Youth mortality rate in Kenya
Kenya: Youth mortality rate was 4.31 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
4.31 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
48th
of 199 countries
All-time high
18.56 deaths per 100 live births
in 1966
All-time low
4.31 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
59
1966–2024
Youth mortality rate in Kenya, 1966–2024
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100 live births.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 4.31 deaths per 100 live births for youth mortality rate in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 59 years on record.
The figure is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 23.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth mortality rate in Kenya peaked at 18.56 deaths per 100 live births in 1966 and was at its lowest, 4.31 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
That places Kenya 48th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 59 years of available data.
Youth mortality rate in Kenya, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 18.56 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1967 | 18.18 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1968 | 17.79 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1969 | 17.4 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1970 | 17 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1971 | 16.59 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1972 | 16.17 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1973 | 15.72 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1974 | 15.26 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 14.79 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1976 | 14.31 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1977 | 13.83 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 1978 | 13.35 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 1979 | 12.9 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 1980 | 12.48 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1981 | 12.1 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1982 | 11.76 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1983 | 11.47 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1984 | 11.24 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 1985 | 11.08 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 11.02 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 11.05 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 11.19 deaths per 100 live births | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 11.43 deaths per 100 live births | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 11.6 deaths per 100 live births | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 11.93 deaths per 100 live births | +2.8% |
| 1992 | 12.22 deaths per 100 live births | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 12.43 deaths per 100 live births | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 12.52 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 12.49 deaths per 100 live births | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 12.35 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 12.13 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 11.82 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1999 | 11.44 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2000 | 10.97 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 2001 | 10.46 deaths per 100 live births | -4.7% |
| 2002 | 9.91 deaths per 100 live births | -5.2% |
| 2003 | 9.37 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 2004 | 8.84 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 2005 | 8.3 deaths per 100 live births | -6.2% |
| 2006 | 7.81 deaths per 100 live births | -5.8% |
| 2007 | 7.37 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 2008 | 6.84 deaths per 100 live births | -7.2% |
| 2009 | 6.52 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 2010 | 6.28 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 2011 | 6.09 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 5.95 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 5.79 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 5.63 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 5.43 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 2016 | 5.25 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 5.13 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 4.98 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 2019 | 4.84 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 4.74 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 4.62 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 4.52 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 4.4 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 2024 | 4.31 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 4.31 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.47 deaths per 100 live births, 96% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 4.31 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.18 deaths per 100 live births, 70% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 17.98 deaths per 100 live births | 17.4 deaths per 100 live births | 18.56 deaths per 100 live births | 4 |
| 1970s | 14.99 deaths per 100 live births | 12.9 deaths per 100 live births | 17 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.48 deaths per 100 live births | 11.02 deaths per 100 live births | 12.48 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.09 deaths per 100 live births | 11.44 deaths per 100 live births | 12.52 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.64 deaths per 100 live births | 6.52 deaths per 100 live births | 10.97 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.54 deaths per 100 live births | 4.84 deaths per 100 live births | 6.28 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.52 deaths per 100 live births | 4.31 deaths per 100 live births | 4.74 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 45 Senegal 4.48 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 46 Congo 4.47 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 47 Mauritania 4.34 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 49 Turkmenistan 4.26 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 50 Rwanda 4.18 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 51 Myanmar 4.07 deaths per 100 live births 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 youth mortality rate in Kenya?
- Youth mortality rate in Kenya was 4.31 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest youth mortality rate recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 18.56 deaths per 100 live births in 1966.
- What is the lowest youth mortality rate recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.31 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Kenya rank for youth mortality rate?
- Kenya ranks 48th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is youth mortality rate rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Youth mortality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated number of deaths of children aged under fifteen years, per 100 live births.