Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in Kenya
Kenya: Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre was 65.13 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
65.13 units per square kilometre
Change on year
up 1.7%
World rank
45th
of 215 countries
All-time high
65.13 units per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
12.85 units per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in Kenya, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in Kenya is 65.13 units per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 20.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in Kenya peaked at 65.13 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 12.85 units per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places Kenya 45th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in Kenya, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 12.85 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 13.32 units per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1963 | 13.82 units per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 1964 | 14.35 units per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 1965 | 14.91 units per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1966 | 15.49 units per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1967 | 16.09 units per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1968 | 16.71 units per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 1969 | 17.33 units per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1970 | 17.95 units per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 1971 | 18.52 units per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1972 | 19.05 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1973 | 19.58 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 20.1 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1975 | 20.61 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1976 | 21.12 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1977 | 21.68 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1978 | 22.29 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1979 | 22.96 units per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1980 | 23.69 units per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1981 | 24.45 units per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1982 | 25.25 units per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1983 | 26.1 units per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1984 | 26.99 units per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1985 | 27.9 units per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1986 | 28.84 units per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1987 | 29.8 units per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 30.8 units per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1989 | 31.84 units per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 32.9 units per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1991 | 33.95 units per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1992 | 34.97 units per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 35.99 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1994 | 37.02 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 38.05 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 39.08 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 40.11 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 41.17 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 42.3 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 43.37 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 44.2 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 44.8 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 45.2 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 45.49 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 45.74 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 46.05 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 46.5 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 47.24 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 48.38 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 49.8 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 51.19 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 52.55 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 53.88 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 55.19 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 56.29 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 57.42 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 58.58 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 59.7 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 60.86 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 61.84 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 62.95 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 64.04 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 65.13 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 65.13 units per square kilometre is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 43.64 units per square kilometre, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 65.13 units per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 36.51 units per square kilometre, 1.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 14.99 units per square kilometre | 12.85 units per square kilometre | 17.33 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 20.39 units per square kilometre | 17.95 units per square kilometre | 22.96 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 27.57 units per square kilometre | 23.69 units per square kilometre | 31.84 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 37.55 units per square kilometre | 32.9 units per square kilometre | 42.3 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 45.7 units per square kilometre | 43.37 units per square kilometre | 48.38 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.54 units per square kilometre | 49.8 units per square kilometre | 60.86 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.49 units per square kilometre | 61.84 units per square kilometre | 65.13 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 42 Nepal 69.3 units per square kilometre compare
- 43 East Timor 66.47 units per square kilometre compare
- 44 Egypt 65.92 units per square kilometre compare
- 46 Dominican Republic 64.99 units per square kilometre compare
- 47 Sierra Leone 64.69 units per square kilometre compare
- 48 Samoa 64.3 units 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 urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in Kenya?
- Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in Kenya was 65.13 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 65.13 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.85 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Kenya rank for urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre?
- Kenya ranks 45th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Urban and rural population 2050, 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
Urban and rural population 2050 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.
Urban and rural population 2050 ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Urban and rural population projected to 2050 HYDE (2023); 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
Urban and rural population 2050 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.