Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Kenya
Kenya: Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median was 9.1% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Kenya, 1992–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 9.1% for relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in 2022.
The figure is up 4.5% on the previous year and down 34.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Kenya peaked at 21.6% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 8.7%, in 2021.
That places Kenya 87th out of 120 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 21.6% | — |
| 1994 | 17.6% | -18.7% |
| 1997 | 16.1% | -8.1% |
| 2005 | 16.9% | +4.9% |
| 2015 | 13.9% | -18.1% |
| 2020 | 10.3% | -25.6% |
| 2021 | 8.7% | -15.9% |
| 2022 | 9.1% | +4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.4% | 16.1% | 21.6% | 3 |
| 2000s | 16.9% | 16.9% | 16.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 13.9% | 13.9% | 13.9% | 1 |
| 2020s | 9.4% | 8.7% | 10.3% | 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 relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Kenya?
- Relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Kenya was 9.1% in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 21.6% in 1992.
- What is the lowest relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.7% in 2021.
- How does Kenya rank for relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median?
- Kenya ranks 87th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median. 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
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 50% of the median.