Number of under-five deaths in Kenya
Kenya: Number of under-five deaths was 58,200 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
58,200
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
21st
of 197 countries
All-time high
115,868
in 1997
All-time low
58,200
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Number of under-five deaths in Kenya, 1960–2024
Source: UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Analysis
Kenya recorded 58,200 for number of under-five deaths in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 17.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of under-five deaths in Kenya peaked at 115,868 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 58,200, in 2024.
Kenya ranks 21st of 197 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Number of under-five deaths in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 77,890 | — |
| 1961 | 77,612 | -0.4% |
| 1962 | 77,693 | +0.1% |
| 1963 | 78,016 | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 78,669 | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 79,737 | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 81,068 | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 82,264 | +1.5% |
| 1968 | 83,268 | +1.2% |
| 1969 | 84,152 | +1.1% |
| 1970 | 84,882 | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 85,453 | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 85,676 | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 85,398 | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 84,846 | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 84,245 | -0.7% |
| 1976 | 83,549 | -0.8% |
| 1977 | 82,717 | -1.0% |
| 1978 | 81,844 | -1.1% |
| 1979 | 81,140 | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 80,637 | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 80,374 | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 80,377 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 80,437 | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 80,995 | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 82,211 | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 84,139 | +2.3% |
| 1987 | 86,848 | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 90,329 | +4.0% |
| 1989 | 94,489 | +4.6% |
| 1990 | 99,084 | +4.9% |
| 1991 | 103,629 | +4.6% |
| 1992 | 107,606 | +3.8% |
| 1993 | 110,784 | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 113,031 | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 114,637 | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 115,644 | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 115,868 | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 115,598 | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 114,493 | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 112,375 | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 109,919 | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 106,917 | -2.7% |
| 2003 | 103,354 | -3.3% |
| 2004 | 99,522 | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 95,317 | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 91,648 | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 88,400 | -3.5% |
| 2008 | 83,380 | -5.7% |
| 2009 | 80,929 | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 78,869 | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 76,898 | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 74,959 | -2.5% |
| 2013 | 72,409 | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 70,157 | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 67,816 | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 65,826 | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 64,726 | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 63,264 | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 61,659 | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 60,654 | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 59,936 | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 59,428 | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 58,636 | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 58,200 | -0.7% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 58,200 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9,859, 5.9× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 58,200 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 31,761, 1.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 80,037 | 77,612 | 84,152 | 10 |
| 1970s | 83,975 | 81,140 | 85,676 | 10 |
| 1980s | 84,084 | 80,374 | 94,489 | 10 |
| 1990s | 111,037 | 99,084 | 115,868 | 10 |
| 2000s | 97,176 | 80,929 | 112,375 | 10 |
| 2010s | 69,658 | 61,659 | 78,869 | 10 |
| 2020s | 59,371 | 58,200 | 60,654 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 18 Cote d'Ivoire 63,784 compare
- 19 Madagascar 61,923 compare
- 20 Cameroon 61,508 compare
- 22 Burkina Faso 54,009 compare
- 23 China 53,968 compare
- 24 Egypt 53,943 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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 16,059 (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)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.063 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of under-five deaths in Kenya?
- Number of under-five deaths in Kenya was 58,200 in 2024, according to UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- What is the highest number of under-five deaths recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 115,868 in 1997.
- What is the lowest number of under-five deaths recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 58,200 in 2024.
- How does Kenya rank for number of under-five deaths?
- Kenya ranks 21st out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of under-five deaths rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), published as part of Number of under-five deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of children dying before reaching age five.