Demographics of Kenya

This article is about the demographic features of the population of Kenya, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

A Maasai man

Kenya has a very diverse population that includes most major ethnic and linguistic groups of Africa. Traditional pastoralists, rural farmers, Muslims, Christians, and urban residents of Nairobi and other cities contribute to the cosmopolitan culture. The standard of living in major cities, once relatively high compared to much of Sub-Saharan Africa, has been declining in recent years. Most city workers retain links with their rural, extended families and leave the city periodically to help work on the family farm. About 75 % of the work force is engaged in agriculture, mainly as subsistence farmers. The national motto of Kenya is Harambee, meaning "pull together." In that spirit, volunteers in hundreds of communities build schools, clinics, and other facilities each year and collect funds to send students abroad.

The seven state universities enroll about 40,000 students, representing some 25 % of the Kenyan students who qualify for admission.

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Population

37,538,817
note: estimates for this country, explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)

Age structure

• 0-14 years: 42.6 % (male 7,454,765; female 7,322,130)
• 15-64 years: 55.1 % (male 9,631,488; female 9,508,068)
• 65 years and over: 2.3 % (male 359,354; female 432,012) (2006 est.)

Population growth rate

2.57 % (2006 est.) 1.53

Birth rate

39.72 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate

14.02 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (on ave.) note: according to the UNHCR, by the end of 2005 Kenya was host to 233,778 refugees from neighbouring countries, including Somalia 153,627, Sudan 67,556, Ethiopia 12,595 (2006 est.)

Sex ratio

• at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
• under 16 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
• 15-64 years: ? male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate

59.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Malnourished population

32%

Life expectancy at birth

• total population: 48.93 years
• male: 49.78 years
• female: 48.07 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Nationality

• noun: Kenyan(s)
• adjective: Kenyan

Ethnic groups

Main article: List of tribes of Kenya

Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, [[Kalenjin people|12%,Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab) 1%

Religions

Protestant 45 %, Roman Catholic 33 %, indigenous beliefs 10 %, Muslim 10 %, Bahá'í Faith about 1% Buddhism 0.3 %, other 2 %
note: a large majority of Kenyans are Christian, but estimates for the percentage of the population that adheres to Islam or indigenous beliefs vary widely

Languages

English (official), Swahili (national), numerous indigenous languages

Literacy

• definition: age 15 and over can read and write
• total population: 85.1 %
• male: 90.6 %
• female: 79.7 % (2003 est.)

References

1989 KENYA POPULATION CENSUS http://www.cbs.go.ke/ www.minorityrights.org/download.php?id=147

 This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook (2025 ed.). CIA. (Archived 2006 edition.)

External links

• Kenya: Minorities, Indigenous Peoples and Ethnic Diversity, report by Minority Rights Group, 2005