The Population of Kenya 2019

The Kenya Population and Housing Census 2019 recorded a total population of 47,564,296 people. The population growth rate between 2019 and 2009 was 2.2%, with the 2009 census having recorded a population of 37.7 million.^[1]

Population growth

The chart below shows the population of Kenya in every census from 1969 to 2019 and the population growth rate between each census period.

Kenya’s population has been growing much more slowly than in previous periods. Between 1969 and 1989, the population growth rate averaged 3.4 percent. Between 1989 and 1999, the population growth rate dropped to 2.9 percent, where it averaged until 2009. Population growth dropped further to 2.2 percent between 2009 and 2019.

Population growth and fertility rates

Lower population growth rates in recent years can be attributed partly to declining fertility rates. As women get fewer children than they used to get before, the population grows more slowly.

According to the United Nations, fertility rates are projected to decline from 3.2 births per woman in 2024 to 2.9 births per woman in 2028. The chart below highlights Kenya's historical and projected fertility rates from 1950 to 2100. 

Besides the slow population growth rates, the 2019 census was unique since three genders were tallied for the first time. Initially, only males and females were counted in the census. In 2019, a third gender, intersex, was introduced. 

Facts from the 2019 census

1. Number of males – 23,548,056
2. Number of females – 24,014,716
3. Number of intersex people – 1,524
4. Number of households – 12,143,913
5. Average household size – 3.9 people per household
6. Kenya’s Land area (sq. km) – 580,876.3 Km²
7. Population density – 82 people per Km²
8. The most populous county – Nairobi County, with 4,397,073 people
9. The least populous county – Lamu County, with 143,920 people

Population by county

The 47 Kenyan counties were first introduced by the Constitution of Kenya 2010, making the 2019 census the first to tally the population of Kenya by county and subcounty. Counties replaced provinces as Kenya’s subnational administrative units.

Counties with the highest population in Kenya were Nairobi at 4,397,073, Kiambu at 2,417,735, Nakuru at 2,162,202, Kakamega at 1,867,579, and Bungoma at 1,670,570.

Counties with the lowest population in Kenya were Lamu, with a population of 143,920, Isiolo 268,002, Samburu 310,327; Tana River, 315,943; Taita Taveta 340,671; and Tharaka Nithi, 393,177.

The table below shows the population distribution in Kenya by county in 2019.^[2]

 See Also

1. The Population of Kenya 2024
2. Population of Kenya 1950 – 2100
3. Population density by county
4. Number of households in Kenya
5. Total Fertility Rate by County

References

1. KNBS. (2022). 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census: Population by county and subcounty (Vol. I, pp. 5 - 6).
2. KNBS. (2022). 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census: Population by county and subcounty (Vol. I, p. 7).