Poverty and living standards in Mandera, Kenya: official figures
72.9% of people in Mandera lived below the overall poverty line in 2022, about 674,000 people; 2nd highest of Kenya's 47 counties (Kenya: 39.8%, 20.16 million people). The line is the cost of basic food and non-food needs per adult per month.
How many people in Mandera cannot afford enough food?
60.4% of Mandera's residents were food poor in 2022, unable to afford the minimum daily food energy requirement, and 24.8% were in hardcore poverty, unable to afford it even if they spent everything on food (Kenya: 31.7% and 7.1%).
Source: Kenya National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyHow many children in Mandera live in poverty?
Child poverty is higher: 78.8% of children under 18 in Mandera lived in poor households in 2022 (Kenya: 42.4%).
Source: Kenya National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyHow unequal is Mandera?
Inequality in spending, measured by the Gini index, was 25.3 in Mandera in 2022, against 34.5 in 2015/16 (Kenya: 38.4; 0 means everyone spends the same).
Source: Kenya National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyDo families in Mandera go hungry?
44.2% of households in Mandera said they had lacked food or money to buy food in the week before the 2022 Demographic and Health Survey, joint 9th highest of Kenya's 47 counties (Kenya: 28.8%), and 10.2% received a cash transfer or social assistance (Kenya: 16.8%).
Source: Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and Ministry of Health (with ICF) · saved copyDo people in Mandera have clean water and toilets?
54.0% of people in Mandera had at least basic drinking water (an improved source within a 30-minute round trip) in 2022, 17th lowest of Kenya's 47 counties (Kenya: 67.9%); 35.7% had at least a basic toilet not shared with other households (Kenya: 40.9%), and 27.1% had no toilet at all.
Source: Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and Ministry of Health (with ICF) · saved copyWhat do households in Mandera cook with?
1.0% of people in Mandera lived in homes that mainly cook with clean fuels such as gas or electricity in 2022, 2nd lowest of Kenya's 47 counties (Kenya: 23.8%); most others cook with wood or charcoal.
Source: Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and Ministry of Health (with ICF) · saved copyHow Mandera compares with other counties
People below the overall poverty line (2022)
Mandera ranks 2 of 47, highest first.
| Rank | Region | People below the overall poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turkana | 82.7% |
| 2 | Mandera | 72.9% |
| 3 | Samburu | 71.9% |
| 4 | Garissa | 67.8% |
| 5 | Tana River | 66.7% |
| 6 | Marsabit | 66.1% |
| 7 | Wajir | 64.7% |
People with at least basic drinking water (2022)
Mandera ranks 31 of 47, highest first.
| Rank | Region | People with at least basic drinking water |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | Homa Bay | 57.2% |
| 29 | Busia | 57.1% |
| 30 | Nyamira | 55.6% |
| 31 | Mandera | 54.0% |
| 32 | Wajir | 52.9% |
| 33 | Migori | 52.9% |
| 34 | Mombasa | 52.4% |
More on Mandera: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · Kenya
Sources
- Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and Ministry of Health (with ICF): Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022, Volume 1: county tables (C tables), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 202dd70451a0…)
- Kenya National Bureau of Statistics: The Kenya Poverty Report 2022 (2022 Kenya Continuous Household Survey): Tables 3.2 and 4.6, Annex Tables A1, B1, C1 and E.2, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e3298f81209a…)
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