Gender Inequality Index in Kenya
Kenya: Gender Inequality Index was 0.526 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Gender Inequality Index in Kenya, 1999–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 0.526 for gender inequality index in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender inequality index in Kenya peaked at 0.684 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 0.526, in 2023.
That places Kenya 28th out of 169 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Gender Inequality Index in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 0.682 | — |
| 2000 | 0.683 | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 0.684 | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 0.681 | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 0.649 | -4.7% |
| 2004 | 0.648 | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 0.647 | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 0.64 | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 0.636 | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 0.617 | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 0.61 | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 0.607 | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 0.603 | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 0.601 | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 0.568 | -5.5% |
| 2014 | 0.562 | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 0.551 | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 0.547 | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 0.536 | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 0.538 | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 0.535 | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 0.533 | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 0.533 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.527 | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 0.526 | -0.2% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 0.526 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.492, 1.1× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 0.526 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.526, 1.0× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.682 | 0.682 | 0.682 | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.6495 | 0.61 | 0.684 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5648 | 0.535 | 0.607 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.5298 | 0.526 | 0.533 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
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 gender inequality index in Kenya?
- Gender inequality index in Kenya was 0.526 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gender inequality index recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 0.684 in 2001.
- What is the lowest gender inequality index recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.526 in 2023.
- How does Kenya rank for gender inequality index?
- Kenya ranks 28th out of 169 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gender inequality index rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gender Inequality Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
This index captures gender-based disadvantage in reproductive health, empowerment and the labor market; ranges from 0 (full equality) to 1 (maximum inequality), representing the share of potential human development lost because of gender gaps.