Kenya Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Kenya is 58,955,623 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 56,432,944 in 2024.

Since 2006, population has increased from 36.9M people to 59M (59.8% growth in 20 years).
Kenya is ranked 25/197 by population and was ranked 33rd in 2006.
Kenya is projected to reach 105M people in 2098.
Kenya accounts for 0.71% of the world's population.
For the last 20 years, Kenya has had an average growth rate of 2.99% per year.

Kenya population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	105,238,162	-0.02%
2099	105,257,438	-0%
2098	105,257,489	0.006%
2097	105,250,948	0.03%
2096	105,220,085	0.04%
2095	105,175,623	0.05%
2094	105,118,372	0.07%
2093	105,046,907	0.09%
2092	104,955,024	0.1%
2091	104,846,805	0.12%
2090	104,718,130	0.14%
2089	104,573,271	0.15%
2088	104,414,197	0.16%
2087	104,243,505	0.18%
2086	104,056,143	0.19%
2085	103,854,891	0.21%
2084	103,640,244	0.23%
2083	103,407,124	0.24%
2082	103,158,580	0.26%
2081	102,889,291	0.29%
2080	102,594,978	0.3%
2079	102,286,967	0.32%
2078	101,961,280	0.34%
2077	101,613,181	0.37%
2076	101,239,843	0.39%
2075	100,849,423	0.41%
2074	100,436,632	0.44%
2073	100,001,277	0.47%
2072	99,533,234	0.5%
2071	99,042,264	0.52%
2070	98,529,166	0.55%
2069	97,992,232	0.58%
2068	97,428,138	0.6%
2067	96,842,744	0.64%
2066	96,230,345	0.66%
2065	95,598,937	0.69%
2064	94,942,874	0.72%
2063	94,266,124	0.75%
2062	93,561,519	0.78%
2061	92,837,768	0.8%
2060	92,098,717	0.83%
2059	91,343,602	0.85%
2058	90,569,828	0.88%
2057	89,783,087	0.89%
2056	88,994,126	0.91%
2055	88,192,182	0.93%
2054	87,379,992	0.96%
2053	86,552,281	0.98%
2052	85,710,403	1.01%
2051	84,850,558	1.04%
2050	83,976,685	1.07%
2049	83,090,517	1.09%
2048	82,191,119	1.13%
2047	81,274,836	1.16%
2046	80,340,592	1.2%
2045	79,389,433	1.24%
2044	78,414,158	1.29%
2043	77,418,567	1.33%
2042	76,399,781	1.37%
2041	75,363,853	1.42%
2040	74,308,480	1.46%
2039	73,241,028	1.51%
2038	72,153,876	1.54%
2037	71,058,753	1.59%
2036	69,949,421	1.62%
2035	68,831,151	1.66%
2034	67,705,051	1.71%
2033	66,569,532	1.74%
2032	65,431,402	1.78%
2031	64,289,540	1.8%
2030	63,153,520	1.83%
2029	62,021,378	1.85%
2028	60,894,078	1.88%
2027	59,770,115	1.9%
2026	58,653,621	1.93%
2025	57,540,609	1.96%
2024	56,432,944	1.98%
2023	55,339,003	2%
2022	54,252,461	1.94%
2021	53,219,166	1.92%
2020	52,217,334	1.98%
2019	51,202,827	1.98%
2018	50,207,107	2.05%
2017	49,197,766	2.2%
2016	48,139,687	2.23%
2015	47,088,526	2.25%
2014	46,051,440	2.37%
2013	44,986,791	2.5%
2012	43,888,303	2.64%
2011	42,758,461	2.79%
2010	41,598,567	2.94%
2009	40,408,891	3.07%
2008	39,206,351	3.08%
2007	38,036,349	3.07%
2006	36,904,008	3.09%
2005	35,796,484	3.12%
2004	34,713,455	3.15%
2003	33,652,223	3.13%
2002	32,629,808	3.2%
2001	31,619,170	3.19%
2000	30,642,890	3.06%
1999	29,733,408	2.93%
1998	28,888,057	2.8%
1997	28,101,768	2.77%
1996	27,344,211	2.79%
1995	26,601,751	2.88%
1994	25,857,130	2.95%
1993	25,117,188	3.01%
1992	24,382,460	3.11%
1991	23,646,514	3.29%
1990	22,892,651	3.5%
1989	22,118,434	3.57%
1988	21,356,219	3.59%
1987	20,616,096	3.59%
1986	19,901,646	3.64%
1985	19,201,768	3.71%
1984	18,514,906	3.75%
1983	17,846,374	3.72%
1982	17,206,175	3.64%
1981	16,601,507	3.64%
1980	16,018,459	3.61%
1979	15,460,666	3.53%
1978	14,934,126	3.5%
1977	14,428,819	3.38%
1976	13,957,623	3.3%
1975	13,511,671	3.38%
1974	13,070,078	3.44%
1973	12,634,835	3.51%
1972	12,206,060	3.54%
1971	11,788,904	3.7%
1970	11,368,791	3.92%
1969	10,939,695	4%
1968	10,518,823	4.03%
1967	10,111,057	4.05%
1966	9,717,816	4.07%
1965	9,338,078	4.06%
1964	8,973,535	4.01%
1963	8,627,971	3.96%
1962	8,299,308	3.9%
1961	7,987,770	3.8%
1960	7,695,307	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/kenya | CC BY

Kenya has a population of 59M as of 2026, compared to 48.1M in 2016, 36.9M in 2006, and 27.3M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 2.25% per year. Kenya is ranked 55th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Kenya will have 80,340,592 people (36.3% growth) with a rank change from 25th to 21st.

By the year 2100, Kenya's population is projected to grow by 78.5% from its current level to 105M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	-27,330
2024	-	-	-19,781
2023	1,090,967	1,100,970	-10,003
2022	1,082,099	1,092,102	-10,003
2021	984,530	1,037,082	-52,552
2020	1,019,142	1,036,253	-17,111
2019	1,009,828	1,071,777	-61,949
2018	981,639	1,097,075	-115,436
2017	1,037,067	1,105,769	-68,702
2016	1,079,073	1,108,801	-29,728
2015	1,023,223	1,119,200	-95,977
2014	1,050,918	1,123,333	-72,415
2013	1,078,372	1,136,006	-57,634
2012	1,118,620	1,161,548	-42,928
2011	1,141,068	1,185,863	-44,795
2010	1,178,717	1,199,786	-21,069
2009	1,200,694	1,193,598	7,096
2008	1,204,430	1,174,818	29,612
2007	1,135,568	1,147,063	-11,495
2006	1,129,124	1,113,357	15,767
2005	1,085,947	1,080,446	5,501
2004	1,080,115	1,048,590	31,525
2003	1,042,357	1,018,182	24,175
2002	1,002,475	992,044	10,431
2001	1,018,773	963,721	55,052
2000	933,764	928,357	5,407
1999	885,227	898,484	-13,257
1998	805,488	875,511	-70,023
1997	767,050	847,493	-80,443
1996	748,050	827,326	-79,276
1995	736,885	812,391	-75,506
1994	752,335	792,702	-40,367
1993	727,525	788,579	-61,054
1992	741,933	785,018	-43,085
1991	729,943	790,030	-60,087
1990	777,749	789,087	-11,338
1989	770,673	795,622	-24,949
1988	753,758	785,652	-31,894
1987	726,491	775,124	-48,633
1986	702,423	755,606	-53,183
1985	697,339	732,739	-35,400
1984	676,386	709,639	-33,253
1983	660,682	684,587	-23,905
1982	619,727	663,109	-43,382
1981	589,618	642,379	-52,761
1980	576,470	616,390	-39,920
1979	539,110	595,390	-56,280
1978	513,977	574,695	-60,718
1977	496,631	554,124	-57,493
1976	445,750	536,740	-90,990
1975	446,158	517,579	-71,421
1974	437,035	500,008	-62,973
1973	433,454	485,556	-52,102
1972	424,091	472,557	-48,466
1971	410,226	459,897	-49,671
1970	430,001	443,065	-13,064
1969	428,188	427,819	369
1968	413,559	411,948	1,611
1967	401,980	396,920	5,060
1966	384,507	382,891	1,616
1965	374,968	366,444	8,524
1964	354,110	349,322	4,788
1963	337,009	332,763	4,246
1962	320,318	315,797	4,521
1961	302,759	298,463	4,296
1960	282,166	280,032	2,134

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/kenya | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 95.3% of the population change in Kenya is from natural causes (a gain of 10,892,362 people) and 4.67% is from migration (a loss of 533,876 people).

As of 2024, 992,536 residents or 1.8% of the population were not native-born in Kenya, compared to 954,925 and 2.3% in 2010.

Kenya population clock

	Kenya	Rank
Current population	58955623	25/197
Percent of world population	0.71%	25/197
One net population change	28.8 seconds	18/197
One birth every	21 seconds	17/196
One death every	1.32 minutes	29/196
Daily growth/decline	+2,997	18/197
Annual growth/decline	+1,093,941	18/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+1.98%	53/197
One migration net change every	19.3 minutes	160/196
Annual migration change	-27,330	160/196
Foreign-born residents	992,536	61/195
Foreign-born share of population	1.8%	136/195

Largest cities by population

Kenya
City	Population
Nairobi	5.54M
Mombasa	1.21M
Kisumu	398K
Nakuru	308K
Eldoret	289K
Thika	279K
Malindi	120K
Machakos	114K
Mumias	100K

Kenya population statistics

	Kenya	World
Life expectancy	64.2 years	73.8 years
Average age	24.6 years	33.8 years
Median age	20.8 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	49.7:50.3	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	3.21 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	261.5 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Kenya.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/kenya | CC BY