Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Kenya
Kenya: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 12.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Kenya, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Kenya is 12.7%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 19.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Kenya peaked at 12.7% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 5.9%, in 1960.
That places Kenya 101st out of 121 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.9% | — |
| 1961 | 6.1% | +3.1% |
| 1962 | 6.3% | +3.0% |
| 1963 | 6.3% | +1.6% |
| 1964 | 6.4% | +1.3% |
| 1965 | 6.5% | +1.3% |
| 1966 | 6.6% | +1.3% |
| 1967 | 6.7% | +1.3% |
| 1968 | 6.8% | +1.3% |
| 1969 | 6.9% | +1.3% |
| 1970 | 6.9% | +0.6% |
| 1971 | 7.0% | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 7.0% | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 7.1% | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 7.1% | +1.0% |
| 1975 | 7.2% | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 7.3% | +1.1% |
| 1977 | 7.4% | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 7.4% | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 7.5% | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 7.6% | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 7.6% | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 7.7% | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 7.7% | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 7.8% | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 7.8% | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 7.8% | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 7.9% | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 8.0% | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 8.0% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 8.1% | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 8.2% | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 8.3% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 8.5% | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 8.6% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 8.7% | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 8.9% | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 9.1% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 9.2% | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 9.4% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 9.5% | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 9.5% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 9.6% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 9.6% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 9.7% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 9.7% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 9.8% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 9.8% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 9.9% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 10.0% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 10.0% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 10.1% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 10.2% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 10.4% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 10.5% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 10.7% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 10.8% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 11.0% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 11.2% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 11.3% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 11.5% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 11.8% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 12.0% | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 12.2% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 12.5% | +2.0% |
| 2025 | 12.7% | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.4% | 5.9% | 6.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.2% | 6.9% | 7.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.8% | 7.6% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.7% | 8.1% | 9.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.7% | 9.5% | 10.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.6% | 10.0% | 11.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.1% | 11.5% | 12.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More climate change data for Kenya
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 276.34 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 50,641 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 16,186 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 34,454 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 61.08 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,231 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 2,372 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,116 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 255.67 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.99 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Kenya?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Kenya was 12.7% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 12.7% in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.9% in 1960.
- How does Kenya rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- Kenya ranks 101st out of 121 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the percentage of a country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.