Prevalence of undernourishment in Kenya
Kenya: Prevalence of undernourishment was 36.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of undernourishment in Kenya, 2001–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
In 2023, prevalence of undernourishment in Kenya stood at 36.8%. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.2% on the previous year and up 94.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Kenya peaked at 36.8% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 18.9%, in 2013.
That places Kenya 8th out of 168 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Prevalence of undernourishment in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 31.8% | — |
| 2002 | 33.3% | +4.7% |
| 2003 | 34.5% | +3.6% |
| 2004 | 31.6% | -8.4% |
| 2005 | 28.0% | -11.4% |
| 2006 | 25.8% | -7.9% |
| 2007 | 26.8% | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 26.7% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 24.3% | -9.0% |
| 2010 | 21.7% | -10.7% |
| 2011 | 19.9% | -8.3% |
| 2012 | 19.1% | -4.0% |
| 2013 | 18.9% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 19.0% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 20.8% | +9.5% |
| 2016 | 22.2% | +6.7% |
| 2017 | 23.6% | +6.3% |
| 2018 | 22.9% | -3.0% |
| 2019 | 23.7% | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 26.3% | +11.0% |
| 2021 | 31.6% | +20.2% |
| 2022 | 35.3% | +11.7% |
| 2023 | 36.8% | +4.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 29.2% | 24.3% | 34.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 21.2% | 18.9% | 23.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.5% | 26.3% | 36.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 5 Syrian Arab Republic 39.0% compare
- 6 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 38.5% compare
- 7 Zambia 37.2% compare
- 9 Liberia 35.5% compare
- 10 Chad 32.0% compare
- 11 Central African Republic 29.8% 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)
- Population ages 30-34, female, annual growth rate 2.08 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, female, per capita 0.0368 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, male, annual growth rate 1.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, male, per capita 0.0353 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of undernourishment in Kenya?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in Kenya was 36.8% in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 36.8% in 2023.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.9% in 2013.
- How does Kenya rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- Kenya ranks 8th out of 168 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 94.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Prevalence of undernourishment is the percentage of the population whose habitual food consumption is insufficient to provide the dietary energy levels that are required to maintain a normal active and healthy life. Data showing as 2.5 may signify a prevalence of undernourishment below 2.5%.