A survey by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has listed regions where women have high fertility rate.
According to the findings released on November 3, 2026 Mandera has the highest total fertility rate with some women bearing up to six children.
Murang’a county, Nandi, Bomet and Kisumu were listed among the areas where women are relatively fertile.
However, Embu was listed among the counties with low fertility rate as women in the County were bearing only 2 children, similarly to Nyandarua County.
KNBS survey also revealed that Kenyan women are having fewer children and that the countrywide fertility rate has dropped to 3.1 children per woman, down from 3.4.
The decline in fertility is associated with increasing levels of education and increasing household wealth.
The findings show that women in rural areas have an average of four chidlren, compared with three, among their urban counterparts.
The report reads in part, “Fertility rates in Kenya have dropped. There has been a declining trend, with women between 15 and 49 years having fewer children in their lifetime. For Kenya, 3.1, a drop from 3.4, with rural areas at 3.6 and urban areas at 2.6,”
Rosemary Bowen, Director of the Population and Social Statistics Directorate at the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), said women in urban areas have an average of three children, compared with about four in rural areas.


