The landmark report paints a clear picture of evolving family structures, changing social norms, legal registration gaps, and a steadily declining national fertility rate.
The survey highlights a significant shift in marital status among Kenyan women aged 15 to 49 over the past 20 years:
Never Married: 32.9% of women have never married, up from 30% in 2003.
Married or Cohabiting: The proportion of women who are married or living with a partner fell from 60% in 2003 to 55% (47.7% married; 7.3% living with a partner).
Divorced or Separated: The combined rate rose sharply, climbing from 6% in 2003 to 10% (8.2% separated; 1.4% divorced).
Widowed: Widows account for 2.5% of the total demographic.
Despite legal frameworks recognizing marriage, only 17.6% of women who are married or living with a partner reported having registered their union, and just 14% overall possess a formal marriage certificate.
Urban women are significantly more likely to register their marriages (22.6%) compared to their rural counterparts (13.6%).
The KMDHS tracked behavioral patterns among young women aged 15 to 24:
Multiple Partners: Overall, 2.2% of women aged 15 to 24 reported having two or more sexual partners in the year preceding the survey.
By Age: 0.9% among ages 15–19 (0.4% for 15–17; 1.8% for 18–19) vs. 3.5% among ages 20–24 (3.3% for 20–22; 3.9% for 23–24).
By Marital History: Ever-married young women were more likely to report multiple partners (3.5%) than those who had never married (1.7%).
By Education: Rates were highest among women with higher education (3.1%), followed by primary (2.5%) and secondary (2.0%), while women with no formal education recorded the lowest rate (0.1%).
Higher-Risk Intercourse: Defined by the survey as sex with someone other than a spouse or cohabiting partner, 21.6% of women aged 15 to 24 engaged in higher-risk intercourse in the past year. Older youth aged 20–24 recorded a rate of 30.4%, compared to 13.5% among adolescents aged 15–19.
Mirroring global demographic trends, Kenya’s total fertility rate has dropped to 3.1 children per woman in 2025, down from 3.4 in 2022 and 4.9 in 2003.
Geography and urbanization play a decisive role in birth rates:
Urban vs. Rural: Urban women average 2.6 children, compared to 3.6 children per woman in rural areas.
Lowest Birth Rates: Embu leads the country with the lowest fertility rate at 2.2 children per woman, closely followed by Kiambu and Mombasa at 2.3.
Highest Birth Rates: Mandera recorded the highest fertility rate at 6.8 children per woman, followed by Wajir (5.8) and Tana River (5.7).
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