Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Kenya

Kenya: Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care was 63.2% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
63.2%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
28th
of 134 countries
All-time high
78.2%
in 2004
All-time low
63.2%
in 2020
Years of data
18
2003–2020

Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Kenya, 2003–2020

0204060802003201120202003: 77.9 % of people at risk2004: 78.2 % of people at risk2005: 77.4 % of people at risk2006: 75.8 % of people at risk2007: 74.3 % of people at risk2008: 76.4 % of people at risk2009: 75.5 % of people at risk2010: 74.3 % of people at risk2011: 73.3 % of people at risk2012: 71.8 % of people at risk2013: 70.5 % of people at risk2014: 71.2 % of people at risk2015: 67.4 % of people at risk2016: 67 % of people at risk2017: 65.9 % of people at risk2018: 64.5 % of people at risk2019: 63.3 % of people at risk2020: 63.2 % of people at risk

Source: Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School. Measured in % of people at risk.

Analysis

Kenya recorded 63.2% for risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 18 years on record.

The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 14.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Kenya peaked at 78.2% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 63.2%, in 2020.

Kenya ranks 28th of 134 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 18 years of available data.

Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Kenya, year by year

Annual values for Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk) in Kenya, 2003 to 2020.
Year % of people at risk Change
2003 77.9%
2004 78.2% +0.4%
2005 77.4% -1.0%
2006 75.8% -2.1%
2007 74.3% -2.0%
2008 76.4% +2.8%
2009 75.5% -1.2%
2010 74.3% -1.6%
2011 73.3% -1.3%
2012 71.8% -2.0%
2013 70.5% -1.8%
2014 71.2% +1.0%
2015 67.4% -5.3%
2016 67.0% -0.6%
2017 65.9% -1.6%
2018 64.5% -2.1%
2019 63.3% -1.9%
2020 63.2% -0.2%

Kenya compared with similar countries

  • Kenya's 63.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 49.4%, 1.3× the median. (36 countries reporting)
  • Kenya's 63.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.3%, 90% of the median. (36 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 76.5% 74.3% 78.2% 7
2010s 68.9% 63.3% 74.3% 10
2020s 63.2% 63.2% 63.2% 1

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 25 Congo 68.0% compare
  2. 26 Bangladesh 67.3% compare
  3. 27 Benin 63.9% compare
  4. 29 Solomon Islands 57.8% compare
  5. 30 Mauritania 56.8% compare
  6. 31 Lesotho 56.4% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More health data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Kenya?
Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Kenya was 63.2% in 2020, according to Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School.
What is the highest risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 78.2% in 2004.
What is the lowest risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 63.2% in 2020.
How does Kenya rank for risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care?
Kenya ranks 28th out of 134 countries with data for 2020.
Is risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is down 14.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Kenya data come from?
The figures come from Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School, published as part of Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Kenya. Statizoid, drawing on Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/risk-of-impoverishing-expenditure-for-surgical-care-percent-of-people-at-risk/kenya/

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About this data

Indicator
Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk)
Unit
% of people at risk
Source
Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
173 places, 3,065 data points, 2003–2022
Last refreshed

The proportion of population at risk of impoverishing expenditure when surgical care is required. Impoverishing expenditure is defined as direct out of pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care which drive people below a poverty threshold (using a threshold of $2.15 PPP/day).