People displaced internally by natural disasters in Kenya
Kenya: People displaced internally by natural disasters was 641,000 number of cases in 2023. ◆ Volatile
People displaced internally by natural disasters in Kenya, 2008–2023
Source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in number of cases.
Analysis
The most recent figure for people displaced internally by natural disasters in Kenya is 641,000 number of cases, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 101.6% on the previous year and up 256.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people displaced internally by natural disasters in Kenya peaked at 641,000 number of cases in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1,400 number of cases, in 2014.
Kenya ranks 12th of 146 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
People displaced internally by natural disasters in Kenya, year by year
| Year | number of cases | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 10,000 number of cases | — |
| 2009 | 92,000 number of cases | +820.0% |
| 2010 | 54,000 number of cases | -41.3% |
| 2011 | 19,000 number of cases | -64.8% |
| 2012 | 98,000 number of cases | +415.8% |
| 2013 | 180,000 number of cases | +83.7% |
| 2014 | 1,400 number of cases | -99.2% |
| 2015 | 105,000 number of cases | +7400.0% |
| 2016 | 49,000 number of cases | -53.3% |
| 2017 | 35,000 number of cases | -28.6% |
| 2018 | 336,000 number of cases | +860.0% |
| 2019 | 74,000 number of cases | -78.0% |
| 2020 | 335,000 number of cases | +352.7% |
| 2021 | 36,000 number of cases | -89.3% |
| 2022 | 318,000 number of cases | +783.3% |
| 2023 | 641,000 number of cases | +101.6% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 641,000 number of cases is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9,300 number of cases, 68.9× the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 641,000 number of cases is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 22,500 number of cases, 28.5× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where People displaced internally by natural disasters 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | +7400.0% | 1,400 number of cases | 105,000 number of cases |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 51,000 number of cases | 10,000 number of cases | 92,000 number of cases | 2 |
| 2010s | 95,140 number of cases | 1,400 number of cases | 336,000 number of cases | 10 |
| 2020s | 332,500 number of cases | 36,000 number of cases | 641,000 number of cases | 4 |
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 people displaced internally by natural disasters in Kenya?
- People displaced internally by natural disasters in Kenya was 641,000 number of cases in 2023, according to Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest people displaced internally by natural disasters recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 641,000 number of cases in 2023.
- What is the lowest people displaced internally by natural disasters recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,400 number of cases in 2014.
- How does Kenya rank for people displaced internally by natural disasters?
- Kenya ranks 12th out of 146 countries with data for 2023.
- Is people displaced internally by natural disasters rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 256.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People displaced internally by natural disasters. 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
Internally-displaced persons are defined as people or groups of people who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, as a result of natural or human-made disasters and who have not crossed an international border.