Share of women who are married or in a union in Kenya
Kenya: Share of women who are married or in a union was 7.6% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Share of women who are married or in a union in Kenya, 1970–2022
Source: United Nations (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, share of women who are married or in a union in Kenya stood at 7.6%. That is the lowest value across all 53 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.1% on the previous year and down 29.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are married or in a union in Kenya peaked at 18.4% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 7.6%, in 2022.
That places Kenya 95th out of 221 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 53 years of available data.
Share of women who are married or in a union in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 18.4% | — |
| 1971 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 18.4% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 18.1% | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 17.7% | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 17.4% | -1.9% |
| 1993 | 17.1% | -1.9% |
| 1994 | 16.7% | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 16.4% | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 16.1% | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 15.7% | -2.1% |
| 1998 | 15.4% | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 15.1% | -2.2% |
| 2000 | 14.8% | -2.2% |
| 2001 | 14.4% | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 14.1% | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 13.8% | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 13.4% | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 13.1% | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 12.8% | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 12.4% | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 12.1% | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 11.8% | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 11.5% | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 11.1% | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 10.8% | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 10.5% | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 10.2% | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 9.8% | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 9.5% | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 9.2% | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 8.9% | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 8.6% | -3.6% |
| 2020 | 8.2% | -3.8% |
| 2021 | 7.9% | -3.9% |
| 2022 | 7.6% | -4.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.4% | 18.4% | 18.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 18.4% | 18.4% | 18.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.6% | 15.1% | 18.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.3% | 11.8% | 14.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.0% | 8.6% | 11.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.9% | 7.6% | 8.2% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More gender data for Kenya
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 21,579 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.8794 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 740,912 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 751,960 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 725,839 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 736,424 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 712,907 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 723,661 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 702,473 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 712,985 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are married or in a union in Kenya?
- Share of women who are married or in a union in Kenya was 7.6% in 2022, according to United Nations (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of women who are married or in a union recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 18.4% in 1970.
- What is the lowest share of women who are married or in a union recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.6% in 2022.
- How does Kenya rank for share of women who are married or in a union?
- Kenya ranks 95th out of 221 countries with data for 2022.
- Is share of women who are married or in a union rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of women who are married or in a union. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Percentage of women aged 15-19 sharing a household with their partner, whether married, cohabiting, in consensual partnerships, or in other non-marital unions.