Life Expectancy in Kenya (2024): Men 61.6, Women 66.1

Life expectancy in Kenya since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Kenya has risen by 15.3 years, from 48.5 to 63.8. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 1.7 years (from 62.9 in 2019 to 61.2 in 2021) and has since recovered. Women live 4.5 years longer than men (66.1 vs 61.6).

Expected age at death in Kenya by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	61.6	64.6	66.0	70.6	82.4
Women	66.1	69.3	70.4	73.8	83.7

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Kenya’s figures (method).

How people die in Kenya

Chronic diseases: 42.5%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 47.7%
Injuries: 9.8%

In 2019, 43% of deaths in Kenya were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Kenya man has a 18% chance and a woman 18% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 28.3 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Kenya, about 38.8 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Kenya compared with its region

Kenya is in the World Bank’s Sub-Saharan Africa region, where the average life expectancy is 64.8 years. It ranks #29 of 48 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
25	Guinea-Bissau	64.3	61.8	66.5
26	Cameroon	64.0	61.8	66.2
27	Equatorial Guinea	63.9	62.2	65.9
28	Burundi	63.8	61.8	65.9
29	Kenya	63.8	61.6	66.1
30	Madagascar	63.8	62.1	65.6
31	Mozambique	63.8	60.5	66.7
32	Zimbabwe	63.1	60.5	65.3
33	Togo	62.9	62.7	63.2

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Kenya?

63.8 years in 2024: 61.6 for men and 66.1 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Kenya?

Yes. Women in Kenya live about 4.5 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Kenya rank for life expectancy?

Kenya ranks #197 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 9.7 years below the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Kenya?

Life expectancy at birth (63.8) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Kenya can expect to live to about 66.0, and a 40-year-old woman to about 70.4.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.