Surface area in Kenya
Kenya: Surface area was 591,969 sq. km in 2023. ▬ Flat
Surface area in Kenya, 1961–2023
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.
Analysis
The most recent figure for surface area in Kenya is 591,969 sq. km, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, surface area in Kenya peaked at 591,969 sq. km in 2020 and was at its lowest, 580,370 sq. km, in 1961.
Kenya ranks 47th of 216 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Surface area in Kenya, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 580,370 sq. km | — |
| 1962 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 580,370 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 591,969 sq. km | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 591,969 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 591,969 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 591,969 sq. km | +0.0% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 591,969 sq. km is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 199,950 sq. km, 3.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 591,969 sq. km is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 298,330 sq. km, 2.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 580,370 sq. km | 580,370 sq. km | 580,370 sq. km | 9 |
| 1970s | 580,370 sq. km | 580,370 sq. km | 580,370 sq. km | 10 |
| 1980s | 580,370 sq. km | 580,370 sq. km | 580,370 sq. km | 10 |
| 1990s | 580,370 sq. km | 580,370 sq. km | 580,370 sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 580,370 sq. km | 580,370 sq. km | 580,370 sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 580,370 sq. km | 580,370 sq. km | 580,370 sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 591,969 sq. km | 591,969 sq. km | 591,969 sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More agriculture & rural data for Kenya
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 16.52 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2316 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 547.24 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6779 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 12.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is surface area in Kenya?
- Surface area in Kenya was 591,969 sq. km in 2023, according to FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest surface area recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 591,969 sq. km in 2020.
- What is the lowest surface area recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 580,370 sq. km in 1961.
- How does Kenya rank for surface area?
- Kenya ranks 47th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is surface area rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Surface area (sq. km). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Surface area is a country's total area, including areas under inland bodies of water and some coastal waterways.