Rural population in Kenya
Kenya: Rural population was 70.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
70.0%
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
25th
of 214 countries
All-time high
89.7%
in 1970
All-time low
70.0%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Kenya, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 70.0% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and down 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Kenya peaked at 89.7% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 70.0%, in 2024.
Kenya ranks 25th of 214 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 89.7% | — |
| 1971 | 89.2% | -0.5% |
| 1972 | 88.7% | -0.6% |
| 1973 | 88.2% | -0.6% |
| 1974 | 87.7% | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 87.1% | -0.6% |
| 1976 | 86.5% | -0.7% |
| 1977 | 85.9% | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 85.3% | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 84.6% | -0.8% |
| 1980 | 84.4% | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 84.3% | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 84.2% | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 84.1% | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 84.0% | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 83.9% | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 83.8% | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 83.7% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 83.6% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 83.5% | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 83.3% | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 83.0% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 82.7% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 82.4% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 82.0% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 81.7% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 81.4% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 81.1% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 80.8% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 80.5% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 80.1% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 79.8% | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 79.4% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 79.1% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 78.7% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 78.3% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 78.0% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 77.6% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 77.2% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 76.8% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 76.4% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 76.0% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 75.6% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 75.2% | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 74.8% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 74.3% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 73.9% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 73.4% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 73.0% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 72.5% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 72.0% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 71.5% | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 71.0% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 70.5% | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 70.0% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 87.3% | 84.6% | 89.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 84.0% | 83.5% | 84.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 81.9% | 80.5% | 83.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 78.5% | 76.8% | 80.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.5% | 72.5% | 76.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.0% | 70.0% | 72.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More population data for Kenya
- 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)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.038 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 1.9 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate -1.28 % change on previous year (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled 604,257 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Kenya?
- Rural population in Kenya was 70.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 89.7% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 70.0% in 2024.
- How does Kenya rank for rural population?
- Kenya ranks 25th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release