Kenya set to miss 2025 target as teen pregnancies persist
The survey also reveals that 11 per cent of adolescent girls in this age group have had a live birth, 14.9 per cent have been pregnant at least once, and around six per cent were pregnant at the time of the survey.
Despite national efforts to curb early pregnancies, about 15 per cent of Kenyan girls aged 15 to 19 are reported to be pregnant, a figure that has remained stagnant since 2021, with Samburu, West Pokot and Marsabit counties recording the highest prevalence rates.
The Ministry of Health reports that the rate stands at 14.9 per cent, almost unchanged from the 2021 baseline. The stagnation suggests that no measurable progress has been made since Kenya pledged to reduce the rate from 15 per cent to 10 per cent by 2025 as part of its FP2030 commitments.
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With only three months left to achieve the goal, it is highly unlikely that the target will be met.
The survey also reveals that 11 per cent of adolescent girls in this age group have had a live birth, 14.9 per cent have been pregnant at least once, and around six per cent were pregnant at the time of the survey.
County-level figures show significant variation. Samburu has the highest prevalence at 50.1 per cent, followed by West Pokot (36.3 per cent), Marsabit (29.4 per cent), Narok (28.1 per cent), Meru (23.6 per cent) and Homa Bay (23.2 per cent). Counties with the lowest rates include Nyeri (4.5 per cent), Nyandarua (5.2 per cent), Vihiga (7.7 per cent), Nairobi (8.4 per cent) and Bomet (9 per cent).
“High levels of adolescent pregnancy are linked to school dropout, early marriage and long-term socioeconomic disadvantages for girls, as well as increased risks to maternal and neonatal health,” the Ministry said.
Progress has been slow due to several barriers, including limited access to contraceptives because of stigma and restrictive cultural norms, as well as gaps in service delivery. Socio-cultural pressures such as child marriage, gender inequality and economic hardship, especially in rural and low-income areas, continue to expose girls to early marriage or transactional relationships. Additionally, weak enforcement of laws designed to protect adolescents escalates the problem.
The number of adolescent pregnancies recorded at first antenatal care visits declined by 4.8 per cent in 2024, totalling 241,228 cases, according to the Economic Survey. This is significantly lower than the figures for 2021 (316,187) and 2020 (331,549). Pregnancies among younger adolescents aged 10 to 14 decreased by 14.4 per cent to 10,126, while those among older teenagers aged 15 to 19 fell by 4.3 per cent to 231,102.
The Kenya Demographic Health Information System recorded 110,821 adolescent pregnancies within the first five months of 2023, including 6,110 cases among girls aged 10 to 14 and 104,711 among those aged 15 to 19.
Despite the recent declines, officials warn that these figures highlight the scale of the challenge Kenya continues to face in reducing adolescent pregnancies.
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