Kenya has a population density of 251.6 people per square mile compared to 1,497 people in Rwanda. Kenya has 110,878 sq ft of land per person vs 19,886 sq ft in Rwanda. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, Kenya and Rwanda are ranked 96th and 13th, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Kenya has 0.69% of the world's population and 0.39% of the land area of all countries, compared to 0.18% of the population and 0.02% of the land area for Rwanda, hence the population density in Kenya is 83.2% lower than in Rwanda.
Population density comparison
Kenya
|
Rwanda
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 251.6 ppl/mi² | 1,497 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 96/197 | 13/197 |
| Population |
58419239
|
14826674
|
| Land area | 224,278 sq mi | 9,525 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 110,795 sq ft | 18,626 sq ft |
| Rural population | 70% | 81.9% |
| Urban population | 30% | 18.1% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 12% | 8.11% |
Kenya vs Rwanda:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in Kenya increased by 59.3%, compared to a 61.7% growth in Rwanda.
In 2004, Kenya ranked 113th for population density and is in 96th place now. Rwanda was 18th in 2004 and ranks 13th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
Kenya
|
Rwanda
|
|
| 2024 | 251.6 | 1,497 |
| 2023 | 246.7 | 1,465 |
| 2022 | 241.9 | 1,433 |
| 2021 | 237.3 | 1,402 |
| 2020 | 232.8 | 1,372 |
| 2019 | 229.1 | 1,341 |
| 2018 | 225.4 | 1,311 |
| 2017 | 221.6 | 1,281 |
| 2016 | 217.6 | 1,251 |
| 2015 | 213.6 | 1,222 |
| 2014 | 209.6 | 1,193 |
| 2013 | 204.7 | 1,165 |
| 2012 | 199.7 | 1,137 |
| 2011 | 194.6 | 1,110 |
| 2010 | 189.3 | 1,083 |
| 2009 | 183.9 | 1,056 |
| 2008 | 178.4 | 1,029 |
| 2007 | 173.1 | 1,003 |
| 2006 | 167.9 | 976 |
| 2005 | 162.9 | 951 |
| 2004 | 158 | 926 |
| 2003 | 153.1 | 901 |
| 2002 | 148.5 | 882 |
| 2001 | 143.9 | 870 |
| 2000 | 139.4 | 862 |
| 1999 | 135.3 | 855 |
| 1998 | 131.5 | 848 |
| 1997 | 127.9 | 814 |
| 1996 | 124.4 | 704 |
| 1995 | 121.1 | 596 |
| 1994 | 117.7 | 713 |
| 1993 | 114.3 | 838 |
| 1992 | 111 | 807 |
| 1991 | 107.6 | 790 |
| 1990 | 104.2 | 774 |
| 1989 | 100.7 | 754 |
| 1988 | 97.2 | 732 |
| 1987 | 93.8 | 709 |
| 1986 | 90.6 | 686 |
| 1985 | 87.4 | 663 |
| 1984 | 84.3 | 641 |
| 1983 | 81.2 | 620 |
| 1982 | 78.3 | 600 |
| 1981 | 75.5 | 580 |
| 1980 | 72.9 | 562 |
| 1979 | 70.4 | 545 |
| 1978 | 68 | 529 |
| 1977 | 65.7 | 513 |
| 1976 | 63.5 | 498 |
| 1975 | 61.5 | 484 |
| 1974 | 59.5 | 470 |
| 1973 | 57.5 | 456 |
| 1972 | 55.5 | 443 |
| 1971 | 53.6 | 430 |
| 1970 | 51.7 | 418 |
| 1969 | 49.8 | 405 |
| 1968 | 47.9 | 393 |
| 1967 | 46 | 381 |
| 1966 | 44.2 | 370 |
| 1965 | 42.5 | 359 |
| 1964 | 40.8 | 350 |
| 1963 | 39.3 | 342 |
| 1962 | 37.8 | 334 |
| 1961 | 36.3 | 326 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Kenya
|
Rwanda
|
|
| 2024 | 30% | 18.1% |
| 2023 | 29.5% | 17.9% |
| 2022 | 29% | 17.7% |
| 2021 | 28.5% | 17.6% |
| 2020 | 28% | 17.4% |
| 2019 | 27.5% | 17.3% |
| 2018 | 27% | 17.2% |
| 2017 | 26.6% | 17.1% |
| 2016 | 26.1% | 17.1% |
| 2015 | 25.7% | 17% |
| 2014 | 25.2% | 17% |
| 2013 | 24.8% | 16.9% |
| 2012 | 24.4% | 16.9% |
| 2011 | 24% | 16.9% |
| 2010 | 23.6% | 16.9% |
| 2009 | 23.2% | 16.9% |
| 2008 | 22.8% | 16.9% |
| 2007 | 22.4% | 16.9% |
| 2006 | 22% | 16.9% |
| 2005 | 21.7% | 16.9% |
| 2004 | 21.3% | 16.9% |
| 2003 | 20.9% | 16.9% |
| 2002 | 20.6% | 16.8% |
| 2001 | 20.2% | 15.8% |
| 2000 | 19.9% | 14.9% |
| 1999 | 19.5% | 14.1% |
| 1998 | 19.2% | 13.2% |
| 1997 | 18.9% | 12.5% |
| 1996 | 18.6% | 11.4% |
| 1995 | 18.3% | 9.84% |
| 1994 | 18% | 8.49% |
| 1993 | 17.6% | 7.31% |
| 1992 | 17.3% | 6.29% |
| 1991 | 17% | 5.49% |
| 1990 | 16.7% | 5.42% |
| 1989 | 16.5% | 5.34% |
| 1988 | 16.4% | 5.27% |
| 1987 | 16.3% | 5.2% |
| 1986 | 16.2% | 5.13% |
| 1985 | 16.1% | 5.06% |
| 1984 | 16% | 4.99% |
| 1983 | 15.9% | 4.92% |
| 1982 | 15.8% | 4.85% |
| 1981 | 15.7% | 4.79% |
| 1980 | 15.6% | 4.72% |
| 1979 | 15.4% | 4.66% |
| 1978 | 14.7% | 4.57% |
| 1977 | 14.1% | 4.37% |
| 1976 | 13.5% | 4.18% |
| 1975 | 12.9% | 4% |
| 1974 | 12.3% | 3.82% |
| 1973 | 11.8% | 3.65% |
| 1972 | 11.3% | 3.49% |
| 1971 | 10.8% | 3.34% |
| 1970 | 10.3% | 3.19% |
| 1969 | 9.85% | 3.13% |
| 1968 | 9.53% | 3.07% |
| 1967 | 9.21% | 3% |
| 1966 | 8.9% | 2.94% |
| 1965 | 8.61% | 2.88% |
| 1964 | 8.32% | 2.82% |
| 1963 | 8.04% | 2.77% |
| 1962 | 7.77% | 2.71% |
| 1961 | 7.57% | 2.65% |
| 1960 | 7.36% | 2.6% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 21.3% to 30% in Kenya and from 16.9% to 18.1% in Rwanda.
Densely populated cities
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Population density in other countries
people per square mile
Population density
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