Urban population (% of total population) in Kenya
Kenya: Urban population (% of total population) was 32.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Urban population in Kenya, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban population in Kenya is 32.2%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in Kenya peaked at 32.2% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 8.2%, in 1960.
Kenya ranks 192nd of 218 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Urban population (% of total population) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 8.2% | — |
| 1961 | 8.4% | +2.5% |
| 1962 | 8.6% | +2.3% |
| 1963 | 8.8% | +2.1% |
| 1964 | 9.0% | +1.8% |
| 1965 | 9.1% | +1.6% |
| 1966 | 9.3% | +1.6% |
| 1967 | 9.4% | +1.7% |
| 1968 | 9.6% | +2.0% |
| 1969 | 9.8% | +2.3% |
| 1970 | 10.1% | +3.2% |
| 1971 | 10.6% | +4.5% |
| 1972 | 11.2% | +5.3% |
| 1973 | 11.8% | +5.7% |
| 1974 | 12.5% | +5.8% |
| 1975 | 13.2% | +5.6% |
| 1976 | 13.9% | +5.2% |
| 1977 | 14.5% | +4.6% |
| 1978 | 15.0% | +3.8% |
| 1979 | 15.5% | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 15.8% | +2.3% |
| 1981 | 16.2% | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 16.5% | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 16.8% | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 17.0% | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 17.3% | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 17.5% | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 17.7% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 17.9% | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 18.1% | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 18.2% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 18.3% | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 18.4% | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 18.4% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 18.5% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 18.6% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 18.7% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 18.8% | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 18.9% | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 19.0% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 19.5% | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 20.4% | +5.1% |
| 2002 | 21.9% | +6.9% |
| 2003 | 23.6% | +7.8% |
| 2004 | 25.4% | +7.9% |
| 2005 | 27.3% | +7.3% |
| 2006 | 29.0% | +6.3% |
| 2007 | 30.4% | +4.9% |
| 2008 | 31.4% | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 31.9% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 31.9% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 31.9% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 31.9% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 31.8% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 31.8% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 31.7% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 31.7% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 31.5% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 31.4% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 31.2% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 31.2% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 31.3% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 31.4% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 31.6% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 31.9% | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 32.2% | +1.0% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 32.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 50.9%, 63% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 32.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.9%, 72% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.0% | 8.2% | 9.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 12.8% | 10.1% | 15.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 17.1% | 15.8% | 18.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.6% | 18.2% | 19.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.1% | 19.5% | 31.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.7% | 31.2% | 31.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.6% | 31.2% | 32.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 189 Madagascar 32.9% compare
- 190 Channel Islands 32.6% compare
- 191 Mali 32.2% compare
- 193 Uganda 31.9% compare
- 194 Saint Kitts and Nevis 31.9% compare
- 195 Solomon Islands 31.3% compare
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 urban population in Kenya?
- Urban population in Kenya was 32.2% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 32.2% in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.2% in 1960.
- How does Kenya rank for urban population?
- Kenya ranks 192nd out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.