Political Polarization Score in Kenya

Kenya: Political Polarization Score was 0.669 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.669
Change on year
up 68.5%
World rank
74th
of 174 countries
All-time high
2.09
in 1952
All-time low
-2.08
in 1964
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Political Polarization Score in Kenya, 1900–2025

-2-1012190019622025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for political polarization score in Kenya is 0.669, measured in 2025.

The figure is up 68.5% on the previous year and up 1,215.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, political polarization score in Kenya peaked at 2.09 in 1952 and was at its lowest, -2.08, in 1964.

Kenya ranks 74th of 174 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0.672 0.672 0.672 10
1910s 0.672 0.672 0.672 10
1920s 1.14 0.672 1.19 10
1930s 1.19 1.19 1.19 10
1940s 1.19 1.19 1.19 10
1950s 1.91 1.19 2.09 10
1960s -0.8079 -2.08 1.71 10
1970s -1.6 -1.6 -1.6 10
1980s -1.6 -1.6 -1.6 10
1990s -0.0803 -0.885 0.232 10
2000s 0.2953 0.063 0.675 10
2010s 0.1483 -0.828 1.2 10
2020s 0.1963 -0.629 0.669 6

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 71 Montenegro 0.816 compare
  2. 72 Italy 0.748 compare
  3. 73 Guatemala 0.682 compare
  4. 75 Maldives 0.657 compare
  5. 76 Sierra Leone 0.639 compare
  6. 77 Vietnam 0.6 compare

See the full ranking of 174 places →

More reference data data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is political polarization score in Kenya?
Political polarization score in Kenya was 0.669 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest political polarization score recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 2.09 in 1952.
What is the lowest political polarization score recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was -2.08 in 1964.
How does Kenya rank for political polarization score?
Kenya ranks 74th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
Is political polarization score rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is up 1,215.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Kenya data come from?
The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Political Polarization Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Political Polarization Score
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
174 places, 20,575 data points, 1900–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate of the extent to which society is divided into hostile political camps, where political differences undermine social relationships and discourage interaction across ideological lines.