Sub-Saharan Africa

Kenya: official statistics and sources

16 official bodies for Kenya, from Kenya National Bureau of Statistics to Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, with key figures from the World Bank and IMF. Official languages: English, Swahili. Capital: Nairobi.

Who holds power in Kenya

• Head of state: William Samoei Ruto (President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces)
• Head of government: William Samoei Ruto (Head of Government of the Republic of Kenya)
• Foreign minister: Musalia Mudavadi (Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs of the Republic of Kenya)

Source: UN Protocol and Liaison Service list, dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.

Unitary presidential republic with devolved county governments. How local power works in Kenya: 5 tiers of government below the nation, who is elected and who they answer to.

Part of level 6 of the 10 levels of power.

Government, regions and cities

• Government and power in Kenya: leaders, governance scores, women in parliament, spending and the bodies that hold power to account
• All 54 former provinces: Rift Valley (former province), Eastern (former province), Nyanza (former province), Central (former province), Western (former province)…
• The 22 largest cities: Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Ruiru, Eldoret

Key figures

What the figures show

World Bank data give a population of 57.5 million for Kenya in 2025, against 47.1 million in 2015. Of the 48 UN members in the World Bank's Sub-Saharan Africa region, 5 have more people; worldwide it comes 26th.

Kenya's economy produced $135.9 billion of goods and services in 2025, in current US dollars. That works out at $2,363 a head; the regional median is $1,351.

Real GDP grew by 4.6% in 2025, World Bank figures show. For 2026 the IMF expects 4.5%.

Across 2025 the annual rate was 4.1%. The IMF forecasts 6.0% for 2026.

The ILO's modelled unemployment rate for 2025 is 5.4%; the national statistics office may publish a different figure from its own survey.

The IMF records general government gross debt of 71.3% of GDP for 2025, compared with a median of 53.1% across the World Bank's Sub-Saharan Africa region; its 2026 projection is 72.9%.

Life expectancy at birth: 63.8 years (2024).

• Annual inflation since 2015: highest 8.0% (2017), lowest 4.1% (2025).
• Debt ratio 2015: 45.8%; 2025: 71.3%.
• GDP per person in dollars, 2015 to 2025: +59%.

Figures checked 2026-10-13; how they are compiled.

Official sources in Kenya

Statistics office prices, jobs, people, output

• Kenya National Bureau of Statistics
  Kenya's official statistics, including the consumer price index, GDP, the census and labour force surveys.

Central bank interest rates and money

• Central Bank of Kenya (Banki Kuu ya Kenya)
  Central Bank Rate decisions, exchange rates, monetary policy statements and bank supervision reports.

Parliament debates, votes, bills

• Parliament of Kenya (Bunge la Kenya)
  Hansard, bills, order papers and committee reports of the National Assembly and the Senate.

Government

• President of the Republic of Kenya
  Presidential speeches, executive orders and press statements.

Laws and the official gazette the text of laws

• Kenya Law (National Council for Law Reporting)
  Laws of Kenya, the Kenya Gazette, court judgments and law reports.

Courts judgments

• Judiciary of Kenya (Supreme Court)
  Information on the Supreme Court and other courts, cause lists and judiciary reports.

Public audit how public money was spent

• Office of the Auditor-General
  Audit reports on national and county government accounts.

Elections results and rules

• Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission
  Election results, voter registration data and boundary information.

Regulators

• Capital Markets Authority
  Capital markets regulations, licensee lists and market statistics.
• Competition Authority of Kenya
  Merger determinations, competition enforcement and consumer protection decisions.
• Office of the Data Protection Commissioner
  Data-protection registration, guidance notes and determinations.
• Communications Authority of Kenya
  ICT sector regulations, licences and quarterly sector statistics.

Ombudsman

• Commission on Administrative Justice (Office of the Ombudsman)
  Investigation reports and complaint data on administrative injustice in public offices.

Public registers companies, land, charities

• Business Registration Service
  Registration and search of companies, business names, partnerships and movable-property security rights.
• Ardhisasa (Ministry of Lands national land information system)
  Online land search, title registration and land administration services.

Public contracts government tenders and awards

• Public Procurement Regulatory Authority
  Procurement regulations, debarred firms, review decisions and the public tenders portal. Data.

What Kenya does not have

• The Public Benefit Organizations Regulatory Authority (formerly the NGOs Co-ordination Board) keeps the register of NGOs, but its website could not be confirmed on 13 October 2026.
• Asset declarations are filed with employers and the EACC but are not published.
• No register of lobbyists exists.
• Case law is published by Kenya Law, already listed under legislation.

Also: World Bank country data · IMF country page · UN Sustainable Development Goals country profile · IPU Parline parliament profile.

Kenya by subject

• Economy GDP, growth, trade and investment
• Jobs and pay unemployment, jobs and work
• Cost of living inflation, poverty and inequality
• Public finances debt, deficit, tax and spending
• Health and care life expectancy, doctors and spending
• Housing homes, cities, water and power
• Crime and justice murder rate, courts and crime
• Immigration migrants, refugees and remittances
• Education schools, universities and literacy
• Environment emissions, air, forests and water

Questions people ask about Kenya

• What is the population of Kenya?
• What is the inflation rate in Kenya?
• What is Kenya's GDP and growth rate?
• What is the Kenya shilling exchange rate today?
• What is the Central Bank Rate in Kenya?
• What is Kenya's GDP per capita?
• What are the PAYE tax rates in Kenya?
• What is the unemployment rate in Kenya?

All 15 questions answered

Guides to Kenya's main sources

• Central Bank of Kenya (CBK)
  Use the Central Bank of Kenya for the Central Bank Rate, daily shilling exchange rates, inflation, lending rates and Treasury bill auctions.
• Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS)
  What the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics publishes, including the census, CPI, quarterly GDP, the Economic Survey and household surveys.
• Parliament of Kenya
  How to use the Parliament of Kenya website for members of the National Assembly and Senate, bills, Hansard, order papers and budget documents.
• Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA)
  Kenya Revenue Authority guidance on PAYE income tax bands, reliefs and other tax rates, and how to check a tax claim.

Common questions

What is the population of Kenya?

57.5 million (2025, World Bank). National figures: Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

What is the inflation rate in Kenya?

4.1% (2025, World Bank). Official index: Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

What is Kenya's GDP?

$135.9 billion (2025, World Bank).

How much government debt does Kenya have?

71.3% of GDP (2025, International Monetary Fund).

Who publishes official statistics in Kenya?

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics: https://www.knbs.or.ke/

What is the central bank of Kenya?

Central Bank of Kenya (Banki Kuu ya Kenya): https://www.centralbank.go.ke/

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