Share of population living in the capital city in Kenya
Kenya: Share of population living in the capital city was 10.7% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in the capital city in Kenya, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in the capital city in Kenya stood at 10.7%. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of up 17.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in the capital city in Kenya peaked at 10.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.2%, in 1950.
That places Kenya 124th out of 170 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in the capital city in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.2% | — |
| 1955 | 2.5% | +15.5% |
| 1960 | 3.0% | +17.7% |
| 1965 | 3.4% | +13.9% |
| 1970 | 3.7% | +10.1% |
| 1975 | 4.0% | +6.3% |
| 1980 | 4.8% | +20.5% |
| 1985 | 5.6% | +17.6% |
| 1990 | 6.4% | +13.5% |
| 1995 | 7.4% | +15.8% |
| 2000 | 8.4% | +13.5% |
| 2005 | 8.8% | +4.0% |
| 2010 | 9.1% | +3.7% |
| 2015 | 9.9% | +9.3% |
| 2020 | 10.7% | +7.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.4% | 2.2% | 2.5% | 2 |
| 1960s | 3.2% | 3.0% | 3.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 3.9% | 3.7% | 4.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 5.2% | 4.8% | 5.6% | 2 |
| 1990s | 6.9% | 6.4% | 7.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 8.6% | 8.4% | 8.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 9.5% | 9.1% | 9.9% | 2 |
| 2020s | 10.7% | 10.7% | 10.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 121 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 11.0% compare
- 122 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 10.9% compare
- 123 Uzbekistan 10.9% compare
- 125 Nepal 10.6% compare
- 126 Iran, Islamic Republic of 10.1% compare
- 127 Yemen 10.1% compare
More population data for Kenya
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1094 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.0288 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.0% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 6.40 million people (2100)
- Population density 183.07 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.0% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7363 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.9 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in the capital city in Kenya?
- Share of population living in the capital city in Kenya was 10.7% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 10.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.2% in 1950.
- How does Kenya rank for share of population living in the capital city?
- Kenya ranks 124th out of 170 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in the capital city rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in the capital city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of the total population living in the country's capital city. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.