Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) in Kenya
Kenya: Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) was 12,232 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
12,232 thousands
Change on year
up 2.7%
World rank
19th
of 233 countries
All-time high
12,232 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
2,001 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 15-24 years in Kenya, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
In 2025, population aged 15-24 years in Kenya stood at 12,232 thousands. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
The figure is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 30.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 15-24 years in Kenya peaked at 12,232 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2,001 thousands, in 1970.
That places Kenya 19th out of 233 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2,001 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 2,085 thousands | +4.2% |
| 1972 | 2,166 thousands | +3.9% |
| 1973 | 2,257 thousands | +4.2% |
| 1974 | 2,351 thousands | +4.2% |
| 1975 | 2,445 thousands | +4.0% |
| 1976 | 2,573 thousands | +5.3% |
| 1977 | 2,702 thousands | +5.0% |
| 1978 | 2,847 thousands | +5.4% |
| 1979 | 2,996 thousands | +5.2% |
| 1980 | 3,149 thousands | +5.1% |
| 1981 | 3,311 thousands | +5.1% |
| 1982 | 3,469 thousands | +4.8% |
| 1983 | 3,629 thousands | +4.6% |
| 1984 | 3,795 thousands | +4.6% |
| 1985 | 3,958 thousands | +4.3% |
| 1986 | 4,122 thousands | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 4,279 thousands | +3.8% |
| 1988 | 4,435 thousands | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 4,593 thousands | +3.6% |
| 1990 | 4,751 thousands | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 4,911 thousands | +3.4% |
| 1992 | 5,059 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 5,214 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 5,370 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1995 | 5,538 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1996 | 5,701 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 5,872 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 6,053 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1999 | 6,247 thousands | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 6,469 thousands | +3.6% |
| 2001 | 6,702 thousands | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 6,955 thousands | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 7,195 thousands | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 7,433 thousands | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 7,665 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 7,875 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 8,070 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 8,241 thousands | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 8,416 thousands | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 8,575 thousands | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 8,726 thousands | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 8,867 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 9,017 thousands | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 9,179 thousands | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 9,349 thousands | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 9,534 thousands | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 9,781 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 10,039 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2019 | 10,291 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 10,584 thousands | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 10,906 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 11,221 thousands | +2.9% |
| 2023 | 11,568 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2024 | 11,909 thousands | +2.9% |
| 2025 | 12,232 thousands | +2.7% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 12,232 thousands is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2,267 thousands, 5.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 12,232 thousands is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3,007 thousands, 4.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2,442 thousands | 2,001 thousands | 2,996 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 3,874 thousands | 3,149 thousands | 4,593 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 5,472 thousands | 4,751 thousands | 6,247 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 7,502 thousands | 6,469 thousands | 8,416 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 9,336 thousands | 8,575 thousands | 10,291 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 11,403 thousands | 10,584 thousands | 12,232 thousands | 6 |
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)
- 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 population aged 15-24 years in Kenya?
- Population aged 15-24 years in Kenya was 12,232 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 15-24 years recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 12,232 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest population aged 15-24 years recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,001 thousands in 1970.
- How does Kenya rank for population aged 15-24 years?
- Kenya ranks 19th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 15-24 years rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population aged 15-24 years (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release