Natalie Cowling
Research Expert South Africa
Kenya - Statistics & Facts
Kenya is a sovereign Republic and former British colony located in East Africa, bordering five countries: Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Kenya was named after Mount Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa. Furthermore, the country shares the world’s third largest lake (Victoria), with Tanzania and Uganda.
Kenya was the first East African country to grow from low-income status to lower middle-income status and was listed as one of the top ten performing economies in Africa. However, Kenya also had the largest share of low-paid workers among key employees worldwide.
Population growth and fertility rate
Kenya is the seventh most populated country in Africa. The capital city Nairobi had the largest distribution of the population, followed by Mombasa and Nakuru. The population growth rate has gradually decreased overall since 2012, as has the fertility rate. The latter is still comparatively high on a global scale; however, it dips below average in comparison to the average fertility rate in Africa.Human development and the state of the economy
The Human Development Index (HDI) in 2022, placed Kenya at the lower end of the medium spectrum. Despite the country’s continual improvement in national gross income per capita, the problem of income inequality between urban and rural areas still exists, and is one of the main factor affecting the HDI’s income component. Kenya’s economy has shown resilience regardless of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic beginning in 2020, with the agriculture sector’s value added to the GDP assisting in cushioning the blow. The extreme poverty rate is predicted to gradually decrease over the next six years, after a setback brought on by the pandemic, which resulted in many job losses.Economic growth
Kenya is the biggest economy and the most industrialized country in East and Central Africa. It has consistently maintained a growth rate of over five percent, reaching almost six percent in 2023, with accommodation and food services being the main contributing sector. Small-scale consumer goods, agricultural products, processing, and tourism form part of this sector. The highlands of Kenya are one of the regions with the highest agricultural production in Africa, with tea and horticultural produce being the most valuable exports. Agriculture, including forestry and fishing, generates a third of the country’s GDP, and provides employment for over three quarters of Kenyans.Kenya was the first East African country to grow from low-income status to lower middle-income status and was listed as one of the top ten performing economies in Africa. However, Kenya also had the largest share of low-paid workers among key employees worldwide.
