1 in 4 Kenyans lives in multidimensional poverty: UNDP
Kenya’s multidimensional poverty rate stands at 25.4 per cent, while a further 26.4 per cent of the population remains vulnerable to deprivation.
NAIROBI, Kenya – According to the 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), one in four Kenyans, or 25.4% of the population, experiences multidimensional poverty in 2022. This figure translates to around 13.75 million people.
Furthermore, an additional 26.4% of Kenyans, approximately 14.33 million, are vulnerable to multidimensional poverty, meaning they experience significant deprivation but do not quite meet the threshold for the official poverty classification. A smaller 7.5% of Kenyans, about 4.06 million, are living in severe multidimensional poverty, facing deprivation in at least half of the weighted MPI indicators.
While Kenya performs better than the Sub-Saharan African average, the MPI report underscores persistent challenges. Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole accounts for nearly 616 million people living in multidimensional poverty, constituting 51.4% of the region's population. The report indicates that millions in Kenya and across the region remain vulnerable to poverty, despite some progress.
The MPI evaluates poverty through three interconnected dimensions: health, education, and living standards, encompassing indicators such as nutrition, child mortality, schooling, sanitation, and access to essential services. Children and those residing in rural areas bear the brunt of multidimensional poverty, with 51.5% of the global poor being children and 83% of those in poverty residing in rural settings.
UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo emphasized the urgency of addressing the rising global poverty levels, stating that the hardships faced by 1.2 billion people, who are multidimensionally poor, are interconnected and unacceptable. However, he also highlighted that sustained interventions have led to substantial reductions in poverty in some countries.
For instance, China managed to halve its MPI value in just four years, while Vietnam achieved this milestone within seven years. These examples illustrate that concerted, multi-faceted action can bring about meaningful improvements in multidimensional poverty indicators.
Written by urgent.news from Capital FM Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
