | 8.14 people per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1994 | 8.41 people per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1995 | 8.69 people per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1996 | 8.97 people per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 9.26 people per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 9.58 people per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 1999 | 9.94 people per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 2000 | 10.47 people per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 2001 | 11.36 people per square kilometre | +8.4% |
| 2002 | 12.53 people per square kilometre | +10.3% |
| 2003 | 13.93 people per square kilometre | +11.2% |
| 2004 | 15.5 people per square kilometre | +11.3% |
| 2005 | 17.15 people per square kilometre | +10.6% |
| 2006 | 18.79 people per square kilometre | +9.6% |
| 2007 | 20.33 people per square kilometre | +8.2% |
| 2008 | 21.65 people per square kilometre | +6.5% |
| 2009 | 22.62 people per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 23.29 people per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 23.94 people per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 24.57 people per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 25.16 people per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 25.73 people per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 26.17 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 26.59 people per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 26.98 people per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 27.32 people per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 27.59 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 28.05 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 28.67 people per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 29.36 people per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 30.14 people per square kilometre | +2.7% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 30.14 people per square kilometre is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 33.53 people per square kilometre, 90% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 30.14 people per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 28.41 people per square kilometre, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.51 people per square kilometre | 1.18 people per square kilometre | 1.89 people per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.05 people per square kilometre | 2.03 people per square kilometre | 4.21 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.71 people per square kilometre | 4.46 people per square kilometre | 7.02 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.58 people per square kilometre | 7.32 people per square kilometre | 9.94 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.43 people per square kilometre | 10.47 people per square kilometre | 22.62 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.73 people per square kilometre | 23.29 people per square kilometre | 27.59 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.05 people per square kilometre | 28.05 people per square kilometre | 30.14 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 143 Montenegro 30.84 people per square kilometre compare
- 144 Tonga 30.72 people per square kilometre compare
- 145 Palau 30.5 people per square kilometre compare
- 147 United States 30.07 people per square kilometre compare
- 148 Fiji 29.64 people per square kilometre compare
- 149 Venezuela 28.64 people per square kilometre compare
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)
- World population growth -0.0% (2100)
- Population density 183.07 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 6.40 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Kenya?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Kenya was 30.14 people per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 30.14 people per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.18 people per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Kenya rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre?
- Kenya ranks 146th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.