The average household size is the mean number of household residents in each house. In Kenya, a household also consists of people who live in the same compound or homestead, even when they do not live in the same house or dwelling unit.
The features of a household, as identified from the 2019 enumerator's manual, include individuals within a homestead who answer to one head and those sharing the same cooking arrangement.[1]
Household membership
Members of a household are not necessarily related by blood. For instance, domestic workers who live and eat within a specific household are said to be members of that household. However, in polygamous unions where wives live in separate dwelling units and do not share cooking arrangements, they are said to be living in different households.
Number of households in Kenya
A country's average household size is determined by dividing the total population by the total number of households.
In 2019, the number of households in Kenya was 12,143,913, while the number of usual residents, excluding the special population of travelers, outdoor sleepers, individuals in hotels and lodges, and persons in institutions, was 47,213,282.
Average household size by county
The average household size in Kenya was 3.9 people per household in 2019. The highest household sizes were in Mandera at 6.9 people per household, Wajir at 6.1, Garissa at 5.9, Marsabit at 5.8, Turkana at 5.6, West Pokot at 5.3, and Kwale at 5.0.
The lowest average household sizes in Kenya were in Nairobi at 2.9 members per household, Nyeri at 3.0, Kirinyaga at 3.0, Kiambu at 3.0, Mombasa at 3.1, Embu at 3.3, and Laikipia at 3.4.
The table below shows the number of households in Kenya and the average household size in 2019 by county.[2]
|
County |
Number of Households* |
Average Household Size |
|
378,422 |
3.1 |
|
|
173,176 |
5.0 |
|
|
298,472 |
4.8 |
|
|
68,242 |
4.6 |
|
|
37,963 |
3.7 |
|
|
96,429 |
3.5 |
|
|
141,394 |
5.9 |
|
|
127,932 |
6.1 |
|
|
125,763 |
6.9 |
|
|
77,495 |
5.8 |
|
|
58,072 |
4.6 |
|
|
426,360 |
3.6 |
|
|
109,860 |
3.6 |
|
|
182,743 |
3.3 |
|
|
262,942 |
4.3 |
|
|
402,466 |
3.5 |
|
|
244,669 |
4.0 |
|
|
179,686 |
3.5 |
|
|
248,050 |
3.0 |
|
|
204,188 |
3.0 |
|
|
318,105 |
3.3 |
|
|
795,241 |
3.0 |
|
|
164,519 |
5.6 |
|
|
116,182 |
5.3 |
|
|
65,910 |
4.7 |
|
|
223,808 |
4.4 |
|
|
304,943 |
3.8 |
|
|
99,861 |
4.5 |
|
|
199,426 |
4.4 |
|
|
142,518 |
4.7 |
|
|
149,271 |
3.4 |
|
|
616,046 |
3.5 |
|
|
241,125 |
4.8 |
|
|
316,179 |
3.5 |
|
|
206,036 |
4.4 |
|
|
187,641 |
4.7 |
|
|
433,207 |
4.3 |
|
|
143,365 |
4.1 |
|
|
358,796 |
4.6 |
|
|
198,152 |
4.5 |
|
|
250,698 |
3.9 |
|
|
300,745 |
3.8 |
|
|
262,036 |
4.3 |
|
|
240,168 |
4.6 |
|
|
308,054 |
4.1 |
|
|
150,669 |
4.0 |
|
|
1,506,888 |
2.9 |
|
|
Total |
12,143,913 |
3.9 |
*Excludes the special population (travelers, outdoor sleepers, individuals in hotels and lodges, and persons in institutions).
See Also
References
- KNBS (June 2019). 24th/25th August enumerator's instruction manual & census CAPI user guide (DataCollectApp).
- KNBS. (2022). 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census: Population by county and subcounty (Vol. I, p. 9).
