EASTERN AFRICA

Kenya

Nairobi · pop. 53M · English, Swahili · Kenyan shilling

hunger

3.1 million people in crisis or worse

17% of the 18.3 million analysed · IPC, Jul 2026

Trajectories

economic complexity

#90

Sliding in the complexity rankings, from #73 in 1995.

2024 · −0.27

Harvard Growth Lab · thin line is the world’s median

the numbers30

when	value	change
1995high	0.03
1996	−0.12	−0.15 pts
1997	−0.29	−0.17 pts
1998	−0.23	+0.06 pts
1999	−0.22	0 pts
2000	−0.30	−0.08 pts
2001	−0.25	+0.05 pts
2002	−0.28	−0.03 pts
2003	−0.21	+0.07 pts
2004	−0.31	−0.10 pts
2005	−0.24	+0.07 pts
2006	−0.10	+0.14 pts
2007	−0.20	−0.10 pts
2008	−0.21	−0.01 pts
2009	−0.22	−0.01 pts
2010	−0.21	+0.02 pts
2011	−0.47	−0.27 pts
2012	−0.38	+0.09 pts
2013	−0.24	+0.14 pts
2014	−0.49	−0.25 pts
2015	−0.32	+0.17 pts
2016	−0.36	−0.04 pts
2017	−0.42	−0.07 pts
2018	−0.35	+0.07 pts
2019	−0.42	−0.07 pts
2020low	−0.50	−0.07 pts
2021	−0.45	+0.04 pts
2022	−0.46	−0.01 pts
2023	−0.40	+0.05 pts
2024latest	−0.27	+0.13 pts

economic momentum

$2,132

Quadrupled since 2000. GDP per head in 2024, in current US dollars.

2024 · $2,132

World Bank · thin line is the world’s median

the numbers35

when	value	change
1990	$374
1991	$345	−7.9%
1992	$337	−2.3%
1993low	$229	−32.0%
1994	$276	+20.7%
1995	$340	+23.0%
1996	$441	+29.5%
1997	$467	+5.9%
1998	$488	+4.5%
1999	$434	−11.1%
2000	$415	−4.4%
2001	$411	−0.9%
2002	$403	−1.9%
2003	$443	+9.9%
2004	$464	+4.7%
2005	$523	+12.9%
2006	$700	+33.7%
2007	$840	+20.1%
2008	$916	+9.0%
2009	$1,048	+14.5%
2010	$1,092	+4.2%
2011	$1,096	+0.4%
2012	$1,285	+17.2%
2013	$1,371	+6.7%
2014	$1,483	+8.2%
2015	$1,489	+0.4%
2016	$1,554	+4.4%
2017	$1,667	+7.3%
2018	$1,836	+10.1%
2019	$1,960	+6.7%
2020	$1,928	−1.7%
2021	$2,061	+6.9%
2022	$2,110	+2.3%
2023	$1,943	−7.9%
2024latest	$2,132	+9.8%

prices

4.5%

A year’s rise in consumer prices, in 2024. The world’s median was 3.1%.

2024 · 4.5%

World Bank · thin line is the world’s median

the numbers35

when	value	change
1990	17.8%
1991	20.1%	+2.30 pts
1992	27.3%	+7.25 pts
1993high	46.0%	+18.6 pts
1994	28.8%	−17.2 pts
1995low	1.6%	−27.3 pts
1996	8.9%	+7.31 pts
1997	11.4%	+2.50 pts
1998	6.7%	−4.64 pts
1999	5.7%	−0.98 pts
2000	10.0%	+4.24 pts
2001	5.7%	−4.24 pts
2002	2.0%	−3.78 pts
2003	9.8%	+7.85 pts
2004	11.6%	+1.81 pts
2005	10.3%	−1.31 pts
2006	14.5%	+4.14 pts
2007	9.8%	−4.69 pts
2008	26.2%	+16.5 pts
2009	9.2%	−17.0 pts
2010	4.0%	−5.27 pts
2011	14.0%	+10.1 pts
2012	9.4%	−4.64 pts
2013	5.7%	−3.66 pts
2014	6.9%	+1.16 pts
2015	6.6%	−0.30 pts
2016	6.3%	−0.28 pts
2017	8.0%	+1.71 pts
2018	4.7%	−3.32 pts
2019	5.2%	+0.55 pts
2020	5.4%	+0.17 pts
2021	6.1%	+0.70 pts
2022	7.7%	+1.55 pts
2023	7.7%	+0.01 pts
2024latest	4.5%	−3.18 pts

demographic curve

3.2 children per woman

Above replacement: still growing. Fell from 7.5 in 1980.

2024 · 3.2

World Bank · thin line is the world’s median · rule marks replacement (2.1)

the numbers65

when	value	change
1960	7.7
1961	7.7	+0.8%
1962	7.8	+0.7%
1963	7.8	+0.6%
1964	7.9	+0.7%
1965	7.9	+0.7%
1966high	8.0	+0.4%
1967	8.0	0.0%
1968	7.9	−0.1%
1969	7.9	0.0%
1970	7.9	−0.1%
1971	7.9	−0.3%
1972	7.9	−0.4%
1973	7.9	−0.4%
1974	7.8	−0.5%
1975	7.8	−0.3%
1976	7.8	−0.4%
1977	7.7	−0.5%
1978	7.7	−0.8%
1979	7.6	−0.9%
1980	7.5	−0.9%
1981	7.5	−1.0%
1982	7.3	−1.5%
1983	7.2	−1.7%
1984	7.1	−1.9%
1985	7.0	−1.7%
1986	6.8	−1.7%
1987	6.7	−2.3%
1988	6.5	−2.6%
1989	6.3	−2.8%
1990	6.1	−3.1%
1991	5.9	−3.2%
1992	5.7	−3.4%
1993	5.6	−3.0%
1994	5.4	−2.4%
1995	5.4	−1.2%
1996	5.3	−1.2%
1997	5.3	−0.7%
1998	5.2	−0.5%
1999	5.2	−1.3%
2000	5.1	−0.8%
2001	5.1	−0.8%
2002	5.0	−1.3%
2003	4.9	−1.8%
2004	4.9	−1.5%
2005	4.8	−1.2%
2006	4.8	−1.0%
2007	4.7	−0.8%
2008	4.7	−1.2%
2009	4.6	−2.0%
2010	4.4	−2.6%
2011	4.3	−3.6%
2012	4.1	−3.9%
2013	4.0	−3.9%
2014	3.8	−2.8%
2015	3.8	−2.0%
2016	3.7	−2.0%
2017	3.6	−2.2%
2018	3.5	−2.0%
2019	3.4	−2.9%
2020	3.4	−2.0%
2021	3.3	−1.5%
2022	3.3	−1.5%
2023	3.2	−1.7%
2024latest	3.2	−1.3%

Metrics

population

53M

27 of 176

REST Countries · UN data
gdp

$108B

64 of 170

World Bank · latest available
gdp per capita

$1,943

133 of 170

World Bank · latest available
military spending

$1B

74 of 151

SIPRI via World Bank
military % of gdp

1.0%

113 of 148

SIPRI via World Bank
area

580K km²

49 of 176

REST Countries
population density

91.4 /km²

71 of 176

zuhd — derived from population and area
life expectancy

63.6 yr

155 of 175

World Bank · latest available
internet access

35%

137 of 166

ITU via World Bank
co₂ per capita

0.38 t

137 of 163

World Bank · Climate Watch
urbanisation

32%

147 of 168

World Bank · UN DESA
fertility rate

3.2

45 of 168

World Bank · UN DESA
foreign-born share

1.8%

111 of 167

World Bank · UN DESA
remittances % of gdp

4.2%

52 of 155

World Bank · IMF BOP
r&d % of gdp

0.8%

44 of 123

UNESCO UIS via World Bank
researchers per million

384

78 of 118

UNESCO UIS via World Bank
scientific articles / yr

2.0K

71 of 168

NSF / World Bank
high-tech exports %

3%

104 of 153

World Bank · UN Comtrade
gini inequality

38.5

95 of 139

World Bank · PovcalNet
youth unemployment

15%

96 of 166

ILO via World Bank
democracy (v-dem)

0.45

66 of 163

V-Dem via Our World in Data
clean government

32

108 of 164

Transparency International via Our World in Data
press freedom

33.6

87 of 163

RSF via Our World in Data
human development

0.628

118 of 164

UNDP via Our World in Data
refugees hosted

604K

14 of 150

UNHCR via Our World in Data
refugees produced

12K

54 of 152

UNHCR via Our World in Data