Coverage of essential health services in Kenya
Kenya: Coverage of essential health services was 57 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Coverage of essential health services in Kenya, 2000–2023
Source: Universal Health Coverage Dataset, WHO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, coverage of essential health services in Kenya stood at 57. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is up 7.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, coverage of essential health services in Kenya peaked at 57 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 28, in 2001.
Kenya ranks 145th of 193 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Coverage of essential health services in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 29 | — |
| 2001 | 28 | -3.4% |
| 2002 | 29 | +3.6% |
| 2003 | 28 | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 31 | +10.7% |
| 2005 | 36 | +16.1% |
| 2006 | 41 | +13.9% |
| 2007 | 43 | +4.9% |
| 2008 | 44 | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 45 | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 46 | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 52 | +13.0% |
| 2012 | 54 | +3.8% |
| 2013 | 53 | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 53 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 53 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 55 | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 56 | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 54 | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 52 | -3.7% |
| 2020 | 49 | -5.8% |
| 2021 | 53 | +8.2% |
| 2022 | 57 | +7.5% |
| 2023 | 57 | +0.0% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 57 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 56, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 57 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 48, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 35.4 | 28 | 45 | 10 |
| 2010s | 52.8 | 46 | 56 | 10 |
| 2020s | 54 | 49 | 57 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
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)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 89 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0621 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is coverage of essential health services in Kenya?
- Coverage of essential health services in Kenya was 57 in 2023, according to Universal Health Coverage Dataset, WHO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest coverage of essential health services recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 57 in 2022.
- What is the lowest coverage of essential health services recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 28 in 2001.
- How does Kenya rank for coverage of essential health services?
- Kenya ranks 145th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is coverage of essential health services rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Universal Health Coverage Dataset, WHO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Coverage of essential health services. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Coverage of essential health services is measured as an index on a scale of 0 to 100 (where higher is better). This index is based on risk-standardized death rates – which give a measure of healthcare access and quality – and whether common interventions are carried out.