Kenya’s urban population rose to 32.2% of population in 2025.

Neither way is good in itself. A higher share is neither good nor bad for this measure, because it describes a settlement pattern. What matters is whether jobs, housing and services grow alongside the towns. The latest figure is 32.2% of population in January 2025, up from 31.9% a year earlier, a rise of 0.32 percentage points. It is the highest reading since 2016. The lowest in that span was 31.2% of population in 2019, so the range over these years is narrow and the share has edged upward.

Why it matters. With 32.2% of population in urban areas, most Kenyans still live outside towns, so rural roads, water and schools remain central to household life. Each small rise adds people to towns where rent, transport costs and the supply of formal jobs shape daily budgets. County and national authorities planning housing, water and public transport in urban areas can track this share to judge how quickly demand is growing.