Number of Kenyans who died abroad increased by 13% in 2024 – report

The number of Kenyans who died abroad increased by 13 per cent last year, according to the Kenya Vital Statistics report for 2024.

The report released on Wednesday morning, the number of deaths of Kenyans that occurred outside the country and were registered in Kenya increased from 270 in 2023 to 305 in 2024.

In these deaths, 184 (60.3%) were male and 121 (39.7%) were female.

The countries with the highest number of registered deaths were the United States of America (71), India (50), and Uganda (22).

In the United Kingdom, 19 deaths were recorded, followed by Tanzania (18), Saudi Arabia (15), South Africa (15), UAE (14), Qatar (12) and Canada (8). Other countries recorded a total of 61 deaths.

The highest number of registered deaths occurred in the 50–54 age group, with 38 deaths, while the lowest was in the 20–24 age group, with only two deaths.

Overall, male deaths exceeded female deaths across most age groups, except in the 30–34 age group (13 males vs. 17 females), the 50–54 age group (18 males vs. 20 females), and the 65–69 age group (11 males vs. 15 females).

Notably, no deaths were registered in the 5–9 and 10–19 age groups.

The data on vital events that occurred in 2024 were generated from the CRVSS, form BDA2, which is a register of deaths and causes of death for Kenyan citizens who have died abroad.

The vital statistics report provides information on births, deaths, marriages, and adoptions, which is essential for understanding the country’s population dynamics.

Statistics on these events are crucial for socioeconomic planning, informed decision-making, monitoring and evaluation of population and health programs, and measurement of demographic indicators.