Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Kenya
Kenya: Distribution of population between different poverty lines was 75,514 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
75,514 people
Change on year
down 5.2%
World rank
90th
of 120 countries
All-time high
476,189 people
in 1992
All-time low
11,320 people
in 2020
Years of data
8
1992–2022
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Kenya, 1992–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2022, distribution of population between different poverty lines in Kenya stood at 75,514 people.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.2% on the previous year and down 28.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of population between different poverty lines in Kenya peaked at 476,189 people in 1992 and was at its lowest, 11,320 people, in 2020.
Kenya ranks 90th of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Kenya, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 476,189 people | — |
| 1994 | 137,001 people | -71.2% |
| 1997 | 261,442 people | +90.8% |
| 2005 | 216,822 people | -17.1% |
| 2015 | 105,427 people | -51.4% |
| 2020 | 11,320 people | -89.3% |
| 2021 | 79,617 people | +603.3% |
| 2022 | 75,514 people | -5.2% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 75,514 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 109,270 people, 69% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 75,514 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 19,498 people, 3.9× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 291,544 people | 137,001 people | 476,189 people | 3 |
| 2000s | 216,822 people | 216,822 people | 216,822 people | 1 |
| 2010s | 105,427 people | 105,427 people | 105,427 people | 1 |
| 2020s | 55,484 people | 11,320 people | 79,617 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 87 Botswana 84,350 people compare
- 88 Tajikistan 78,239 people compare
- 89 Azerbaijan 76,016 people compare
- 91 Mongolia 72,342 people compare
- 92 Senegal 60,277 people compare
- 93 North Macedonia 59,649 people compare
More poverty & inequality data for Kenya
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 3 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 3.21 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 1,758 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 18.96 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 16.07 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 16.1% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is distribution of population between different poverty lines in Kenya?
- Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Kenya was 75,514 people in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 476,189 people in 1992.
- What is the lowest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 11,320 people in 2020.
- How does Kenya rank for distribution of population between different poverty lines?
- Kenya ranks 90th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is distribution of population between different poverty lines rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Distribution of population between different poverty lines. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $40 per day.