Share of population living in rural areas in Kenya
Kenya: Share of population living in rural areas was 24.7% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Kenya, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 24.7% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is down 20.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Kenya peaked at 77.1% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 24.7%, in 2020.
That places Kenya 126th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 77.1% | — |
| 1955 | 75.0% | -2.7% |
| 1960 | 72.1% | -3.9% |
| 1965 | 68.4% | -5.1% |
| 1970 | 64.3% | -6.0% |
| 1975 | 60.4% | -6.1% |
| 1980 | 55.6% | -7.9% |
| 1985 | 50.3% | -9.5% |
| 1990 | 44.7% | -11.1% |
| 1995 | 41.5% | -7.1% |
| 2000 | 37.9% | -8.8% |
| 2005 | 35.3% | -6.9% |
| 2010 | 31.2% | -11.7% |
| 2015 | 27.5% | -11.9% |
| 2020 | 24.7% | -10.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 76.1% | 75.0% | 77.1% | 2 |
| 1960s | 70.2% | 68.4% | 72.1% | 2 |
| 1970s | 62.3% | 60.4% | 64.3% | 2 |
| 1980s | 53.0% | 50.3% | 55.6% | 2 |
| 1990s | 43.1% | 41.5% | 44.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 36.6% | 35.3% | 37.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 29.3% | 27.5% | 31.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 24.7% | 24.7% | 24.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 123 Gambia 25.1% compare
- 124 Guadeloupe 25.0% compare
- 125 Angola 24.8% compare
- 127 Libya 24.6% compare
- 128 Antigua and Barbuda 24.5% compare
- 129 Kyrgyzstan 24.5% 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 share of population living in rural areas in Kenya?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Kenya was 24.7% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 77.1% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.7% in 2020.
- How does Kenya rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Kenya ranks 126th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.