Contraceptive usage: modern methods vs. any methods in Kenya
Kenya: Contraceptive usage: modern methods vs. any methods was 56.9% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Contraceptive usage: modern methods vs. any methods in Kenya, 1978–2022
Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and UN Population Division, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of women ages 15-49.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 56.9% for contraceptive usage: modern methods vs. any methods in 2022.
The figure is down 6.4% on the previous year and up 7.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, contraceptive usage: modern methods vs. any methods in Kenya peaked at 61.8% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 4.4%, in 1978.
Kenya ranks 34th of 113 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Contraceptive usage: modern methods vs. any methods in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of women ages 15-49 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 4.4% | — |
| 1984 | 9.7% | +120.5% |
| 1989 | 17.9% | +84.5% |
| 1993 | 27.3% | +52.5% |
| 1998 | 31.5% | +15.4% |
| 2003 | 31.5% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 39.4% | +25.1% |
| 2014 | 53.2% | +35.0% |
| 2015 | 61.8% | +16.2% |
| 2016 | 59.3% | -4.1% |
| 2017 | 58.5% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 59.9% | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 57.1% | -4.8% |
| 2020 | 61.2% | +7.2% |
| 2021 | 60.8% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 56.9% | -6.4% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 56.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 45.1%, 1.3× the median. (37 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 56.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25.3%, 2.3× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Contraceptive usage: modern methods vs. any methods in Kenya changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | +120.5% | 4.4% | 9.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 1 |
| 1980s | 13.8% | 9.7% | 17.9% | 2 |
| 1990s | 29.4% | 27.3% | 31.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 35.5% | 31.5% | 39.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 58.3% | 53.2% | 61.8% | 6 |
| 2020s | 59.6% | 56.9% | 61.2% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More reference data data for Kenya
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5379 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 12.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 14.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.377 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 14.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 58.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 68.95 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.05 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is contraceptive usage: modern methods vs. any methods in Kenya?
- Contraceptive usage: modern methods vs. any methods in Kenya was 56.9% in 2022, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and UN Population Division, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest contraceptive usage: modern methods vs. any methods recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 61.8% in 2015.
- What is the lowest contraceptive usage: modern methods vs. any methods recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.4% in 1978.
- How does Kenya rank for contraceptive usage: modern methods vs. any methods?
- Kenya ranks 34th out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is contraceptive usage: modern methods vs. any methods rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and UN Population Division, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Contraceptive usage: modern methods vs. any methods. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated share of women using contraceptive methods, among those aged 15–49 and married or in union. This is compared between modern methods and any method (modern or traditional).