Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Kenya
Kenya: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 97.15 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
97.15 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
108th
of 216 countries
All-time high
97.15 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
14.03 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Kenya, 1961–2024
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population density in Kenya is 97.15 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 20.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Kenya peaked at 97.15 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 14.03 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Kenya 108th out of 216 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 14.03 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 14.58 people per sq. km of land area | +3.9% |
| 1963 | 15.16 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 1964 | 15.77 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 1965 | 16.41 people per sq. km of land area | +4.1% |
| 1966 | 17.07 people per sq. km of land area | +4.1% |
| 1967 | 17.77 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 1968 | 18.48 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 1969 | 19.22 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 1970 | 19.98 people per sq. km of land area | +3.9% |
| 1971 | 20.71 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1972 | 21.45 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1973 | 22.2 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1974 | 22.96 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 1975 | 23.74 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 1976 | 24.52 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1977 | 25.35 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 1978 | 26.24 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1979 | 27.16 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1980 | 28.14 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1981 | 29.17 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1982 | 30.23 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1983 | 31.36 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1984 | 32.53 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1985 | 33.74 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1986 | 34.97 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1987 | 36.22 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 37.52 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 38.86 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1990 | 40.22 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1991 | 41.55 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1992 | 42.84 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1993 | 44.13 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 45.43 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 46.74 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 48.04 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1997 | 49.38 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 50.76 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 52.24 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 53.84 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 55.56 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 57.33 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 59.13 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 60.99 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 62.9 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 64.84 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 66.83 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 68.89 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 71 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 73.09 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 75.13 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 77.11 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 79.04 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 80.91 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 82.45 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 84.01 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 85.56 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 87.02 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 88.45 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 89.89 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 91.62 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 93.4 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 95.27 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 97.15 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 97.15 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 82.92 people per sq. km of land area, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 97.15 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 69.86 people per sq. km of land area, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 16.5 people per sq. km of land area | 14.03 people per sq. km of land area | 19.22 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 23.43 people per sq. km of land area | 19.98 people per sq. km of land area | 27.16 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 33.28 people per sq. km of land area | 28.14 people per sq. km of land area | 38.86 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 46.13 people per sq. km of land area | 40.22 people per sq. km of land area | 52.24 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 62.13 people per sq. km of land area | 53.84 people per sq. km of land area | 71 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 81.28 people per sq. km of land area | 73.09 people per sq. km of land area | 88.45 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 93.47 people per sq. km of land area | 89.89 people per sq. km of land area | 97.15 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 105 Cote d'Ivoire 100.42 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 106 Cambodia 99.93 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 107 Spain 97.76 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 109 Northern Mariana Islands 96.89 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 110 Honduras 96.75 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 111 Senegal 96.1 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Kenya
- Population in the largest city 31.1% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 20.25 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.1272 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 7.32 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 4.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 11.65 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 5.77 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 0.645 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 47.42 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Kenya?
- Population density in Kenya was 97.15 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 97.15 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.03 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Kenya rank for population density?
- Kenya ranks 108th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.