While the East African region, including Kenya, is one of first regions believed to have modern humans inhabit it, population growth in the region remained slow to non-existent throughout the 19th century; in the past hundred years, however, Kenya’s population has seen an exponential increase in size, going from 2.65 million in 1920, to an estimated 53.77 million in 2020.
Along with this population growth, Kenya has seen rapid urbanization and industrialization, particularly in recent decades. The metropolitan area of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, with an estimated population of 9.35 million in 2020, now contains on its own over three and a half times the population of the entire country just a century earlier.
Population of Kenya from 1800 to 2020
(in millions)
Characteristic
Population in millions
2020
53.77
2019
52.57
2018
51.39
2017
50.22
2016
49.05
2015
47.88
2014
46.7
2013
45.52
2012
44.34
2011
43.18
2010
42.03
2009
40.9
2008
39.79
2007
38.71
2006
37.65
2005
36.62
2004
35.64
2003
34.68
2002
33.75
2001
32.85
2000
31.96
1999
31.1
1998
30.25
1997
29.42
1996
28.59
1995
27.77
1994
26.95
1993
26.14
1992
25.33
1991
24.52
1990
23.72
1989
22.94
1988
22.15
1987
21.38
1986
20.62
1985
19.88
1984
19.15
1983
18.43
1982
17.74
1981
17.06
1980
16.42
1979
15.8
1978
15.21
1977
14.64
1976
14.1
1975
13.58
1974
13.08
1973
12.6
1972
12.15
1971
11.71
1970
11.3
1969
10.91
1968
10.54
1967
10.19
1966
9.85
1965
9.53
1964
9.22
1963
8.93
1962
8.65
1961
8.38
1960
8.12
1959
7.87
1958
7.64
1957
7.41
1956
7.2
1955
6.99
1954
6.79
1953
6.6
1952
6.42
1951
6.24
1950
6.08
1949
5.73
1948
5.39
1947
5.22
1946
5.05
1945
4.9
1944
4.74
1943
4.59
1942
4.45
1941
4.31
1940
4.17
1939
4.04
1938
3.91
1937
3.79
1936
3.67
1935
3.56
1934
3.44
1933
3.34
1932
3.23
1931
3.14
1930
3.08
1929
3.03
1928
2.98
1927
2.93
1926
2.88
1925
2.83
1924
2.78
1923
2.74
1922
2.69
1921
2.66
1920
2.65
1919
2.65
1918
2.65
1917
2.65
1916
2.65
1915
2.65
1914
2.64
1913
2.64
1912
2.64
1911
2.64
1910
2.64
1909
2.64
1908
2.64
1907
2.64
1906
2.64
1905
2.63
1904
2.63
1903
2.63
1902
2.63
1901
2.63
1900
2.63
1899
2.63
1898
2.63
1897
2.63
1896
2.62
1895
2.62
1894
2.62
1893
2.62
1892
2.62
1891
2.62
1890
2.62
1889
2.62
1888
2.62
1887
2.61
1886
2.61
1885
2.61
1884
2.61
1883
2.61
1882
2.61
1881
2.61
1880
2.61
1879
2.61
1878
2.6
1877
2.6
1876
2.6
1875
2.6
1874
2.6
1873
2.6
1872
2.6
1871
2.6
1870
2.6
1869
2.6
1868
2.59
1867
2.59
1866
2.59
1865
2.59
1864
2.59
1863
2.59
1862
2.59
1861
2.59
1860
2.59
1859
2.58
1858
2.58
1857
2.58
1856
2.58
1855
2.58
1854
2.58
1853
2.58
1852
2.58
1851
2.58
1850
2.57
1849
2.57
1848
2.57
1847
2.57
1846
2.57
1845
2.57
1844
2.57
1843
2.57
1842
2.57
1841
2.57
1840
2.57
1839
2.57
1838
2.57
1837
2.57
1836
2.57
1835
2.57
1834
2.57
1833
2.57
1832
2.57
1831
2.57
1830
2.57
1829
2.57
1828
2.57
1827
2.57
1826
2.57
1825
2.57
1824
2.57
1823
2.57
1822
2.57
1821
2.57
1820
2.57
1819
2.57
1818
2.57
1817
2.57
1816
2.57
1815
2.57
1814
2.57
1813
2.57
1812
2.57
1811
2.57
1810
2.57
1809
2.57
1808
2.57
1807
2.57
1806
2.57
1805
2.57
1804
2.57
1803
2.57
1802
2.57
1801
2.57
1800
2.57
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Gapminder, & UN DESA. (August 31, 2019). Population of Kenya from 1800 to 2020 (in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066959/population-kenya-historical/
Gapminder, und UN DESA. "Population of Kenya from 1800 to 2020 (in millions)." Chart. August 31, 2019. Statista. Accessed December 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066959/population-kenya-historical/
Gapminder, UN DESA. (2019). Population of Kenya from 1800 to 2020 (in millions). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066959/population-kenya-historical/
Gapminder, and UN DESA. "Population of Kenya from 1800 to 2020 (in Millions)." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Aug 2019, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066959/population-kenya-historical/
Gapminder & UN DESA, Population of Kenya from 1800 to 2020 (in millions) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066959/population-kenya-historical/ (last visited December 22, 2024)
Population of Kenya from 1800 to 2020 (in millions) [Graph], Gapminder, & UN DESA, August 31, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066959/population-kenya-historical/