Thursday, July 3, 2025 - Kenya has recorded a sharp drop in the number of birth certificates issued, reaching a five-year low in 2024, according to the latest report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
The number fell from 1.98 million in 2022 to 1.35 million in
2024 - a decline of over 600,000.
KNBS attributed this to falling birth rates and a shortage
of official certificate booklets.
In 2024, Nairobi recorded the highest number of certificates
issued (152,433), followed by Kiambu (67,632) and Kilifi (62,352). Samburu,
Lamu, and Isiolo had the lowest figures, each issuing under 10,000.
Mombasa led the coastal region consistently over three years
but declined from 58,226 in 2022 to 40,821 in 2024. Kilifi peaked in 2023 at
90,602 before plunging in 2024.
Urban counties also reflected this trend. Kisumu dropped
from 54,363 in 2022 to 35,511 in 2024, Nakuru from 88,489 to 62,118, and Uasin
Gishu from 52,876 to 35,931.
The decline mirrors a national drop in fertility.
The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) fell from 2.8 children per
woman in 2022 to 2.3 in 2024.
The General Fertility Rate dropped from 98 to 75.9 births
per 1,000 women, while the Crude Birth Rate slid from 24.1 to 21.2.
Fertility among women aged 20–29, previously the highest,
also declined steadily over the same period.
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