Median age in Kenya
Kenya: Median age was 19.53 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
19.53 years
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
198th
of 236 countries
All-time high
19.53 years
in 2023
All-time low
13.19 years
in 1974
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Median age in Kenya, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 19.53 years for median age in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, median age in Kenya peaked at 19.53 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 13.19 years, in 1974.
Kenya ranks 198th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Median age in Kenya, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 15.99 years | — |
| 1951 | 16.04 years | +0.3% |
| 1952 | 16.04 years | -0.0% |
| 1953 | 15.98 years | -0.4% |
| 1954 | 15.86 years | -0.7% |
| 1955 | 15.71 years | -1.0% |
| 1956 | 15.52 years | -1.2% |
| 1957 | 15.3 years | -1.4% |
| 1958 | 15.06 years | -1.6% |
| 1959 | 14.8 years | -1.7% |
| 1960 | 14.59 years | -1.4% |
| 1961 | 14.42 years | -1.2% |
| 1962 | 14.28 years | -1.0% |
| 1963 | 14.15 years | -0.9% |
| 1964 | 14.07 years | -0.6% |
| 1965 | 13.93 years | -1.0% |
| 1966 | 13.72 years | -1.5% |
| 1967 | 13.57 years | -1.1% |
| 1968 | 13.46 years | -0.8% |
| 1969 | 13.39 years | -0.6% |
| 1970 | 13.33 years | -0.4% |
| 1971 | 13.27 years | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 13.22 years | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 13.2 years | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 13.19 years | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 13.19 years | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 13.19 years | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 13.22 years | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 13.28 years | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 13.34 years | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 13.42 years | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 13.5 years | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 13.59 years | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 13.68 years | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 13.78 years | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 13.87 years | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 13.96 years | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 14.03 years | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 14.12 years | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 14.21 years | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 14.32 years | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 14.43 years | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 14.54 years | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 14.66 years | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 14.79 years | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 14.92 years | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 15.04 years | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 15.15 years | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 15.28 years | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 15.41 years | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 15.56 years | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 15.73 years | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 15.88 years | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 16.03 years | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 16.19 years | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 16.33 years | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 16.47 years | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 16.58 years | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 16.69 years | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 16.79 years | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 16.89 years | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 17 years | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 17.13 years | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 17.28 years | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 17.46 years | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 17.65 years | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 17.85 years | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 18.06 years | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 18.29 years | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 18.54 years | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 18.78 years | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 19.02 years | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 19.27 years | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 19.53 years | +1.3% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 19.53 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 21.43 years, 91% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 19.53 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.22 years, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 15.63 years | 14.8 years | 16.04 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 13.96 years | 13.39 years | 14.59 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 13.24 years | 13.19 years | 13.34 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.82 years | 13.42 years | 14.21 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.85 years | 14.32 years | 15.41 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.23 years | 15.56 years | 16.79 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.62 years | 16.89 years | 18.54 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.15 years | 18.78 years | 19.53 years | 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 median age in Kenya?
- Median age in Kenya was 19.53 years in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest median age recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 19.53 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest median age recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.19 years in 1974.
- How does Kenya rank for median age?
- Kenya ranks 198th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is median age rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Median age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Age that divides the population into two halves of equal size — half are younger and half are older.