More Kenyan Women Remain Unmarried as Marriage Rates Decline, KNBS Shows

More than 80 per cent of married or cohabiting women in Kenya live in unions that are not legally registered, despite a steady rise in the proportion of women who never marry.

Data from the 2025–26 Kenya Mini Demographic and Health Survey shows that only 17.6 per cent of women currently married or living with a partner reported having their union registered. Just 14 per cent said they possess a marriage certificate.

Registration levels vary widely across counties. Garissa recorded the highest proportion of registered marriages at 53.8 per cent, closely followed by Isiolo at 52.8 per cent. Nandi recorded 32.8 per cent, Lamu stood at 32.2 per cent, and Mombasa recorded 31.3 per cent.

In contrast, Wajir reported the lowest rate in the country, with only 2.8 per cent of unions registered. Vihiga followed at 5 per cent, West Pokot at 5.5 per cent, Mandera at 8.9 per cent, and Bungoma at 9.8 per cent. Urban residents were generally more likely to register their marriages, averaging 22.6 per cent compared to 13.6 per cent in rural areas.

The survey shows significant shifts in marital status across the country over the last two decades. The proportion of women aged 15 to 49 who have never married reached 32.9 per cent, up from 30 per cent in 2003. Overall, 47.7 per cent of women in this age group are married, 7.3 per cent live with a partner, and 2.5 per cent are widowed.

Separation and divorce are also on the rise. Combined, the proportion of women who are divorced or separated rose from six per cent to 10 per cent over the same period. Broken down further, 8.2 per cent of women reported being separated, while 1.4 per cent reported being divorced.

These marital trends coincide with a steady fall in Kenya's fertility rate. Women now have an average of 3.1 children, down from 3.4 in 2022 and 4.9 in 2003. Embu recorded the lowest fertility rate at 2.2 children per woman, closely followed by Kiambu and Mombasa at 2.3. Mandera recorded the highest rate at 6.8, followed by Wajir at 5.8 and Tana River at 5.7. Rural women average 3.6 children compared to 2.6 for urban women.

The survey also tracked sexual behaviour among young women aged 15 to 24. Overall, 2.2 per cent reported having two or more sexual partners in the preceding year. The rate was lower among teenagers aged 15 to 19 at 0.9 per cent, including 0.4 per cent for those aged 15 to 17 and 1.8 per cent for those aged 18 to 19. Among women aged 20 to 24, the rate rose to 3.5 per cent, with 3.3 per cent recorded for ages 20 to 22 and 3.9 per cent for ages 23 to 24.

Young women who had ever been married were more likely to report multiple partners in the past year, at 3.5 per cent, compared to 1.7 per cent among those who had never married. Education level also correlated with partner numbers: 3.1 per cent of women with higher education reported multiple partners, compared to 2 per cent for those with secondary education, 2.5 per cent for primary education, and 0.1 per cent for those with no formal education.

Additionally, 21.6 per cent of women aged 15 to 24 reported engaging in higher-risk sexual intercourse during the year, defined as sex with someone other than a husband or cohabiting partner. This was more common among women aged 20 to 24, at 30.4 per cent, than among teenagers aged 15 to 19, at 13.5 per cent.