Total shortfall from extreme poverty in Kenya
Kenya: Total shortfall from extreme poverty was 8.18 billion international-$ in 2021 prices in 2022. ▲ Rising
Total shortfall from extreme poverty in Kenya, 1992–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in international-$ in 2021 prices.
Analysis
In 2022, total shortfall from extreme poverty in Kenya stood at 8.18 billion international-$ in 2021 prices. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 30.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total shortfall from extreme poverty in Kenya peaked at 8.18 billion international-$ in 2021 prices in 2022 and was at its lowest, 3.11 billion international-$ in 2021 prices, in 1997.
That places Kenya 10th out of 120 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.21 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 3.11 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 3.29 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 3 |
| 2000s | 6.59 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 6.59 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 6.59 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 1 |
| 2010s | 6.26 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 6.26 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 6.26 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 1 |
| 2020s | 8.05 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 7.85 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 8.18 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 3 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 7 Tanzania 10.50 billion international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 8 Madagascar 9.14 billion international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 9 Zambia 8.77 billion international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 11 Malawi 7.10 billion international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 12 Ghana 5.18 billion international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 13 Niger 5.08 billion international-$ in 2021 prices compare
More poverty & inequality data for Kenya
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 3 surveys (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)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 16.1% (2023)
- Gender Inequality Index 0.526 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in women 0.1827 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient by sex 0.1827 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in men 0.196 (2023)
- Share of government consumption in GDP vs. share of population living in extreme poverty 10.9% (2023)
- Income inequality: Atkinson index 0.3965 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total shortfall from extreme poverty in Kenya?
- Total shortfall from extreme poverty in Kenya was 8.18 billion international-$ in 2021 prices in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total shortfall from extreme poverty recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 8.18 billion international-$ in 2021 prices in 2022.
- What is the lowest total shortfall from extreme poverty recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.11 billion international-$ in 2021 prices in 1997.
- How does Kenya rank for total shortfall from extreme poverty?
- Kenya ranks 10th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is total shortfall from extreme poverty rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.5%. 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 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Total shortfall from extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This is the amount of money that would be theoretically needed to lift the income or consumption of all people in poverty up to $3 per day. However, this is not a measure of the actual cost of eliminating poverty, since it does not take into account the costs involved in making the necessary transfers nor any changes in behavior they would bring about.