Kenya at its true size
Kenya covers 581,309 km², number 48 of 194 countries by area. Home to 57,532,493 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 581,309 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 57,532,493 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 99 per km² |
| Capital | Nairobi |
| Local time in Nairobi | |
| Time zone | UTC+3 IANA |
| Currency | Kenyan shilling (KES) Wikidata |
| Languages | English, Swahili |
| Traffic | On the left |
| Region | Eastern Africa, Africa |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Calling code | +254 |
| Codes | KE · KEN · 404 |
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Where Kenya ranks
Among the independent states, in 44 rankings. Each links to its table.
People
- Population#26 of 19458 million people#7 of 54 in Africa
- Population density#90 of 19499 people per km²#19 of 54 in Africa
- Urban population#165 of 19232% urban#43 of 54 in Africa
- Fertility rate#50 of 1923.17 births per woman#41 of 54 in Africa
- Population growth#50 of 192+1.93% a year#38 of 54 in Africa
- Birth rate#43 of 19227.0 births per 1,000 people#39 of 54 in Africa
- Death rate#94 of 1927.2 deaths per 1,000 people#24 of 54 in Africa
- Children under 15#45 of 19236.3% under 15#39 of 54 in Africa
- People over 65#171 of 1923.0% aged 65 and over#39 of 54 in Africa
- Net migration#100 of 192−0.5 per 1,000 people#21 of 54 in Africa
- Refugees abroad#96 of 1900.23 refugees abroad per 1,000 people#36 of 54 in Africa
Health & education
- Life expectancy#171 of 19263.8 years#34 of 54 in Africa
- Infant mortality#37 of 19134.2 infant deaths per 1,000 live births#32 of 54 in Africa
- Doctors#138 of 1780.29 doctors per 1,000 people#17 of 51 in Africa
- University enrolment#130 of 14510.4% gross enrolment#16 of 29 in Africa
- Human Development Index#140 of 190an index of 0.628#17 of 54 in Africa
Economy
- GNI per capita#146 of 185$2,200 a person#23 of 52 in Africa
- Internet users#158 of 18435% online#30 of 52 in Africa
- GDP per capita (PPP)#141 of 184$7,016 a person#22 of 52 in Africa
- GDP growth#51 of 187+4.6% a year#24 of 52 in Africa
- Inflation#52 of 176+4.1% a year#21 of 50 in Africa
- Unemployment#80 of 1785.4% of the labour force#30 of 53 in Africa
- Extreme poverty#13 of 14945.5% under $3.00 a day#13 of 47 in Africa
- Income inequality (Gini)#47 of 149a Gini index of 38.5#21 of 47 in Africa
- Jobs in agriculture#28 of 17845.8% of jobs#22 of 53 in Africa
- Jobs in industry#150 of 17812.5% of jobs#33 of 53 in Africa
- Jobs in services#143 of 17841.7% of jobs#29 of 53 in Africa
- Foreign investment#137 of 1840.8% of GDP#45 of 52 in Africa
- Exports#144 of 16815.8% of GDP#40 of 49 in Africa
- Military spending#108 of 1551.1% of GDP#32 of 50 in Africa
- Mobile subscriptions#64 of 191126 subscriptions per 100 people#10 of 54 in Africa
Energy & environment
- CO₂ per person#155 of 1850.38 tonnes a person#30 of 53 in Africa
- Forest area#161 of 1927% forest#45 of 54 in Africa
- Renewable energy#30 of 19067.7% renewable#26 of 54 in Africa
- Access to electricity#151 of 19277.0% with electricity#17 of 54 in Africa
- Air pollution (PM2.5)#79 of 19120.3 µg/m³#33 of 54 in Africa
- Protected land#124 of 19113.9% of the land protected#31 of 54 in Africa
- Arable land#87 of 19011.5% of the land arable#26 of 54 in Africa
- Water stress#50 of 17633.2% of its available fresh water#11 of 53 in Africa
- Precipitation#125 of 180630 mm a year#37 of 54 in Africa
Governance & safety
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of Kenya’s area, lit up on the map →
- Botswana1.0×Kenya and Botswana are almost exactly the same size.
- Madagascar0.99×Kenya and Madagascar are almost exactly the same size.
- Ukraine0.96×Kenya is 4% smaller than Ukraine.
- Central African Republic0.93×Kenya is 7% smaller than Central African Republic.
- Somalia0.91×Kenya is 9% smaller than Somalia.
- France0.9×Kenya is 10% smaller than France.
How many times does Kenya fit into…
- Russia: about 29 times
- Canada: about 17 times
- United States: about 17 times
The land itself
Rivers, summits and lakes Kenya shares with the rest of the world. Turn on “Rivers & lakes” and “Physical names” in the atlas to see them on the map.
Summits
- Mount Kenya5,199 m
- Mount Elgon4,321 m
- Mount Satima4,001 m
Lakes
- Lake Victoria68,100 km²
- Lake Turkana6,405 km²
Rivers are listed by the published length of their whole course, not the part inside Kenya. Figures from Wikidata, features from Natural Earth.
Neighbours
Questions about Kenya
- How big is Kenya?
- Kenya covers 581,309 km², which makes it number 48 of 194 countries by area. About 57,532,493 people live there (2025), 99 per km².
- Is Kenya bigger than Botswana?
- Kenya and Botswana are almost exactly the same size. Kenya: 581,309 km²; Botswana: 581,737 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Kenya?
- Kenya lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Which countries border Kenya?
- Kenya shares a land border with Ethiopia, Tanzania, South Sudan, Somalia, Uganda.