Kenya

total: 1.32 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2023 est.)

about a half-dozen large, privately owned media companies with TV and radio stations, as well as a state-owned TV broadcaster, provide service nationwide; satellite and cable TV subscription services available; state-owned radio broadcaster operates 2 national radio channels and provides regional and local radio services in multiple languages; many private radio stations broadcast nationally, with over 100 private and non-profit regional stations broadcasting in local languages; TV transmissions of all major international broadcasters available, mostly via paid subscriptions (2019)

.ke

percent of population: 35% (2023 est.)

total subscriptions: 68,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2023 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions: 71.4 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 126 (2024 est.)

sugarcane, milk, maize, bananas, tea, potatoes, cassava, cabbages, camel milk, mangoes/guavas (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

on food: 42.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 3.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

revenues: $20.202 billion (2023 est.) expenditures: $30.924 billion (2023 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

-$4.317 billion (2023 est.) -$5.889 billion (2022 est.) -$5.597 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$31.451 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

fast growing, third largest Sub-Saharan economy; strong agriculture sector with emerging services and tourism industries; IMF program to address current account and debt service challenges; business-friendly policies foster infrastructure investment, digital innovation and public-private partnerships; vulnerable to climate change-induced droughts

Kenyan shillings (KES) per US dollar - 134.822 (2024 est.) 139.846 (2023 est.) 117.866 (2022 est.) 109.638 (2021 est.) 106.451 (2020 est.)

$12.626 billion (2023 est.) $13.954 billion (2022 est.) $11.815 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

tea, cut flowers, garments, gold, tropical fruits (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Uganda 10%, USA 10%, UAE 8%, Netherlands 8%, Pakistan 6% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

$124.499 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

household consumption: 75.5% (2024 est.) government consumption: 11.5% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 17.7% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: -0.9% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 11.1% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -19.2% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture: 21.3% (2024 est.) industry: 16.1% (2024 est.) services: 55.9% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

38.7 (2021 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

lowest 10%: 2.9% (2021 est.) highest 10%: 31.8% (2021 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

$22.046 billion (2023 est.) $24.606 billion (2022 est.) $22.001 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, palm oil, wheat, plastics, garments (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 22%, UAE 14%, India 10%, Saudi Arabia 5%, Malaysia 4% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

0.2% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

agriculture, transportation, services, manufacturing, construction, telecommunications, tourism, retail

4.5% (2024 est.) 7.7% (2023 est.) 7.7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

23.781 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

38.6% (2021 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

53.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

$328.632 billion (2024 est.) $314.491 billion (2023 est.) $297.938 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

4.5% (2024 est.) 5.6% (2023 est.) 4.9% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

$5,800 (2024 est.) $5,700 (2023 est.) $5,500 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

3.9% of GDP (2023 est.) 3.5% of GDP (2022 est.) 3.4% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

$10.067 billion (2024 est.) $7.342 billion (2023 est.) $7.969 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

14% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

5.5% (2024 est.) 5.6% (2023 est.) 5.8% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

total: 11.9% (2024 est.) male: 8.3% (2024 est.) female: 16% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

consumption: 1.453 million metric tons (2023 est.) exports: 30 metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 1.453 million metric tons (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity: 3.824 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 10.002 billion kWh (2023 est.) exports: 34 million kWh (2023 est.) imports: 316 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 3.069 billion kWh (2023 est.)

electrification - total population: 76% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 98% electrification - rural areas: 65.6%

fossil fuels: 10.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 4.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 15.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 20.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) geothermal: 47.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 1.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

5.486 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 113,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

19.023 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 3.316 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 15.707 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior

water pollution from urban and industrial wastes and from use of pesticides and fertilizers; flooding; water-hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; poaching

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

agricultural land: 49.5% (2023 est.) arable land: 11.4% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 1.4% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 36.7% (2023 est.) forest: 6.5% (2023 est.) other: 44% (2023 est.)

energy: 334.4 kt (2022-2024 est.) agriculture: 1,241 kt (2019-2021 est.) waste: 127.1 kt (2019-2021 est.) other: 32.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)

12.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

30.7 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal: 495 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 303 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 3.234 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

urban population: 29.5% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 4.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 5.595 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 19.9% (2022 est.)

total : 580,367 sq km land: 569,140 sq km water: 11,227 sq km

five times the size of Ohio; slightly more than twice the size of Nevada

varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior

536 km

highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 762 m

1 00 N, 38 00 E

the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers are found on Mount Kenya, Africa's second-highest peak; unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value; Lake Victoria, the world's largest tropical lake and the second-largest freshwater lake, is shared among three countries: Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda

1,030 sq km (2012)

total: 3,457 km border countries (5): Ethiopia 867 km; Somalia 684 km; South Sudan 317 km; Tanzania 775 km; Uganda 814 km

agricultural land: 49.5% (2023 est.) arable land: 11.4% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 1.4% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 36.7% (2023 est.) forest: 6.5% (2023 est.) other: 44% (2023 est.)

Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania

Ogaden-Juba Basin

fresh water lake(s): Lake Victoria (shared with Tanzania and Uganda) - 62,940 sq km salt water lake(s): Lake Turkana (shared with Ethiopia) - 6,400 sq km

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)

Africa

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

recurring drought; flooding during rainy seasons volcanism: limited volcanic activity; the Barrier (1,032 m) last erupted in 1921; South Island is the only other historically active volcano

limestone, soda ash, salt, gemstones, fluorspar, zinc, diatomite, gypsum, wildlife, hydropower

population heavily concentrated in the west along the shore of Lake Victoria; other areas of high density include the capital of Nairobi, and in the southeast along the Indian Ocean coast, as shown in this population distribution map

low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west

47 counties; Baringo, Bomet, Bungoma, Busia, Elgeyo/Marakwet, Embu, Garissa, Homa Bay, Isiolo, Kajiado, Kakamega, Kericho, Kiambu, Kilifi, Kirinyaga, Kisii, Kisumu, Kitui, Kwale, Laikipia, Lamu, Machakos, Makueni, Mandera, Marsabit, Meru, Migori, Mombasa, Murang'a, Nairobi City, Nakuru, Nandi, Narok, Nyamira, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Samburu, Siaya, Taita/Taveta, Tana River, Tharaka-Nithi, Trans Nzoia, Turkana, Uasin Gishu, Vihiga, Wajir, West Pokot

name: Nairobi geographic coordinates: 1 17 S, 36 49 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name derives from the Maasai expression meaning "cool waters," which was used to refer to a local water hole, Enkare Nairobi

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Kenya dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 4 out of the previous 7 years

history: current constitution passed by referendum on 4 August 2010 amendment process: amendments can be proposed by either house of Parliament or by petition of at least one million eligible voters; passage of amendments by Parliament requires approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of both houses in each of two readings, approval in a referendum by majority of votes cast by at least 20% of eligible voters in at least one half of Kenya s counties, and approval by the president; passage of amendments introduced by petition requires approval by a majority of county assemblies, approval by majority vote of both houses, and approval by the president

conventional long form: Republic of Kenya conventional short form: Kenya local long form: Republic of Kenya (English)/ Jamhuri ya Kenya (Swahili) local short form: Kenya former: British East Africa etymology: named for Mount Kenya; the mountain's name may derive from the Kikuyu word kere nyaga , or "white mountain"

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charg d Affaires Susan M. BURNS (since 25 August 2025) embassy: P.O. Box 606 Village Market, 00621 Nairobi mailing address: 8900 Nairobi Place, Washington, DC 20521-8900 telephone: [254] (20) 363-6000 FAX: [254] (20) 363-6157 email address and website: kenya_acs@state.gov https://ke.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission: Ambassador David Kipkorir Kiplagat KERICH (since 18 September 2024) chancery: 2249 R St NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-6101 FAX: [1] (202) 462-3829 email address and website: information@kenyaembassydc.org https://kenyaembassydc.org/# consulate(s): New York

chief of state: President William RUTO (since 13 September 2022) head of government: President William RUTO (since 13 September 2022) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president, subject to confirmation by the National Assembly election/appointment process: president and deputy president directly elected on the same ballot by majority vote nationwide and at least 25% of the votes cast in at least 24 of the 47 counties; failure to meet these thresholds requires a runoff between the top two candidates most recent election date: 9 August 2022 election results: 2022 : William RUTO elected president in first round; percent of vote - William RUTO (UDA) 50.5%, Raila ODINGA (ODM) 48.9%, other 0.6% expected date of next election: 10 August 2027 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a large Maasai warrior's shield covering crossed spears is at the center meaning: black stands for the majority population, red for the blood shed in the struggle for freedom, green for natural wealth, and white for peace; the shield and crossed spears symbolize the defense of freedom

presidential republic

12 December 1963 (from the UK)

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

ACP, AfDB, ATMIS, AU, C, CD, COMESA, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCT, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO, WTO

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of chief and deputy chief justices and 5 judges) judge selection and term of office: chief and deputy chief justices nominated by Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and appointed by the president with approval of the National Assembly; other judges nominated by the JSC and appointed by president; chief justice serves a nonrenewable 10-year term or until age 70, whichever comes first; other judges serve until age 70 subordinate courts: High Court; Court of Appeal; military courts; magistrates' courts; religious courts

mixed system of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law; Supreme Court reviews laws

legislature name: Parliament of Kenya legislative structure: bicameral

chamber name: National Assembly number of seats: 350 (all directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 8/9/2022 parties elected and seats per party: United Democratic Alliance (UDA) (145); Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) (86); Jubilee Party (JP) (28); Wiper Democratic Movement-Kenya (WDM-K) (26); Others (19); Other (45) percentage of women in chamber: 23.4% expected date of next election: August 2027

chamber name: Senate number of seats: 68 (all directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 8/9/2022 parties elected and seats per party: Kenya Kwanza Alliance (33); Azimio la Umoja - One Kenya Coalition Party (32); Other (1) percentage of women in chamber: 31.3% expected date of next election: August 2027

title: "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu" (O God of All Creation) lyrics/music: Graham HYSLOP, Thomas KALUME, Peter KIBUKOSYA, Washington OMONDI, and George W. SENOGA-ZAKE/traditional, adapted by Graham HYSLOP, Thomas KALUME, Peter KIBUKOSYA, Washington OMONDI, and George W. SENOGA-ZAKE history: adopted 1963; based on a traditional Kenyan folk song

the two lions symbolize protection as they hold a traditional East African shield and spears in defense of freedom and unity; the shield features the national colors: black for the people, green for agriculture and natural resources, red for the struggle for freedom, and white for unity and peace; on the shield, a rooster greets the new day, and the axe represents both authority and the Kenya Africa National Union (KANU) that led the country to independence; at the base of the shield is Mount Kenya, Africa s second-highest peak; the scroll has the Swahili word Harambee , meaning all for one or pulling together

black, red, green, white

total World Heritage Sites: 8(5 cultural, 3 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Lake Turkana National Parks (n); Mount Kenya National Park/Natural Forest (n); Lamu Old Town (c); Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests (c); Fort Jesus, Mombasa (c); Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley (n); Thimlich Ohinga Archaeological Site (c); The Historic Town and Archaeological Site of Gedi (c)

Jamhuri Day (Independence Day), 12 December (1963) note: Madaraka Day, 1 June (1963), marks the day Kenya attained internal self-rule

lion

Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party Amani National Congress or ANC Chama Cha Kazi or CCK Democratic Action Party or DAP-K Democratic Party or DP Forum for the Restoration of Democracy Kenya or FORD-Kenya Grand Dream Development Party or GDDP Jubilee Party or JP Kenya African National Union or KANU Kenya Kwanza coalition Kenya Union Party or KUP Maendeleo Chap Chap Party or MCC Movement for Democracy and Growth or MDG National Agenda Party or NAP-K National Ordinary People Empowerment Union or NOPEU Orange Democratic Movement or ODM Pamoja African Alliance or PAA] The Service Party or TSP United Democratic Alliance or UDA United Democratic Movement or UDM United Democratic Party or UDP United Party of Independent Alliance or UPIA United Progressive Alliance or UPA Wiper Democratic Movement-Kenya or WDM-K

18 years of age; universal

Trade centers such as Mombasa have existed along the Kenyan and Tanzanian coastlines, known as the Land of Zanj, since at least the 2nd century. These centers traded with the outside world, including China, India, Indonesia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Persia. By around the 9th century, the mix of Africans, Arabs, and Persians who lived and traded there became known as Swahili ("people of the coast") with a distinct language (KiSwahili) and culture. The Portuguese arrived in the 1490s and, using Mombasa as a base, sought to monopolize trade in the Indian Ocean. The Portuguese were pushed out in the late 1600s by the combined forces of Oman and Pate, an island off the coast. In 1890, Germany and the UK divided up the region, with the UK taking the north and the Germans the south, including present-day Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda. In 1895, the British established the East Africa Protectorate, which in 1920 was converted into a colony, and named Kenya after its highest mountain. Numerous political disputes between the colony and the UK led to the violent Mau Mau Uprising, which began in 1952, and the eventual declaration of independence in 1963. Jomo KENYATTA, the founding president and an icon of the liberation struggle, led Kenya from independence in 1963 until his death in 1978, when Vice President Daniel Arap MOI took power in a constitutional succession. The country was a de facto one-party state from 1969 until 1982, after which time the ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) changed the constitution to make itself the sole legal political party. MOI gave in to internal and external pressure for political liberalization in 1991, but the ethnically fractured opposition failed to dislodge KANU from power in elections in 1992 and 1997, which were marred by violence and fraud. MOI stepped down in 2002 after fair and peaceful elections. Mwai KIBAKI, running as the candidate of the multiethnic, united opposition group, the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), defeated KANU candidate Uhuru KENYATTA, the son of the founding president, and assumed the presidency following a campaign centered on an anticorruption platform. Opposition candidate Raila ODINGA challenged KIBAKI's reelection in 2007 on the grounds of widespread vote rigging, leading to two months of ethnic violence that caused more than 1,100 deaths and displaced hundreds of thousands. African Union-sponsored mediation resulted in a power-sharing accord that brought ODINGA into the government as prime minister and outlined a reform agenda. In 2010, Kenyans overwhelmingly voted to adopt a new constitution that eliminated the prime minister, introduced additional checks and balances to executive power, and devolved power and resources to 47 newly created counties. Uhuru KENYATTA won the first presidential election under the new constitution in 2013. He won a second and final term in office in 2017 after a contentious repeat election. In 2022, William RUTO won a close presidential election; he assumed the office the following month after the Kenyan Supreme Court upheld the victory.

the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) are responsible for protecting the country's sovereignty and territory and assisting civil authorities in responding to emergency, disaster, or political unrest as requested; the KDF's chief security concerns include regional disputes and instability, maritime crime and piracy, and the threat posed by the Somalia-based al-Shabaab terrorist group, which has conducted attacks inside Kenya; it has conducted operations in neighboring Somalia since 2011 and taken part in numerous regional peacekeeping and security missions; the KDF is a leading member of the Africa Standby Force; it participates in multinational exercises, and has ties to a variety of foreign militaries, including those of France, the UK, and the US the Kenya Military Forces were created following independence in 1963; the current KDF was established and its composition laid out in the 2010 constitution; it is governed by the Kenya Defense Forces Act of 2012; the Army traces its origins back to the Kings African Rifles (KAR), a British colonial regiment raised from Britain's East Africa possessions from 1902 until independence in the 1960s; the KAR conducted both military and internal security functions within the colonial territories, and served outside the territories during both World Wars (2025)

Kenya Defense Forces (KDF): Kenya Army, Kenya Navy, Kenya Air Force Ministry of Interior: National Police Service, Kenya Coast Guard (2025) note: the National Police Service maintains internal security and includes a paramilitary General Service Unit and Rapid Deployment Unit, as well as a Border Police Unit

approximately 25,000 active Kenya Defense Forces (2025)

400 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); approximately 1,400 Somalia (African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia or AUSSOM) (2025)

the KDF's inventory is a mix of older, donated/secondhand, and some modern weapon systems from a variety of sources; major suppliers have included China, France, South Africa, T rkiye, the UK, and the US; in 2023, the Kenyan Government unveiled a five-year defense spending plan with a focus on upgraded military equipment, including aerial surveillance drones, tactical vehicles, and air defense systems (2025)

1.1% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.1% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

18-26 years of age for voluntary service for men and women (under 18 with parental consent; upper limit 30 years of age for specialists, tradesmen, or women with a diploma; 39 years of age for chaplains/imams); 7-9 year service obligations (2026)

0-14 years: 35.8% (male 10,464,384/female 10,366,997) 15-64 years: 60.9% (male 17,731,068/female 17,723,012) 65 years and over: 3.4% (2024 est.) (male 896,348/female 1,064,569)

total: 1.68 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

25.93 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

women married by age 15: 2.2% (2022) women married by age 18: 12.5% (2022) men married by age 18: 1.8% (2022)

9.8% (2022 est.)

53.2% (2022 est.)

4.72 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio: 64 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 58.5 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 5.5 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 18.2 (2025 est.)

urban: 86.4% of population (2022 est.) rural: 53.3% of population (2022 est.) total: 62.9% of population (2022 est.) urban: 13.6% of population (2022 est.) rural: 46.7% of population (2022 est.) total: 37.1% of population (2022 est.)

4% of GDP (2024 est.) 28.5% national budget (2025 est.)

Kikuyu 17.1%, Luhya 14.3%, Kalenjin 13.4%, Luo 10.7%, Kamba 9.8%, Somali 5.8%, Kisii 5.7%, Mijikenda 5.2%, Meru 4.2%, Maasai 2.5%, Turkana 2.1%, non-Kenyan 1%, other 8.2% (2019 est.)

1.53 (2025 est.)

4.5% of GDP (2021) 8.7% of national budget (2022 est.)

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)

total: 26.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 29 deaths/1,000 live births female: 23.1 deaths/1,000 live births

English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages major-language sample(s): The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English) The World Factbook, Chanzo cha Lazima Kuhusu Habari ya Msingi. (Kiswahili)

total population: 70.4 years (2024 est.) male: 68.6 years female: 72.2 years

5.325 million NAIROBI (capital), 1.440 million Mombassa (2023)

379 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

total: 21.5 years (2025 est.) male: 21.1 years female: 21.4 years

20.3 years (2014 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

noun: Kenyan(s) adjective: Kenyan

0.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

7.1% (2016)

0.29 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

total: 55,751,717 (2025 est.) male: 27,857,519 female: 27,894,198

population heavily concentrated in the west along the shore of Lake Victoria; other areas of high density include the capital of Nairobi, and in the southeast along the Indian Ocean coast, as shown in this population distribution map

2.15% (2025 est.)

Christian 85.5% (Protestant 33.4%, Catholic 20.6%, Evangelical 20.4%, African Instituted Churches 7%, other Christian 4.1%), Muslim 10.9%, other 1.8%, none 1.6%, don't know/no answer 0.2% (2019 est.)

urban: 84.7% of population (2022 est.) rural: 51.1% of population (2022 est.) total: 60.9% of population (2022 est.) urban: 15.3% of population (2022 est.) rural: 48.9% of population (2022 est.) total: 39.1% of population (2022 est.)

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total: 8.6% (2025 est.) male: 15.5% (2025 est.) female: 1.9% (2025 est.)

3.09 children born/woman (2025 est.)

urban population: 29.5% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 4.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

1970 - first satellite (US-made Uhura) launched from Kenya 2008 - established country's first satellite ground station 2018 - first remote-sensing (RS)/technology-demonstrator cube nanosatellite (1KUNS-PF) produced jointly with Japan and Italy and deployed from the International Space Station 2023 - first domestically designed RS satellite (TAIFA-1) built by Bulgaria and launched by US

Kenya Space Agency (KSA; established 2017) (2025) note: KSA's predecessor, the National Space Secretariat, was established in 2009

Luigi Broglio Space Center (aka Malindi Space Center, Malindi Station, San Marco Satellite Launching and Tracking Station; Kilifi County; over 20 sounding rockets and nine satellites launched from the site, 1967-1989); in 2020, Kenya concluded a new deal with Italy to conduct rocket launches from the site again in the future (2025)

has a national space strategy focused on acquiring and applying space technologies for agriculture, communications, disaster and resource management, security, urban planning, and weather monitoring; jointly develops and builds nanosatellites with foreign partners; operates satellites; researching and developing satellite payloads and imagery data analysis capabilities; has cooperated on space issues with China, Japan, India, Italy, and the US, as well as a variety of African partners; member of the African Space Agency (2025)

al-Shabaab note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

refugees: 823,904 (2024 est.) IDPs: 284,886 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 9,800 (2024 est.)

368 (2025)

5Y

total: 26 (2023) by type: oil tanker 4, other 22

total ports: 4 (2024) large: 0 medium: 1 small: 2 very small: 1 ports with oil terminals: 1 key ports: Kilifi, Lamu, Malindi, Mombasa

total: 3,819 km (2018) standard gauge: 485 km (2018) 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 3,334 km (2018) 1.000-m gauge