Wealth share of the richest 1% in Kenya
Kenya: Wealth share of the richest 1% was 25.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
25.9%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
129th
of 215 countries
All-time high
46.9%
in 1970
All-time low
24.8%
in 2020
Years of data
56
1820–2024
Wealth share of the richest 1% in Kenya, 1820–2024
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for wealth share of the richest 1% in Kenya is 25.9%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wealth share of the richest 1% in Kenya peaked at 46.9% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 24.8%, in 2020.
Kenya ranks 129th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 56 years of available data.
Wealth share of the richest 1% in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 41.8% | — |
| 1850 | 43.6% | +4.4% |
| 1880 | 45.7% | +4.7% |
| 1900 | 45.7% | +0.1% |
| 1910 | 45.6% | -0.2% |
| 1920 | 45.7% | +0.2% |
| 1930 | 45.8% | +0.2% |
| 1940 | 45.9% | +0.2% |
| 1950 | 46.1% | +0.3% |
| 1960 | 46.8% | +1.5% |
| 1970 | 46.9% | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 40.2% | -14.3% |
| 1981 | 40.2% | -0.0% |
| 1982 | 40.2% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 40.2% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 40.2% | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 40.2% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 40.2% | -0.0% |
| 1987 | 40.2% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 40.2% | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 40.2% | -0.0% |
| 1990 | 40.2% | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 40.2% | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 40.2% | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 38.6% | -3.9% |
| 1994 | 29.6% | -23.5% |
| 1995 | 30.5% | +3.1% |
| 1996 | 31.3% | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 32.4% | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 32.6% | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 32.7% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 32.8% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 32.9% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 32.9% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 33.3% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 33.5% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 33.6% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 32.4% | -3.5% |
| 2007 | 31.8% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 31.1% | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 30.6% | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 30.1% | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 29.6% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 29.0% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 28.5% | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 28.0% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 26.9% | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 26.4% | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 25.9% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 25.6% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 25.2% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 24.8% | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 28.1% | +13.1% |
| 2022 | 25.9% | -7.7% |
| 2023 | 25.9% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 25.9% | +0.0% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 25.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 27.2%, 95% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 25.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 26.3%, 99% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 41.8% | 41.8% | 41.8% | 1 |
| 1850s | 43.6% | 43.6% | 43.6% | 1 |
| 1880s | 45.7% | 45.7% | 45.7% | 1 |
| 1900s | 45.7% | 45.7% | 45.7% | 1 |
| 1910s | 45.6% | 45.6% | 45.6% | 1 |
| 1920s | 45.7% | 45.7% | 45.7% | 1 |
| 1930s | 45.8% | 45.8% | 45.8% | 1 |
| 1940s | 45.9% | 45.9% | 45.9% | 1 |
| 1950s | 46.1% | 46.1% | 46.1% | 1 |
| 1960s | 46.8% | 46.8% | 46.8% | 1 |
| 1970s | 46.9% | 46.9% | 46.9% | 1 |
| 1980s | 40.2% | 40.2% | 40.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 34.8% | 29.6% | 40.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.5% | 30.6% | 33.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.5% | 25.2% | 30.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.1% | 24.8% | 28.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 126 South Korea 26.1% compare
- 127 Burkina Faso 26.1% compare
- 128 Mauritius 26.0% compare
- 130 Burundi 25.9% compare
- 131 Libya 25.9% compare
- 132 Sierra Leone 25.8% compare
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 wealth share of the richest 1% in Kenya?
- Wealth share of the richest 1% in Kenya was 25.9% in 2024, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest wealth share of the richest 1% recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 46.9% in 1970.
- What is the lowest wealth share of the richest 1% recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.8% in 2020.
- How does Kenya rank for wealth share of the richest 1%?
- Kenya ranks 129th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is wealth share of the richest 1% rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Wealth share of the richest 1%. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Share of wealth owned by the richest 1% of the population. Wealth is defined as the total value of non-financial and financial assets (housing, land, deposits, bonds, equities, etc.) held by households, minus their debts.