The Sex Ratio at Death in Kenya by County

The sex ratio at death describes the number of male deaths in any given year for every 100 female deaths.

In Kenya, as well as most other countries, more males die every year compared to females. As a result, for every 100 women who die, there tends to be more than a hundred men who die.

The sex ratio at death is an essential vital statistic alongside the sex ratio at birth and the adult sex ratio.

Quick Facts

Kenya had a sex ratio at death of 126 in 2024.
The total number of registered deaths in Kenya was 206,417 in 2024.
The total number of registered male deaths in 2024 was 115,242.
The total number of registered female deaths in 2024 was 91,173.
The total number of intersex deaths in 2024 was 2.

Kenya’s sex ratio at death

According to Kenya’s Civil Registration Services, Kenya recorded a total of 206,417 deaths in 2024, consisting of 115,242 male deaths and 91,173 female deaths.^[1]

The sex ratio at death, therefore, was 126, which means for every 100 female deaths, there were 126 male deaths.

Line chart showing the sex ratio at death in Kenya from 2019 to 2024. In 2024, the sex ratio at death in Kenya was 126.

The sex ratio at death declined from 128 in 2023 to 126 in 2024.

The sex ratio in Kenya varies by age group.

From the chart below, we see that the sex ratio at death differed between age groups, with significantly more males than females dying between the ages of 20 and 29.

Within a month after birth, more females died than males, with the sex ratio at death being 99 male deaths for every 100 female deaths.

Throughout infancy, however, the number of male deaths begins to outpace female deaths, with the sex ratio at death rising to 107 male deaths for every 100 female deaths.

Column chart showing the sex ratios in Kenya at death by age group in 2024.

Throughout the lifespan, more male deaths occur at every age group than females, peaking between the ages of 20 and 24, when the sex ratio reaches 188.

For those above the age of 80 years, the sex ratio at death drops to 77, indicating significantly more female deaths than male deaths.

Grouped column chart showing the proportion of male and female deaths in Kenya by age and sex. More males than females die at every age group except 80+ and neonatal.

Overall, a higher adult mortality among males leads to a significantly lower life expectancy in men than women.

The number of registered deaths in Kenya by age group

The table below shows the number of registered deaths in Kenya in each group.

The highest number of deaths was recorded among women aged 80+ at 19,717, followed by males at 15,151 deaths.

Number of registered male and female deaths in Kenya by age group of the deceased.
*Age* *Group*	*Male* *Deaths*	*Female* *Deaths*
Neonatal	5,431	5,497
Infant	5,020	4,710
1 – 4	4,422	3,680
5 – 9	1,883	1,545
10 – 14	1,753	1,185
15 – 19	2,587	1,627
20 – 24	3,879	2,061
25 – 29	4,456	2,541
30 – 34	5,317	3,566
35 – 39	6,611	4,458
40 – 44^[2]
45 – 49	6,573	4,129
50 – 55	6,802	4,399
55 – 59	5,793	3,724
60 – 64	7,216	4,942
65 – 69	7,412	5,451
70 – 74	8,640	6,346
75 – 79	8,122	6,593
80+	15,151	19,717
N/S	1,657	1,203
*Total*	115,242	91,173

Note that there were two intersex deaths in 2024.