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Kenya: Urban population

In , Kenya's Urban population was 18.00 million.

That's up 2.8% from 2023, the highest value on record.

The global average for this indicator in 2024 was 21,512,598.26 . Kenya ranks #45 globally out of 217 reporting countries. Within Sub-Saharan Africa, it ranks #8 of 48.

Source: World Bank Open Data (SP.URB.TOTL) • Data as of 2024

Trend (2005–2024)

Kenya Urban population trend 2020: COVID-19 pandemic
  • 2020 · COVID-19 pandemic

Highlights

Peak
18.00M
Trough
9.76M
1-year change
+2.8%
5-year change
+12.7%
+2.4% / yr
10-year change
+22.9%
+2.1% / yr

Historical Data — Last 10 Years

Year Urban population
17.999M
17.505M
17.052M
16.651M
16.295M
15.970M
15.762M
15.516M
15.236M
14.943M

About Urban population

Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.

Indicator code: SP.URB.TOTLCategory: Health & Population

Frequently asked questions

What was Kenya's Urban population in 2024?
In 2024, Kenya's Urban population was 18.00 million, according to World Bank Open Data.
Is Kenya's Urban population rising or falling?
Kenya's Urban population rose 2.8% from 2023 to 2024.
How does Kenya rank globally on Urban population?
In 2024, Kenya ranked #45 out of 217 countries reporting Urban population.
How does Kenya's Urban population compare to the world average?
The global average for Urban population in 2024 was 21.51 million, so Kenya is below the world average. Within Sub-Saharan Africa, it ranks #8 of 48.
What is Urban population and how is it measured?
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.
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Source: World Bank Open Data (SP.URB.TOTL), CC BY 4.0.