Childhood stunting rates in Kenya

Kenya: Childhood stunting rates was 24.5% in 2015. ▼ Falling

Latest (2015)
24.5%
World rank
9th
of 34 countries
All-time high
43.8%
in 1985
All-time low
24.5%
in 2015
Years of data
5
1975–2015

Childhood stunting rates in Kenya, 1975–2015

0102030401975199520151975: 43.1 %1985: 43.8 %1995: 42.5 %2005: 35.1 %2015: 24.5 %

Source: Schneider et al. (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for childhood stunting rates in Kenya is 24.5%, measured in 2015. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

The figure is down 30.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, childhood stunting rates in Kenya peaked at 43.8% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 24.5%, in 2015.

Kenya ranks 9th of 34 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 43.1% 43.1% 43.1% 1
1980s 43.8% 43.8% 43.8% 1
1990s 42.5% 42.5% 42.5% 1
2000s 35.1% 35.1% 35.1% 1
2010s 24.5% 24.5% 24.5% 1

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 6 Myanmar 33.0% compare
  2. 7 Vietnam 24.7% compare
  3. 8 Haiti 24.6% compare
  4. 10 Egypt 22.5% compare
  5. 11 Ghana 21.6% compare
  6. 12 South Africa 20.7% compare

See the full ranking of 34 places →

More reference data data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is childhood stunting rates in Kenya?
Childhood stunting rates in Kenya was 24.5% in 2015, according to Schneider et al. (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest childhood stunting rates recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 43.8% in 1985.
What is the lowest childhood stunting rates recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 24.5% in 2015.
How does Kenya rank for childhood stunting rates?
Kenya ranks 9th out of 34 countries with data for 2015.
Is childhood stunting rates rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is down 30.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Kenya data come from?
The figures come from Schneider et al. (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Childhood stunting rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Childhood stunting rates
Unit
%
Source
Schneider et al. (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
34 places, 204 data points, 1895–2015
Last refreshed

Share of children between 2 and 10 years old who are stunted, so shorter than would be expected for their age. Stunting is a sign of long-term malnutrition or poor health in early childhood.