Kenya Cities by Population 2024

Kenya is one of the most populous countries in the world, which may come as a surprise since only one of its cities, the capital city of Nairobi, has a population that exceeds one million. However, Nairobi's population of 2.7 million, combined with six cities with populations of over 100,000 and over 60 cities with populations that exceed 10 million, make this one of the world's most populated countries. These cities are spread across multiple counties throughout the country, with each county having its own capital city. There are a total of 47 counties in Kenya. Following a change in structure in the 2009, former counties -- or districts, as they were known -- were made into sub-districts.

The 49th largest country by area only has three officially incorporated cities, but there are many populated cities and towns, many of which have notable urban populations. However, a vast majority of Kenyan residents reside in rural areas. According to data from The World Bank, in 2015, 74% of Kenya's residents lived in rural areas. This isn't surprising, as even some of Kenya's largest cities are based around fishing and agriculture for their economies. However, when looking at data from 1960 when 93% of the population lived in rural areas, it's obvious that urban areas are going through expansion and more residents are relocating to the busier urban areas.