Fewer Kenyan women getting married as separation cases rise – survey

Marriage is losing ground among Kenyan women, with fewer entering or remaining in unions and a growing proportion finding themselves separated or divorced, according to new national statistics that reveal a major shift in the country's relationship patterns over the past two decades.

The latest 2025–26 Kenya Mini Demographic and Health Survey shows that the proportion of women aged 15 to 49 who are married or living with a partner has dropped to 55 per cent, from 60 per cent recorded in 2003.

Over the same period, the number of women who have never married increased from 30 per cent to 33 per cent, while the proportion who are divorced or separated climbed from six per cent to 10 per cent.

The figures reflect a broader global trend, with marriage rates declining in nine out of every 10 countries worldwide. However, the Kenyan report does not identify the factors driving the changes or establish why more women are remaining unmarried or leaving relationships.

Released on Tuesday, the survey was conducted among 21,231 women aged between 15 and 49 across all counties. Interviews took place between November 5, 2025, and February 10, 2026, with researchers comparing selected indicators with those contained in the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey.

KNBS Acting Director General Benjamin Avusevwa said the exercise was designed to provide detailed information on the circumstances of women across the country, with findings broken down into national, urban, rural and county-level data.

He said the information would help counties identify their needs while also providing a basis for decisions across different sectors.

“The report presents national, urban and rural results, as well as county-level findings and selected indicators that counties need for planning. Its usefulness, however, goes beyond planning. The information can support decision-making across all sectors,” he said.

The survey also exposed gaps in the formal recognition of marriages, revealing that only a small proportion of couples have registered their unions with civil authorities.

Of the women who said they were married or living with a partner, just 17.6 per cent reported that their unions had been officially registered. Those who possessed marriage certificates accounted for an even lower 14 per cent.

Formal registration gives couples legal recognition and helps safeguard their interests, particularly in matters involving ownership of property and other shared assets. The low figures suggest that the majority of unions remain without formal documentation.

The survey further highlighted the difference between separation and divorce, showing that many women who are no longer living with their partners have not formally dissolved their marriages.

Among all the women interviewed, 8.2 per cent were separated, while 1.4 per cent had gone through divorce proceedings.

Although the report does not provide explanations for the breakdown of relationships, the figures show that separation accounts for a considerably larger share of women than formal divorce.

Technology-related abuse also emerged as a major concern, with the survey documenting experiences of gender-based violence involving current and former intimate partners.

It found that 27 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 who had ever been married or had an intimate partner had experienced technology-facilitated gender-based violence.

The forms of abuse included online harassment, attempts to control partners through digital platforms and other forms of mistreatment involving technology.

The situation was not limited to past experiences, with 22 per cent of the women reporting that they had faced such abuse in the year leading up to the survey.

While the findings do not establish a direct connection between violence and the decline in marriage or the rising number of separations, they highlight the risks women continue to face within intimate relationships.

The report points to the importance of addressing abuse regardless of whether women are married, living with partners, separated or involved in other relationships.

World Health Organisation Country Representative to Kenya Dr Neema Kimambo said the survey offered important information because its statistics represented individuals whose lives could be affected by decisions informed by the findings.

Her remarks highlighted the importance of using the data to understand the experiences of women and guide decisions that respond to their circumstances.

The survey provides a detailed picture of the changes taking place in marriage and relationships in Kenya, while also drawing attention to the limited registration of unions and the continued exposure of women to technology-based abuse.