Kenya (Republic of Kenya)

Kenya Republic of Kenya
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	133rd best
Capital	Nairobi
Land Area	569 140km21
Location	Africa
Population	51.4m2
Life Expectancy	61.43yrs (2017)3
GNI	$4 474 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	KE, KEN, 4045
Internet Domain	.ke6
Currency	Shilling (KES)7
Telephone	+2548

1. Overview
2. Kenya National and Social Development
3. Kenya's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Kenya's Health
6. Kenya's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Kenya's Modernity and Learning
8. Religion and Beliefs
9. Links

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1. Overview

“Founding president and liberation struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA led Kenya from independence in 1963 until his death in 1978, when President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI took power in a constitutional succession. The country was a de facto one-party state from 1969 until 1982 when the ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) made itself the sole legal party in Kenya. MOI acceded to internal and external pressure for political liberalization in late 1991. The ethnically fractured opposition failed to dislodge KANU from power in elections in 1992 and 1997, which were marred by violence and fraud, but were viewed as having generally reflected the will of the Kenyan people. President MOI stepped down in December 2002 following fair and peaceful elections. Mwai KIBAKI, running as the candidate of the multiethnic, united opposition group, the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), defeated KANU candidate Uhuru KENYATTA and assumed the presidency following a campaign centered on an anticorruption platform. KIBAKI's NARC coalition splintered in 2005 over a constitutional review process. Government defectors joined with KANU to form a new opposition coalition, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), which defeated the government's draft constitution in a popular referendum in November 2005. KIBAKI's reelection in December 2007 brought charges of vote rigging from ODM candidate Raila ODINGA and unleashed two months of violence in which as many as 1,500 people died. African Union-sponsored mediation led by former UN Secretary General Kofi ANNAN in late February 2008 resulted in a power-sharing accord bringing ODINGA into the government in the restored position of prime minister. The power sharing accord included a broad reform agenda, the centerpiece of which was constitutional reform. In August 2010, Kenyans overwhelmingly adopted a new constitution in a national referendum. The new constitution introduced additional checks and balances to executive power and significant devolution of power and resources to 47 newly created counties. It also eliminated the position of prime minister following the first presidential election under the new constitution, which occurred on March 4, 2013. Uhuru KENYATTA, the son of founding president Jomo KENYATTA, won the March elections in the first round by a close margin and was sworn into office on 9 April 2013.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Kenya is the Africa you always dreamed of. This is a land of vast savannahs, immense herds of wildlife and peoples with proud traditions on the soil where human beings were born. Kenya is the Africa you always dreamed of. This is a land of vast savannahs, immense herds of wildlife and peoples with proud traditions on the soil where human beings were born.

When you think of Africa, you´re probably thinking of Kenya: the lone acacia tree, the snow-capped mountain, the harsh deserts, the palm-fringed coastline, the great Rift Valley, the dense forests - they´re all here.

Peopling this epic landscape, adding depth and resonance to Kenya´s age-old story, are some of Africa´s best-known peoples. The Maasai, the Samburu, the Turkana, the Swahili, the Kikuyu: these are the peoples whose histories and lives tell the story of the struggle to maintain traditions as the modern world crowds in, the daily fight for survival, the ancient tension between those who farm and those who roam.

Then, of course, there´s the wildlife. From the Masai Mara to Tsavo, this is a country of vivid experiences - elephants wallowing in swamps in the shadow of Mt Kilimanjaro, the massed millions of pink flamingos, the landscape suddenly fallen silent and brought to attention by the arrival of an as-yet-unseen predator. Africa is the last great wilderness where these creatures survive.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Kenya National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
149	Myanmar (Burma)	0.585
150	Syria	0.577
151	Cameroon	0.576
152	Kenya	0.575
153	Congo, (Brazzaville)	0.571
154	Zambia	0.565
155	Solomon Islands	0.564
156=	Comoros	0.558
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
144	Marshall Islands	$4 620
145	Kyrgyzstan	$4 566
146	Tajikistan	$4 548
147	Kenya	$4 474
148	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	$4 461
149	Syria	$4 192
150	Cambodia	$4 079
151	Kiribati	$4 063
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
130	Saudi Arabia	101.6
131	Uzbekistan	101.6
132	Honduras	102.0
133	Kenya	102.2
134	Kiribati	103.1
135	Lesotho	103.8
136	Samoa	106.2
137	Vanuatu	107.2
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.6
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Kenya's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population:

Kenya's population is predicted to rise to 65.93 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 3.30. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
24	S. Africa	57.8m
25	Tanzania	56.3m
26	Myanmar (Burma)	53.7m
27	Kenya	51.4m
28	S. Korea	51.2m
29	Colombia	49.7m
30	Spain	46.7m
31	Argentina	44.4m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
169	Angola	61.6
170	Togo	61.6
171	Niger	61.6
172	Kenya	61.4
173	Zambia	61.2
174	Botswana	61.1
175	Liberia	60.7
176	Equatorial Guinea	60.6
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
156	S. Korea	0.78
157	Namibia	3.25
158	Kiribati	3.27
159	Kenya	3.30
160	Hong Kong	0.70
161	Uzbekistan	3.31
162	Pakistan	3.41
163	Zimbabwe	3.44
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
27	Guinea	06.1
28=	Guinea-Bissau	06.1
28=	Lesotho	06.1
28=	Kenya	06.1
31	S. Sudan	06.2
32=	Tanzania	06.2
32=	Sao Tome & Principe	06.2
34	Comoros	06.3
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
122	S. Korea	2.3%
123	Cameroon	2.2%
124	Bulgaria	2.2%
125	Kenya	2.2%
126	Angola	2.1%
127	Liberia	2.1%
128	Mali	2.1%
129	Georgia	2.0%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
170	Thailand	1.2%
171	UAE	1.2%
172	Mongolia	1.2%
173	Kenya	1.1%
174	Indonesia	1.1%
175	Myanmar (Burma)	1.0%
176	Solomon Islands	1.0%
177	India	0.9%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #freethought #gender_equality #human_rights #kenya #kenya_freethought #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
126	Benin	105.6
127	Malaysia	105.8
128	Tajikistan	106.4
129	Kenya	106.8
130	Morocco	107.0
131	China	107.2
	Africa Avg	110.04
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

Kenya is very poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world, and it has cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Kenya does better than average in terms of freethought₁₉. But unfortunately Kenya gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average in terms of the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₀ (yet still amongst the best in Africa), its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₁, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₂ (still good for Africa), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₃ (still good for Africa), its average Freedom in the World rating (still low for Africa), its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₄, supporting press freedom₂₅, eliminating modern slavery₂₆, opposing gender inequality₂₇ and in LGBT equality₂₈. Security forces and law enforcement staff can veer into abusive, including physically violent, tactics in order to suppress human rights, government critics, journalists and opposition politicians, including extrajudicial killings₂₉.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Kenya

5. Kenya's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #kenya #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Tunisia	69.2
2	Mauritius	69.2
3	Seychelles	84.8
	...
24	Swaziland	145.2
25	Burundi	145.3
26	Zimbabwe	145.3
27	Kenya	145.8
28	Congo, (Brazzaville)	146.6
29=	Guinea	148.2
30	Togo	148.2
31	Guinea-Bissau	148.8
32	Tanzania	149.5
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
179	Swaziland	145.2
180	Burundi	145.3
181	Zimbabwe	145.3
182	Kenya	145.8
183	Congo, (Brazzaville)	146.6
184=	Guinea	148.2
184=	Yemen	148.2
186	Togo	148.2
	World Avg	96.74
q=212.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₃₁.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₃₁, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₁.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Kenya is a pretty unhealthy country. Kenya does better than average in terms of its smoking rate₃₂ and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₃. But that's it. Kenya has problems. It does worse than average in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₄, its immunizations take-up₃₅, its adolescent birth rate₃₆ (still low for Africa), its fertility rate₁₄ (still low for Africa) and in its average life expectancy₁₁. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Kenya improved by +4.3yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Kenya is amongst only 41 countries who have seen their fertility rate drop by more than 4 since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 8.06 in 1966.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
169	Angola	61.6
170	Togo	61.6
171	Niger	61.6
172	Kenya	61.4
173	Zambia	61.2
174	Botswana	61.1
175	Liberia	60.7
176	Equatorial Guinea	60.6
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better33
Pos.		2016 Per Capita33
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
58	Togo	3.1
59=	Central African Rep.	3.3
59=	Tajikistan	3.3
61	Kenya	3.4
62	Mauritius	3.6
63	Malawi	3.7
64=	El Salvador	3.8
64=	Gambia	3.8
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
156	S. Korea	0.78
157	Namibia	3.25
158	Kiribati	3.27
159	Kenya	3.30
160	Hong Kong	0.70
161	Uzbekistan	3.31
162	Pakistan	3.41
163	Zimbabwe	3.44
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better32
Pos.		201432
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
51	Mali	236
52	Dominican Rep.	245
53	Togo	250
54	Kenya	257
55	Mauritius	261
56	El Salvador	280
57	Comoros	289
58	Congo, (Brazzaville)	294
	Africa Avg	340
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
111	Dominica	111
112	Romania	112
113	Peru	113
114	Kenya	114
115	Haiti	115
116	Malawi	116
117	Swaziland	117
118	Iran	118
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better37
Pos.		2016 %37
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
19	Rwanda	25.1
20	Congo, DR	25.3
21	Laos	25.4
22	Kenya	25.5
23	Central African Rep.	26.2
24	Mozambique	26.4
25	Guinea	26.6
26	Equatorial Guinea	26.7
	Africa Avg	33.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better36
Pos.		2022 Per 100036
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
139	S. Africa	60.9
140	Iraq	61.2
141	Ecuador	62.1
142	Kenya	62.6
143	Bolivia	63.1
144	Namibia	63.1
145	Guatemala	63.2
146	Vanuatu	63.2
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better35
Pos.		2015 Avg %35
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
124	Ireland	89.2
125	Sudan	89.2
126	Honduras	88.8
127	Kenya	88.5
128	Costa Rica	88.5
129	Colombia	88.4
130	Kiribati	88.4
131	Netherlands	88.1
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Kenya was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19); in the 2000s it was still amongst only 37 countries that fell into the same grouping, although each decade things are getting better.

6. Kenya's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #environmentalism #food #internationalism #kenya #meat #over-exploitation #sustainability #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)38
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank38
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
4	Madagascar	52.4
5	Nigeria	55.8
6	Rwanda	56.4
7	Uganda	57.8
8	Kenya	57.9
9	Mauritius	58.1
10	Ghana	58.6
11	Tunisia	60.1
12	Niger	61.3
13	Tanzania	61.6
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)38
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank38
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
18	Liechtenstein	56.8
19	Japan	57.4
20	Uganda	57.8
21	Kenya	57.9
22	Portugal	58.0
23	Mauritius	58.1
24	Germany	58.2
25	Ghana	58.6
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Kenya ranks 21st in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is calculated from 7 data sets. Kenya comes in the best 20 in reducing annual meat consumption per person₃₉. It does better than average in energy to GDP efficiency₄₀, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₁ and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. Kenya doesn't do so well in other areas. Kenya does worse than average in its score on the Green Future Index₄₂ (yet still amongst the highest in Africa), its environmental performance₄₃ (still high for Africa) and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₄.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better44
Pos.		Total44
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
189	Ethiopia	-8.0%
190	Israel	-8.4%
191	Haiti	-8.8%
192	Kenya	-8.9%
193	Senegal	-9.1%
194	Indonesia	-9.2%
195	Ecuador	-9.2%
196	Ghana	-9.7%
	Africa Avg	-8.7%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better43
Pos.		201843
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
127	Malawi	49.2
128	Guyana	47.9
129	Tajikistan	47.9
130	Kenya	47.3
131	Bhutan	47.2
132	Vietnam	47.0
133	Indonesia	46.9
134	Guinea	46.6
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better40
Pos.		2022 Avg40
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
23	Philippines	0.57
24	Cameroon	0.57
25	Ivory Coast	0.57
26	Kenya	0.58
27	Yemen	0.59
28	Congo, (Brazzaville)	0.60
29	Bangladesh	0.61
30	Ireland	0.62
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
41	Ghana	68%
42	Luxembourg	68%
43	Netherlands	68%
44	Kenya	68%
45	Senegal	67%
46	France	67%
47	Nepal	67%
48	Niger	67%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better41
Pos.		2011 %41
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
33	Lebanon	54.3%
34	Nepal	52.8%
35	Chad	52.8%
36	Kenya	52.1%
37	Central African Rep.	51.9%
38	Belize	50.6%
39	Burkina Faso	50.5%
40	Dominican Rep.	50.2%
	Africa Avg	38.3%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better39
Pos.		2021 kg39
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
11	Afghanistan	08.7
12	Uganda	09.4
13	Togo	09.4
14	Kenya	10.3
15	Mozambique	10.4
16	Sierra Leone	11.7
17	Sri Lanka	12.0
18	Tanzania	12.1
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

In the 2010s, meat consumption per person in Kenya was reducing.₃₉

Green Future Index Higher is better42
Pos.		2023 Score42
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
37	Morocco	4.7
38	Brazil	4.7
39=	Romania	4.7
39=	Kenya	4.7
41	New Zealand	4.6
42=	Philippines	4.6
42=	Israel	4.6
42=	Australia	4.6
	Africa Avg	4.0
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

7. Kenya's Modernity and Learning

#capitalism #charity #corruption #economics #education #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #intelligence #it_security #kenya #life_expectancy #modernity #morals #nigeria #pakistan #peace #politics #poverty #religion #religiosity #religious_violence #research #science #secularisation #social_development #technology #terrorism #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)45
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank45
1	S. Africa	56.9
2	Tunisia	70.8
3=	Mauritius	79.6
4	Seychelles	80.1
5	Egypt	80.5
6	Libya	82.0
7	Kenya	96.4
8	Botswana	96.5
9	Morocco	97.9
10	Algeria	100.2
11	Gabon	108.2
12	Uganda	109.8
13	Ghana	110.3
	Africa Avg	120.19
q=53.

Modernity & Learning (2020)45
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank45
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
110	Mongolia	91.7
111	Indonesia	93.3
112	Jamaica	94.6
113	Kenya	96.4
114	Botswana	96.5
115	Morocco	97.9
116	Samoa	99.8
117	Algeria	100.2
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₆. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₆. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₇.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₄₈

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₆, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₆.

For more, see:

• " Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2949
2	Israel	4.1149
3	Japan	3.5849
	...
39	Greece	0.8449
40	India	0.8250
41	Croatia	0.8151
42	Kenya	0.7952
43	Ukraine	0.7651
44=	Morocco	0.7352
44=	S. Africa	0.7353
44=	Serbia	0.7351
	Africa Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better54
Pos.		201854
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
132	Cameroon	37.2%
133	Gambia	36.8%
134	Nepal	35.9%
135	Kenya	35.2%
136	Honduras	33.5%
137	Haiti	33.2%
138	S. Sudan	33.2%
139	Swaziland	32.6%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better55
Pos.		2021 Years55
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
152	N. Korea	10.8
153	Benin	10.8
154	Burundi	10.7
155	Kenya	10.7
156	Ivory Coast	10.7
157	Jordan	10.6
158	Guinea-Bissau	10.6
159	Guatemala	10.6
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
56	Armenia	56
57	Guinea-Bissau	57
58	Central African Rep.	58
59	Kenya	59
60	Egypt	60
61	Japan	61
62	Malta	62
63	Ghana	63
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Religiosity Lower is better56
Pos.		2018 %56
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
80=	Uganda	86
80=	Chad	86
80=	Niger	86
83	Kenya	87
84=	Mozambique	87
85	Congo, DR	88
86=	Nigeria	88
86=	Nicaragua	88
	Africa Avg	87.0
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better57
Pos.		200657
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
104	Mauritania	76
105	Uganda	73
106=	Tanzania	72
106=	Kenya	72
106=	S. Africa	72
109	Zambia	71
110=	Jamaica	71
110=	Ghana	71
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better58
Pos.		201658
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
107	Jordan	46%
108	Panama	45%
109	Mexico	45%
110=	Kenya	45%
110=	Belize	45%
112	Ukraine	44%
113	Philippines	44%
114	Jamaica	43%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Freedom On The Internet Lower is better59
Pos.		201259
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
10=	Argentina	26
11	Ukraine	27
12=	Brazil	27
13	Kenya	29
14	Georgia	30
15	Nigeria	33
16=	S. Korea	34
16=	Uganda	34
	Africa Avg	45.0
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

IT Security Lower is better60
Pos.		201360
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
29	Uzbekistan	0.69
30	Moldova	0.71
31	Zambia	0.76
32	Kenya	0.77
33	Cameroon	0.77
34	Burkina Faso	0.79
35	Ivory Coast	0.82
36	Ethiopia	0.84
	Africa Avg	1.07
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better61
Pos.		2017 Ratio61
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
88=	Mauritius	0.0
89	Botswana	0.0
90=	El Salvador	0.0
90=	Kenya	0.0
90=	Cameroon	0.0
90=	Kyrgyzstan	0.0
94	Cambodia	0.0
95=	Belarus	0.0
	Africa Avg	0.04
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better62
Pos.		202462
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
86	Bosnia & Herzegovina	38.8%
87	Trinidad & Tobago	38.1%
88	Ghana	37.9%
89	Kenya	37.4%
90	Sri Lanka	36.3%
91	Angola	34.9%
92	Mongolia	34.6%
93	Senegal	34.4%
	Africa Avg	32.3%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

National Culture:

World Giving Index Higher is better63
Pos.		2022 %63
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
4	Australia	55.0
5	New Zealand	54.0
6	Myanmar (Burma)	52.0
7=	Sierra Leone	51.0
7=	Canada	51.0
9	Zambia	50.0
10=	Ukraine	49.0
10=	Ireland	49.0
12	Czechia	48.0
	Africa Avg	38.2
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better64
Pos.		2022 Points64
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
120	Algeria	33.0
121=	Angola	33.0
121=	Philippines	33.0
123	Kenya	32.0
124=	Dominican Rep.	32.0
124=	Niger	32.0
126	Uzbekistan	31.0
127=	Laos	31.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

In 1996, Kenya began to be included in the Corruption Perception Index data, and came in at 3rd-worst, after Nigeria and Pakistan.

Happiness Higher is better65
Pos.		2024 Score65
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
112	Morocco	4.6
113	Tunisia	4.6
114	Mauritania	4.5
115	Kenya	4.5
116	Uganda	4.5
117	Gambia	4.4
118	India	4.4
119	Chad	4.4
	Africa Avg	4.42
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
79	Brunei	79
80	Suriname	80
81	Fiji	81
82	Kenya	82
83	Guatemala	83
84	Cape Verde	84
85	Morocco	85
86	Jamaica	86
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
127	Bahamas	127
128	Liberia	128
129	Sierra Leone	129
130	Kenya	130
131	Kazakhstan	131
132	Bangladesh	132
133	Indonesia	133
134	Egypt	134
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better66
Pos.		2023 Score66
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
114	Mauritania	2.23
115	Philippines	2.23
116	Belarus	2.25
117	Kenya	2.25
118	Mozambique	2.26
119	Saudi Arabia	2.26
120	Honduras	2.27
121	Egypt	2.27
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
60	Malawi	60
61	Brazil	61
62	Grenada	62
63	Kenya	63
64	Denmark	64
65	Austria	65
66	Ghana	66
67	Sweden	67
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
41	Montenegro	41
42	Iceland	42
43	Hungary	43
44	Kenya	44
45	Serbia	45
46	Bolivia	46
47	Japan	47
48	Czechia	48
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better67
Pos.		2019 Score67
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
127	Ukraine	5.55
128	Niger	5.60
129	USA	5.69
130	Kenya	5.76
131	Sudan	5.81
132	Colombia	5.91
133	Thailand	6.03
134	S. Sudan	6.32
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better68
Pos.		201968
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
134	Eritrea	21.40
135	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	21.70
136	Namibia	22.10
137=	Kenya	22.50
137=	Bolivia	22.50
139	Laos	22.60
140=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	22.80
140=	Myanmar (Burma)	22.80
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better69
Pos.		2023 %69
1	Slovakia	24.1%70
2	Slovenia	24.3%70
3	Belarus	24.4%71
	...
107	Gabon	38.0%72
108	Malawi	38.5%73
109=	Samoa	38.7%74
109=	Kenya	38.7%70
111	El Salvador	38.8%75
112=	Gambia	38.8%71
112=	Laos	38.8%76
114	Bulgaria	39.0%70
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Kenya - only for 5 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better77
Pos.		2018 Severity77
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
61	Vanuatu	.174
62	Bhutan	.175
63	Myanmar (Burma)	.176
64	Kenya	.178
65	Comoros	.181
66	Bangladesh	.198
67	Pakistan	.198
68	Haiti	.200
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

8. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #kenya #pentecostalism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)56
Pos.		Lower is better %56
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
80=	Uganda	86
80=	Chad	86
80=	Niger	86
83	Kenya	87
84=	Mozambique	87
85	Congo, DR	88
86=	Nigeria	88
86=	Nicaragua	88
88	Djibouti	89
89=	Ghana	89
89=	Guatemala	89
91	Honduras	90
92=	Cameroon	90
92=	Rwanda	90
92=	Liberia	90
95	Morocco	91
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)78
Pos.		Higher is better %78
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
111=	Ghana	0
111=	Jordan	0
111=	Gambia	0
111=	Kenya	0
111=	Ethiopia	0
111=	Afghanistan	0
111=	Egypt	0
111=	Liberia	0
111=	Libya	0
111=	Ivory Coast	0
111=	Pakistan	0
111=	Niger	0
111=	Saudi Arabia	0
111=	Rwanda	0
111=	Cameroon	0
111=	Philippines	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₇₉:

Christian	84.8%
Muslim	9.7%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	1.7%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	2.5%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Christian 82.5% (Protestant 47.4%, Catholic 23.3%, other 11.8%), Muslim 11.1%, Traditionalists 1.6%, other 1.7%, none 2.4%, unspecified 0.7% (2009 census)₈₀.

Kenya: A Pew Forum poll in 2006 found that nearly half or more of all Protestants in several countries, including Kenya, identified as Pentecostal Christians₈₁.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?