Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Kenya
Kenya: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line was 45.5% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Kenya, 1992–2022
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
In 2022, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Kenya stood at 45.5%.
That represents a change of down 1.9% on the previous year and up 11.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Kenya peaked at 46.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 38.4%, in 1997.
That places Kenya 9th out of 123 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 39.3% | — |
| 1994 | 38.6% | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 38.4% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 44.6% | +16.1% |
| 2015 | 41.0% | -8.1% |
| 2020 | 44.4% | +8.3% |
| 2021 | 46.4% | +4.5% |
| 2022 | 45.5% | -1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 38.8% | 38.4% | 39.3% | 3 |
| 2000s | 44.6% | 44.6% | 44.6% | 1 |
| 2010s | 41.0% | 41.0% | 41.0% | 1 |
| 2020s | 45.4% | 44.4% | 46.4% | 3 |
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 poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Kenya?
- Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Kenya was 45.5% in 2022, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 46.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.4% in 1997.
- How does Kenya rank for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
- Kenya ranks 9th out of 123 countries with data for 2022.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2021 U.S. dollars and defined as max($3.00, $1.30 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $3.00. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.