Population in the largest city in Kenya
Kenya: Population in the largest city was 31.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
31.1%
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
72nd
of 153 countries
All-time high
47.5%
in 1962
All-time low
24.2%
in 2009
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Population in the largest city in Kenya, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
In 2025, population in the largest city in Kenya stood at 31.1%.
The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 18.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Kenya peaked at 47.5% in 1962 and was at its lowest, 24.2%, in 2009.
Kenya ranks 72nd of 153 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Population in the largest city in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 46.2% | — |
| 1961 | 46.8% | +1.4% |
| 1962 | 47.5% | +1.4% |
| 1963 | 47.4% | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 47.4% | -0.1% |
| 1965 | 47.4% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 47.4% | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 47.4% | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 47.3% | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 47.0% | -0.6% |
| 1970 | 46.0% | -2.0% |
| 1971 | 44.6% | -3.1% |
| 1972 | 42.9% | -3.7% |
| 1973 | 41.2% | -4.1% |
| 1974 | 39.5% | -4.1% |
| 1975 | 38.0% | -3.8% |
| 1976 | 36.7% | -3.4% |
| 1977 | 35.7% | -2.9% |
| 1978 | 34.8% | -2.3% |
| 1979 | 34.3% | -1.5% |
| 1980 | 34.0% | -1.0% |
| 1981 | 33.7% | -0.9% |
| 1982 | 33.4% | -0.8% |
| 1983 | 33.2% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 33.0% | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 32.8% | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 32.8% | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 32.8% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 32.8% | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 32.9% | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 33.1% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 33.5% | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 33.9% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 34.4% | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 34.9% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 35.5% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 36.1% | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 36.7% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 37.2% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 37.6% | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 37.1% | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 35.6% | -4.2% |
| 2002 | 33.5% | -5.9% |
| 2003 | 31.3% | -6.6% |
| 2004 | 29.2% | -6.6% |
| 2005 | 27.4% | -6.1% |
| 2006 | 26.0% | -5.2% |
| 2007 | 25.0% | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 24.4% | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 24.2% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 24.4% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 24.7% | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 25.0% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 25.3% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 25.7% | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 26.2% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 26.7% | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 27.2% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 27.8% | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 28.5% | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 29.1% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 29.6% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 30.0% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 30.4% | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 30.8% | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 31.1% | +1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 47.2% | 46.2% | 47.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 39.4% | 34.3% | 46.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 33.1% | 32.8% | 34.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 35.3% | 33.1% | 37.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.4% | 24.2% | 37.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.2% | 24.4% | 28.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.2% | 29.1% | 31.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More urban development data for Kenya
- Population density 95.27 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- 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 in the largest city in Kenya?
- Population in the largest city in Kenya was 31.1% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 47.5% in 1962.
- What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.2% in 2009.
- How does Kenya rank for population in the largest city?
- Kenya ranks 72nd out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in the largest city (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.