NAIROBI, Kenya – Economic empowerment among women in Kenya remains limited, according to the latest Economic Survey released on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
The report shows that women’s economic empowerment is still at a moderate level, with only 36.3 per cent of women aged 18 years and above classified as economically empowered.
This is equivalent to about 4.9 million women. This points to significant gaps that persist despite ongoing policy interventions.
“Clear disparities are observed across place of residence, socio-economic status, and demographic characteristics,” the KNBS report released today states.
The findings highlight stark inequalities shaped by social and economic factors.
Marital status, for instance, plays a key role, with married women—particularly those in monogamous unions—recording higher empowerment levels at 64.0 per cent.
In contrast, women in polygamous unions, as well as those who are widowed, separated, or divorced, tend to experience lower levels of empowerment.
Wealth also emerges as a major determinant.
“A strong positive relationship exists between wealth and empowerment, where 20.0 per cent of women in the lowest wealth quintile were empowered compared to 52.5 per cent of women in the highest quintile.”
Geographical disparities are equally evident, with urban women recording higher empowerment levels (41.5%) compared to their rural counterparts (33.6%), reflecting differences in access to economic opportunities, infrastructure, and financial services.
Education further widens the gap, as only 5.8 per cent of women with no formal education are empowered, compared to more than half of those with secondary or post-secondary education.
Age also influences outcomes, with empowerment peaking among women aged 35 to 59 years at 44.4 per cent, while younger women aged 18 to 24 lag behind at 20.7 per cent.
Despite these gaps, the report notes relatively high participation in economic activity, with 71.9 per cent of women reporting employment.
Financial inclusion is also widespread, as 79.0 per cent of women own a bank or mobile money account.
“Overall, the findings underscore that while progress has been made in advancing women’s economic empowerment in Kenya, significant inequalities persist across regions and population groups,” KNBS data shows.
The report underscores the need for targeted policy measures aimed at expanding access to resources, strengthening women’s decision-making power, and improving economic opportunities.
To measure these dynamics, KNBS developed the Women’s Economic Empowerment Index (WEEI), a composite tool that evaluates access to economic resources, decision-making authority, and overall well-being.
The index is based on data from the 2022 Kenya Continuous Household Survey, which covered all 47 counties and targeted women aged 18 years and above.
The survey, conducted using Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing tools, collected data on key areas including employment, financial inclusion, asset ownership, digital engagement, mobility, social participation, gender-based violence, and psychological well-being.
It sampled 24,000 households drawn from 1,500 enumeration areas, with 14,589 households and 15,920 women successfully interviewed.
In terms of asset ownership, 71.2 per cent of women reported owning at least one productive asset, with higher ownership in rural areas (75.4%) compared to urban areas (63.2%).
However, savings remain low, with only 40.6 per cent of women reporting that they had saved money, and a notable disparity between urban (50.8%) and rural (35.3%) respondents.
At the household level, three in five women reported having a say in expenditure decisions.
Specifically, 62.6 per cent participated in basic household spending decisions, 59.0 per cent made decisions on children’s needs, and 55.9 per cent were involved in major household purchases—figures that increase with higher levels of education.
On sexual and reproductive autonomy, 57.3 per cent of women felt justified in refusing intercourse, 61.7 per cent could request condom use, but only 48.0 per cent felt able to ask their partner to use one.
Across these indicators, urban women reported higher levels of decision-making power than rural women.
Regionally, disparities remain pronounced.
Migori County recorded the highest proportion of economically empowered women at 58.1 per cent, followed closely by Nyandarua County (58 per cent) and Siaya County (56.4 per cent).
Other counties with strong performance include Kiambu County and Bomet County (51.4 per cent each), as well as Kirinyaga County and Machakos County (50.8 per cent each), and Laikipia County (50.0 per cent).
In contrast, counties in arid and semi-arid regions recorded significantly lower levels of empowerment. Wajir County and Mandera County had the lowest scores at 1.4 per cent and 1.6 per cent respectively, followed by Garissa County (2.9 per cent), Turkana County (6.3 per cent), and Marsabit County (8.3 per cent).
