Number of people who are undernourished in Kenya
Kenya: Number of people who are undernourished was 20.40 million millions in 2023. ▲ Rising
Number of people who are undernourished in Kenya, 2001–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in millions.
Analysis
In 2023, number of people who are undernourished in Kenya stood at 20.40 million millions. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.
The figure is up 6.2% on the previous year and up 140.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people who are undernourished in Kenya peaked at 20.40 million millions in 2023 and was at its lowest, 8.40 million millions, in 2012.
Kenya ranks 7th of 131 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Number of people who are undernourished in Kenya, year by year
| Year | millions | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 10.10 million millions | — |
| 2002 | 10.90 million millions | +7.9% |
| 2003 | 11.60 million millions | +6.4% |
| 2004 | 11.00 million millions | -5.2% |
| 2005 | 10.00 million millions | -9.1% |
| 2006 | 9.50 million millions | -5.0% |
| 2007 | 10.20 million millions | +7.4% |
| 2008 | 10.50 million millions | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 9.80 million millions | -6.7% |
| 2010 | 9.00 million millions | -8.2% |
| 2011 | 8.50 million millions | -5.6% |
| 2012 | 8.40 million millions | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 8.50 million millions | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 8.70 million millions | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 9.80 million millions | +12.6% |
| 2016 | 10.70 million millions | +9.2% |
| 2017 | 11.60 million millions | +8.4% |
| 2018 | 11.50 million millions | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 12.10 million millions | +5.2% |
| 2020 | 13.70 million millions | +13.2% |
| 2021 | 16.80 million millions | +22.6% |
| 2022 | 19.20 million millions | +14.3% |
| 2023 | 20.40 million millions | +6.2% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 20.40 million millions is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.60 million millions, 12.8× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 20.40 million millions is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.10 million millions, 9.7× the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10.40 million millions | 9.50 million millions | 11.60 million millions | 9 |
| 2010s | 9.88 million millions | 8.40 million millions | 12.10 million millions | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.52 million millions | 13.70 million millions | 20.40 million millions | 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 number of people who are undernourished in Kenya?
- Number of people who are undernourished in Kenya was 20.40 million millions in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people who are undernourished recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 20.40 million millions in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of people who are undernourished recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.40 million millions in 2012.
- How does Kenya rank for number of people who are undernourished?
- Kenya ranks 7th out of 131 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people who are undernourished rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 140.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people who are undernourished. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Undernourishment is measured as having a caloric intake that is insufficient to meet the minimum energy requirements necessary for a given individual.