Kenyan Men Spend More Time on the Internet Than Women – KNBS Survey

Men in Kenya use the internet more than women across all age groups, according to the 2023/24 Kenya Household Survey (KHS) by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
The findings reveal a consistent digital gender gap, with men outpacing women in online activity from childhood to old age.
According to KNBS, disparity is most pronounced among young adults aged 25 to 34 years, where 64 per cent of men use the internet compared to 54.5 per cent of women. This age group recorded the highest overall internet usage in the country at 59.3 per cent.
Teenagers and young adults aged 15 to 24 years had the second-highest usage rates, with 47.5 per cent of men and 45.7 per cent of women in this bracket going online. Overall, 46.6 per cent of individuals in this group reported using the internet.
Among middle-aged adults aged 35 to 44 years, men’s internet usage stood at 50.4 per cent, compared to 42.2 per cent for women, resulting in an overall rate of 47.1 per cent. In the 45 to 54 years category, 40 per cent reported going online, with men again leading the way.
Older adults showed lower connectivity. In the 55 to 64 years bracket, 31.2 per cent were connected, while among Kenyans aged 65 to 74 years, only 16.5 per cent reported internet use.
For the elderly aged 75 to 84 years, usage dropped to 7.9 per cent, and for those 85 and above, it fell further to 4.4 per cent.
Internet usage among children was minimal, with just 6.8 per cent of those aged 3 to 4 years accessing the web. The figures rose slightly to 9.8 per cent for ages 5 to 9 years and 11.5 per cent for ages 10 to 14 years.
Thesurvey also collected data on mobile phone ownershipby marital status among individuals aged 12 years and above.
Overall, people in monogamous marriages recorded the highest mobile phone ownership at 89.1 per cent.
Males in monogamous unions led with 91.6 per cent ownership, while among women, those who had separated (89.5 per cent) and those who were divorced (87.8 per cent)recorded the highest ownership rates.
At the lower end, males who had never married reported 62.0 per cent ownership, while females in the same category stood at 57.8 per cent, making them the least likely to own a mobile phone.