Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths in Kenya
Kenya: Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths was 571,316 children in 2024. ▲ Rising
Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths in Kenya, 1990–2024
Source: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in children.
Analysis
In 2024, children orphaned due to aids deaths in Kenya stood at 571,316 children.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.5% on the previous year and down 44.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, children orphaned due to aids deaths in Kenya peaked at 1.24 million children in 2007 and was at its lowest, 58,818 children, in 1990.
Kenya ranks 6th of 139 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths in Kenya, year by year
| Year | children | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 58,818 children | — |
| 1991 | 88,485 children | +50.4% |
| 1992 | 129,092 children | +45.9% |
| 1993 | 182,505 children | +41.4% |
| 1994 | 250,211 children | +37.1% |
| 1995 | 331,341 children | +32.4% |
| 1996 | 422,868 children | +27.6% |
| 1997 | 522,185 children | +23.5% |
| 1998 | 626,554 children | +20.0% |
| 1999 | 731,567 children | +16.8% |
| 2000 | 832,547 children | +13.8% |
| 2001 | 926,863 children | +11.3% |
| 2002 | 1.01 million children | +9.2% |
| 2003 | 1.09 million children | +7.3% |
| 2004 | 1.15 million children | +5.7% |
| 2005 | 1.19 million children | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 1.23 million children | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 1.24 million children | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 1.24 million children | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 1.22 million children | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 1.19 million children | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 1.15 million children | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 1.11 million children | -3.7% |
| 2013 | 1.07 million children | -3.7% |
| 2014 | 1.03 million children | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 987,480 children | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 934,138 children | -5.4% |
| 2017 | 876,804 children | -6.1% |
| 2018 | 816,603 children | -6.9% |
| 2019 | 767,147 children | -6.1% |
| 2020 | 726,526 children | -5.3% |
| 2021 | 694,480 children | -4.4% |
| 2022 | 654,192 children | -5.8% |
| 2023 | 610,822 children | -6.6% |
| 2024 | 571,316 children | -6.5% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 571,316 children is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 38,246 children, 14.9× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 571,316 children is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 83,352 children, 6.9× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 334,363 children | 58,818 children | 731,567 children | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.11 million children | 832,547 children | 1.24 million children | 10 |
| 2010s | 992,251 children | 767,147 children | 1.19 million children | 10 |
| 2020s | 651,467 children | 571,316 children | 726,526 children | 5 |
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 children orphaned due to aids deaths in Kenya?
- Children orphaned due to aids deaths in Kenya was 571,316 children in 2024, according to Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest children orphaned due to aids deaths recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 1.24 million children in 2007.
- What is the lowest children orphaned due to aids deaths recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 58,818 children in 1990.
- How does Kenya rank for children orphaned due to aids deaths?
- Kenya ranks 6th out of 139 countries with data for 2024.
- Is children orphaned due to aids deaths rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 44.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Number of children, aged 17 and under, who have been orphaned by the death of one or both parents from AIDS at any point in their lives. This is the central estimate.