A new report from DataReportal, dubbed Digital Kenya 2025, sheds light on Kenya’s mobile connectivity, internet usage, and social media adoption as of January 2025.
According to the report, Kenya’s population of 57 million is notably young, with a median age of 20 and 30.3% residing in urban areas.
The report, drawing on data from GSMA Intelligence, Kepios, and Ookla, reveals key trends shaping the country’s digital transformation.
Mobile Connections Surge Past Population Size
According to GSMA Intelligence, Kenya had 68.8 million cellular mobile connections at the start of 2025.
With many individuals using multiple SIM cards for personal and professional purposes, mobile connections surpassed the country’s population, reaching 121% of the total number of residents.
Between January 2024 and January 2025, mobile connections grew by 3.5 million, representing a 5.4% increase.
Additionally, 94.7% of mobile connections in Kenya were classified as “broadband,” meaning they operated on 3G, 4G, or 5G networks.
However, this figure does not necessarily equate to mobile internet use, as some connections are limited to voice and SMS services.
Internet Penetration Reaches 48%
The report indicates that there were 27.4 million internet users in Kenya as of January 2025, representing an internet penetration rate of 48% of the total population.
The number of internet users increased by 527,000 (+2.0%) compared to the previous year.
However, 29.6 million Kenyans, or 52% of the population, remained offline.
The study acknowledges the challenges in data collection, noting that official internet adoption figures may be lower than the actual usage rates due to reporting delays.
Internet Speeds Improve Significantly
Kenya’s internet connectivity continued to improve, as revealed by Ookla’s speed test data.
The median mobile internet download speed reached 29.97 Mbps, marking an 8.19 Mbps (+37.6%) increase over the previous year.
Meanwhile, the median fixed internet download speed climbed to 14.54 Mbps, reflecting a 4.76 Mbps (+48.7%) improvement.
Social Media Usage Sees a Notable Increase
DataReportal’s findings also highlight Kenya’s growing social media presence.
As of January 2025, there were 15.1 million active social media user identities in the country, representing 26.5% of the total population. This figure grew by 2.1 million (+15.9%) from early 2024.
Of the 15.1 million social media users, 46.9% were aged 18 and above.
Additionally, 55.3% of Kenya’s internet users engaged with at least one social media platform.
Gender distribution data showed that 40.1% of users were female, while 59.9% were male.
Kenya’s digital landscape continues to evolve, with mobile connections, internet penetration, and social media use on the rise.
The findings from Digital Kenya 2025 suggest that while connectivity is improving, significant portions of the population remain without internet access.
Continued infrastructure development and policy support will be crucial in bridging the digital divide and ensuring wider access to online services.
