Nairobi, Kenya- If you thought Kenya’s digital space was a level playing field, think again. A new Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) 2023/24 Household Survey shows men in Kenya are ahead of women in internet use — in every single age group.
From teenagers to octogenarians, the story is the same: men are logging on more, clicking more, and staying connected longer.
The gender gap hits its widest point among 25 to 34-year-olds — the most internet-active age group in Kenya. Here, 64% of men are online compared to 54.5% of women. That’s nearly a 10-point gap in a demographic where overall usage is 59.3%.
Teenagers & Youth
The second most connected group is 15 to 24-year-olds, with 47.5% of men and 45.7% of women using the internet. The gap is smaller here, but men still lead. Overall, almost half (46.6%) of Kenyans in this age bracket are connected.
Middle Age: Still a Gap
Even as responsibilities pile up, the trend holds. Among 35 to 44-year-olds, 50.4% of men go online compared to 42.2% of women — an overall rate of 47.1%.
For 45 to 54-year-olds, internet penetration drops to 40%, but men remain ahead.
Older Kenyans: Low Connectivity, Same Pattern
Once past 55, internet use plummets, but the gender gap doesn’t disappear:
55–64 years: 31.2% connected
65–74 years: 16.5% connected
75–84 years: 7.9% connected
85+ years: 4.4% connected
Kids Are Barely Online
For children, the numbers are tiny — and probably reassuring to parents. Just 6.8% of 3–4-year-olds have been online. The rate rises slightly to 9.8% for ages 5–9, and 11.5% for ages 10–14.
Mobile Phone Ownership: Marital Status Matters
The survey also dug into mobile phone ownership among Kenyans aged 12 and above — and here, your marital status tells a lot.
People in monogamous marriages lead the pack, with 89.1% owning a mobile phone.
Men in monogamous unions: 91.6%
Women in monogamous unions: slightly lower, but still high.
Interestingly, among women, the highest ownership isn’t among the married, but the separated (89.5%) and divorced (87.8%).
Who Owns the Least?
At the bottom of the chart:
Men who’ve never married – 62% ownership
Women who’ve never married – 57.8% ownership
Bottom line: Kenya’s internet and mobile phone story is still a tale of gender gaps. Men lead in online presence across all ages, and while phone ownership is high for many, it’s lowest among the never-married.
Until those gaps close, the digital divide in Kenya remains more than just a buzzword — it’s in the data.
