Life expectancy at birth, female (years) in Kenya
Kenya: Life expectancy at birth, female (years) was 66.12 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
66.12 years
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
197th
of 218 countries
All-time high
66.12 years
in 2024
All-time low
49.91 years
in 1960
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Life expectancy at birth, female in Kenya, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2024, life expectancy at birth, female in Kenya stood at 66.12 years. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, female in Kenya peaked at 66.12 years in 2024 and was at its lowest, 49.91 years, in 1960.
That places Kenya 197th out of 218 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, female (years) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 49.91 years | — |
| 1961 | 50.78 years | +1.7% |
| 1962 | 51.57 years | +1.6% |
| 1963 | 52.23 years | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 52.82 years | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 53.36 years | +1.0% |
| 1966 | 53.8 years | +0.8% |
| 1967 | 54.15 years | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 54.72 years | +1.0% |
| 1969 | 55.13 years | +0.8% |
| 1970 | 55.55 years | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 56.07 years | +0.9% |
| 1972 | 56.64 years | +1.0% |
| 1973 | 57.21 years | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 57.81 years | +1.0% |
| 1975 | 58.4 years | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 58.99 years | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 59.58 years | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 60.16 years | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 60.59 years | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 61.05 years | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 61.42 years | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 61.75 years | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 62.1 years | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 62.39 years | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 62.6 years | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 62.64 years | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 62.63 years | -0.0% |
| 1988 | 62.34 years | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 61.99 years | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 60.01 years | -3.2% |
| 1991 | 59.49 years | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 58.8 years | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 58.21 years | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 57.38 years | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 56.87 years | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 56.26 years | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 56.17 years | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 56.31 years | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 56.62 years | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 56.76 years | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 57.26 years | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 57.6 years | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 58.18 years | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 58.85 years | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 59.52 years | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 60.23 years | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 60.81 years | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 61.45 years | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 62.05 years | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 62.58 years | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 63.06 years | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 63.37 years | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 63.62 years | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 63.97 years | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 64.34 years | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 64.67 years | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 64.93 years | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 65 years | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 65.1 years | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 64.24 years | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 63.64 years | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 65.87 years | +3.5% |
| 2023 | 65.92 years | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 66.12 years | +0.3% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 66.12 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 70.73 years, 93% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 66.12 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 66.92 years, 99% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 52.85 years | 49.91 years | 55.13 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 58.1 years | 55.55 years | 60.59 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 62.09 years | 61.05 years | 62.64 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 57.61 years | 56.17 years | 60.01 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 59.27 years | 56.76 years | 62.05 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 64.06 years | 62.58 years | 65.1 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.16 years | 63.64 years | 66.12 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 194 Mozambique 66.74 years compare
- 195 Guinea-Bissau 66.55 years compare
- 196 Cameroon 66.22 years compare
- 198 Equatorial Guinea 65.89 years compare
- 199 Burundi 65.88 years compare
- 200 Madagascar 65.6 years 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)
- 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 life expectancy at birth, female in Kenya?
- Life expectancy at birth, female in Kenya was 66.12 years in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, female recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 66.12 years in 2024.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, female recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.91 years in 1960.
- How does Kenya rank for life expectancy at birth, female?
- Kenya ranks 197th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy at birth, female rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, female (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.