Air passengers in Kenya

Kenya: Air passengers was 5.14 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
5.14 million
Change on year
up 37.8%
World rank
61st
of 183 countries
All-time high
6.42 million
in 2019
All-time low
171,500
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023

Air passengers in Kenya, 1970–2023

02.0M4.0M6.0M197019962023

Source: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for air passengers in Kenya is 5.14 million, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 37.8% on the previous year and up 13.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, air passengers in Kenya peaked at 6.42 million in 2019 and was at its lowest, 171,500, in 1970.

That places Kenya 61st out of 183 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 308,900 171,500 449,600 10
1980s 541,440 391,300 760,500 10
1990s 864,960 721,400 1.36 million 10
2000s 2.21 million 1.42 million 2.95 million 10
2010s 4.90 million 4.04 million 6.42 million 10
2020s 3.30 million 1.87 million 5.14 million 4

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 58 Bahrain 5.73 million compare
  2. 59 Bolivia 5.60 million compare
  3. 60 Nigeria 5.27 million compare
  4. 62 Uzbekistan 4.85 million compare
  5. 63 Ecuador 4.57 million compare
  6. 64 Latvia 4.48 million compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More reference data data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is air passengers in Kenya?
Air passengers in Kenya was 5.14 million in 2023, according to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest air passengers recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 6.42 million in 2019.
What is the lowest air passengers recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 171,500 in 1970.
How does Kenya rank for air passengers?
Kenya ranks 61st out of 183 countries with data for 2023.
Is air passengers rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is up 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Kenya data come from?
The figures come from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Air passengers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Air passengers
Source
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
183 places, 7,925 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

Domestic and international passengers of airlines registered in the country. Passengers counted each time they travel.