Eastern Africa

Kenya

Summary

Explore how common child marriage is throughout the country, how levels have changed over time, and how the situation in this country compares to others.

Absolute number

Prevalence

1 million

Married by 15: Number of girls and women (left) and percentage of women 20-24 years (right) married before age 15

2%
3.9 million

Married by 18: Number of girls and women (left) and percentage of women 20-24 years (right) married before age 18

13%

Prevalence of child marriage

  • Eastern Africa
  • Kenya
Child marriage age
Data table
YearEastern AfricaKenya
199727.6%
199946.2%
200227.0%
200443.5%
200729.7%
200944.6%
201225.5%
201442.1%
201720.3%
201937.4%
202212.5%
202432.4%
Child marriage age

Kenya

Child Marriage
Prevalence

Residence

  • Urban
  • Rural
Residence Data table
YearUrbanRural
20229.0%15.8%

Wealth

  • Poorest
  • Second
  • Middle
  • Fourth
  • Richest
Wealth Data table
YearPoorestSecondMiddleFourthRichest
202228.7%16.7%12.8%8.1%6.2%

Education

  • No schooling
  • Primary education
  • Secondary or higher
Education Data table
YearNo schoolingPrimary educationSecondary or higher
202245.5%34.3%5.5%
Child marriage age

Compare regions of Kenya

Understand differences inside the country

Touch the timeline to see how the child marriage affect differently each sub-region of Kenya in the last decades.

Levels of child marriage vary across different parts of Kenya. See the range of values within the country, and explore the map for details.

Prevalence of child marriage

Compare regions of Kenya

Understand differences
inside the country

Child marriage age

Region with no data

2022

Prevalence of child marriage in each region of Kenya in 2022

0%100%
Map view not available for this data

Region with no data

2022

Prevalence of child marriage in each region of Kenya in 2022

0%100%
Data table
YearNairobiMombasaKwaleKilifiTanaLamuTaitaGarissaWajirManderaMarsabitIsioloMeruTharaka-NithiEmbuKituiMachakosMakueniNyandaruaNyeriKirinyagaMurang'aKiambuTurkanaWestSamburuTransUasinElgeyo-MarakwetNandiBaringoLaikipiaNakuruNarokKajiadoKerichoBometKakamegaVihigaBungomaBusiaSiayaKisumuHomaMigoriKisiiNyamira
8.0%8.1%26.7%19.4%42.9%20.8%19.9%29.7%29.1%27.9%40.0%23.1%27.2%11.6%7.1%9.7%3.8%2.4%8.7%9.5%12.4%8.1%6.0%26.1%23.5%36.7%11.2%5.4%9.9%10.1%13.5%15.0%9.5%16.0%18.0%14.9%17.5%8.4%11.1%12.2%12.9%7.9%11.1%17.1%29.4%16.3%18.6%
Child marriage age

Compare countries

How does Kenya compare to other countries?

Prevalence of child marriage

  • Kenya
Child marriage age
Data table
YearKenya
199727.6%
200227.0%
200729.7%
201225.5%
201720.3%
202212.5%

Residence

Child marriage prevalence

Review the data to find if girls living in rural areas are more likely to marry in childhood than girls in urban areas

Data table
CountryUrbanRuralTotal prevalence
Kenya9.0%15.8%12.5%
Perspective
Child marriage age

For more data related to child marriage, please see the child marriage country profiles available on the UNICEF Data website

UNICEF Data

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Where does child marriage occur?

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