Annual death rates in people of different ages, by sex in Kenya
Kenya: Annual death rates in people of different ages, by sex was 26.9 deaths per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
26.9 deaths per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
44th
of 236 countries
All-time high
160.47 deaths per 1,000 people
in 1950
All-time low
26.9 deaths per 1,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Annual death rates in people of different ages, by sex in Kenya, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 1,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual death rates in people of different ages, by sex in Kenya is 26.9 deaths per 1,000 people, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and down 19.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual death rates in people of different ages, by sex in Kenya peaked at 160.47 deaths per 1,000 people in 1950 and was at its lowest, 26.9 deaths per 1,000 people, in 2023.
That places Kenya 44th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Annual death rates in people of different ages, by sex in Kenya, year by year
| Year | deaths per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 160.47 deaths per 1,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 156.14 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 1952 | 151.72 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 1953 | 146.92 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1954 | 141.98 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.4% |
| 1955 | 136.92 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 1956 | 131.87 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.7% |
| 1957 | 126.95 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.7% |
| 1958 | 122.32 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 1959 | 117.89 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 1960 | 113.82 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.5% |
| 1961 | 110.15 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1962 | 106.92 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.9% |
| 1963 | 104.09 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1964 | 101.68 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 1965 | 99.56 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 1966 | 97.69 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 1967 | 95.95 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 1968 | 94.31 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 1969 | 92.66 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 1970 | 90.96 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 1971 | 89.17 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 1972 | 87.27 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 1973 | 85.26 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 1974 | 83.14 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 1975 | 80.94 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1976 | 78.66 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 1977 | 76.38 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.9% |
| 1978 | 74 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 1979 | 71.75 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 1980 | 69.62 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.0% |
| 1981 | 67.68 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 1982 | 66 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 1983 | 64.49 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 1984 | 63.34 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 1985 | 62.58 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1986 | 62.19 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 62.23 deaths per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 62.68 deaths per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 63.48 deaths per 1,000 people | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 64.51 deaths per 1,000 people | +1.6% |
| 1991 | 65.59 deaths per 1,000 people | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 66.61 deaths per 1,000 people | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 67.37 deaths per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 67.71 deaths per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 67.64 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 67.09 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 66.11 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 64.68 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 1999 | 62.66 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 2000 | 60.4 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 2001 | 57.86 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.2% |
| 2002 | 55.17 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.7% |
| 2003 | 52.32 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.2% |
| 2004 | 49.53 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.3% |
| 2005 | 46.75 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.6% |
| 2006 | 44.19 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.5% |
| 2007 | 41.78 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.4% |
| 2008 | 39.69 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.0% |
| 2009 | 37.87 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.6% |
| 2010 | 36.46 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.7% |
| 2011 | 35.24 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.3% |
| 2012 | 34.29 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 33.46 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 32.62 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 2015 | 31.87 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 31.11 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 30.41 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 29.75 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 29.12 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 28.58 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 27.94 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 27.39 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2023 | 26.9 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 139.32 deaths per 1,000 people | 117.89 deaths per 1,000 people | 160.47 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 101.68 deaths per 1,000 people | 92.66 deaths per 1,000 people | 113.82 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 81.75 deaths per 1,000 people | 71.75 deaths per 1,000 people | 90.96 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 64.43 deaths per 1,000 people | 62.19 deaths per 1,000 people | 69.62 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 66 deaths per 1,000 people | 62.66 deaths per 1,000 people | 67.71 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 48.56 deaths per 1,000 people | 37.87 deaths per 1,000 people | 60.4 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.43 deaths per 1,000 people | 29.12 deaths per 1,000 people | 36.46 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.7 deaths per 1,000 people | 26.9 deaths per 1,000 people | 28.58 deaths per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 41 Mauritania 28.04 deaths per 1,000 people compare
- 42 Ghana 27.82 deaths per 1,000 people compare
- 43 Turkmenistan 27.56 deaths per 1,000 people compare
- 45 Tanzania, United Republic of 26.51 deaths per 1,000 people compare
- 46 Malawi 26.49 deaths per 1,000 people compare
- 47 Gambia 26.44 deaths per 1,000 people compare
More health data for Kenya
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6026 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,119 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 16,059 deaths (2100)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 3,992 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, per capita 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 27 (2024)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2024)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 751 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual death rates in people of different ages, by sex in Kenya?
- Annual death rates in people of different ages, by sex in Kenya was 26.9 deaths per 1,000 people in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual death rates in people of different ages, by sex recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 160.47 deaths per 1,000 people in 1950.
- What is the lowest annual death rates in people of different ages, by sex recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.9 deaths per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does Kenya rank for annual death rates in people of different ages, by sex?
- Kenya ranks 44th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual death rates in people of different ages, by sex rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual death rates in people of different ages, by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Death rate, calculated as the number of deaths divided by the average number of people alive during the interval.