Female Headed Households in Kenya by County – Households Headed by Women

Households in Kenya can be characterized based on the sex of the household head. Since the head makes crucial decisions on behalf of the family or household, the characteristics of household heads also determine their welfare.^[1]

Kenya has households headed by men, women, and children, with those headed by men being the majority. 

Quick Facts

1. The proportion of households headed by men in 2022 was 66.1%.
2. The proportion of households headed by women in 2022 was 33.9%.
3. In urban areas, 69.2% of households were headed by men in 2022.
4. Female-headed households in urban areas were 30.8% in 2022.
5. Male-headed households in rural areas were 64.1% in 2022.
6. Female-headed households in rural areas were 35.9%.

What is a household?

A household consists of an individual or group of people who live together under one roof. It also includes people who live in the same homestead or compound and answer to the same head.

As a result, people in the same household do not necessarily need to live in the same dwelling unit or house. However, they need to share the same cooking arrangements.^[2]

Contrary to popular belief, household members do not necessarily need to be related by blood and do not have to be members of the same family. However, most households typically consist of family members. 

A female-headed household is, therefore, not necessarily a single-mother household, even though all single-mother households are female-headed households. 

What is a female-headed household?

The UN defines women-headed households as "those where either no adult men are present, owing to divorce, separation, migration, non-marriage, or widowhood; or where the men, although present, do not contribute to the household income, because of illness or disability, old age, alcoholism or similar incapacity."^[3]

It also notes that the de facto head of a household is the primary decision-maker and is in charge of the household's welfare and financial support.

The de jure head is the position traditionally associated with the man of the house and is often recognized as the head by the members of that household.

It is, therefore, possible that there may exist a conflict between the de jure head of a household and the de facto head, especially in women-headed households. 

The proportion of households headed by women in Kenya

The proportion of households that were headed by women in 2022 was 33.9%. In contrast, the proportion of households headed by men was 66.1%.^[4]

In rural areas, the proportion of female-headed households was 35.9% compared to 64.1% of male-headed households.

In urban areas, the proportion of female-headed households in 2022 was 30.8%, lower than in rural areas. On the other hand, the proportion of male-headed households in urban areas was 69.2% in 2022.

Household composition and headship according to the 2019 census

The 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census provides additional data on the sex of household heads in Kenya.

It notes that 38.2% of households were headed by women in 2019, compared to 61.8% that were headed by men.^[5]

In urban areas, 36.7% of households were headed by women, while men headed 63.3% of the households.

In rural areas, 39.2% of households were headed by women, while men headed 60.8% of the households.

The North Eastern Province had the highest percentage of households headed by women, at 49.1%. Next was Nyanza, at 42.6%, Western, at 39.6%, Rift Valley, at 38.7%, Eastern, at 38.4%, Coast, at 36.6%, Central, at 34.5%, and Nairobi, at 34.2%.

Female-headed households in Kenya by county

The chart below shows the percentage of female-headed households in Kenya by county as per the 2019 census.

Counties with the highest proportion of female-headed households were:

1. Samburu 60.9%
2. Mandera 54.7%
3. Turkana 53.3%
4. Siaya 47.7%
5. Garissa 46.8%
6. Homa Bay 46.7%
7. Wajir 46.1%
8. Marsabit 45.9%
9. Kitui 45.1%
10. Narok 43%

Counties with the lowest proportion of female-headed households were:

1. Nandi 31.3%
2. Elgeyo Marakwet 31.7%
3. Kericho 32.8%
4. Kiambu 33.2%
5. Kirinyaga 33.4%
6. Nairobi 34.2%
7. Tharaka Nithi 34.2%
8. Lamu 34.2%
9. Embu 34.6%
10. Bomet 34.9%

Female-headed households had slightly higher poverty rates than male-headed households.

According to the 2022 Kenya Continuous Household Survey, headcount poverty rates were higher among female-headed households than male-headed ones.^[6]

In rural areas, female-headed households had a headcount poverty rate of 40.2% compared to male-headed households with a poverty rate of 37.2%

In urban areas, female-headed households had a headcount poverty rate of 27%, while male-headed households had a poverty rate of 25.9%.

See Also

1. The number of households in Kenya by county
2. Divorce and separation rates in Kenya by county
3. Marriage rates in Kenya by county

References