Public payphones in Kenya

Kenya: Public payphones was 4,681 in 2009. ▲ Rising

Latest (2009)
4,681
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
19th
of 51 countries
All-time high
9,964
in 2003
All-time low
2,189
in 1985
Years of data
23
1985–2009

Public payphones in Kenya, 1985–2009

2.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k10.0k1985199720091985: 2.2k1987: 3.2k1988: 3.6k1989: 3.8k1990: 4.6k1992: 5.6k1993: 5.7k1994: 5.9k1995: 5.9k1996: 6.1k1997: 6.7k1998: 8.2k1999: 9.0k2000: 9.0k2001: 9.2k2002: 9.6k2003: 10.0k2004: 9.8k2005: 9.0k2006: 7.9k2007: 5.8k2008: 4.6k2009: 4.7k

Source: International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates.

Analysis

Kenya recorded 4,681 for public payphones in 2009.

That represents a change of up 2.0% on the previous year and down 47.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, public payphones in Kenya peaked at 9,964 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 2,189, in 1985.

Kenya ranks 19th of 51 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.

Public payphones in Kenya, year by year

Annual values for Public payphones in Kenya, 1985 to 2009.
Year Value Change
1985 2,189
1987 3,160 +44.4%
1988 3,630 +14.9%
1989 3,754 +3.4%
1990 4,615 +22.9%
1992 5,552 +20.3%
1993 5,722 +3.1%
1994 5,899 +3.1%
1995 5,927 +0.5%
1996 6,069 +2.4%
1997 6,745 +11.1%
1998 8,203 +21.6%
1999 8,962 +9.3%
2000 9,026 +0.7%
2001 9,159 +1.5%
2002 9,604 +4.9%
2003 9,964 +3.7%
2004 9,798 -1.7%
2005 8,967 -8.5%
2006 7,913 -11.8%
2007 5,805 -26.6%
2008 4,587 -21.0%
2009 4,681 +2.0%

Kenya compared with similar countries

  • Kenya's 4,681 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3,321, 1.4× the median. (24 countries reporting)
  • Kenya's 4,681 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,803, 2.6× the median. (45 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 3,183 2,189 3,754 4
1990s 6,410 4,615 8,962 9
2000s 7,950 4,587 9,964 10

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 16 Ethiopia 5,025 compare
  2. 17 Burundi 5,000 compare
  3. 18 Zambia 4,875 compare
  4. 20 Libya 4,499 compare
  5. 21 Namibia 4,200 compare
  6. 22 Senegal 4,067 compare

See the full ranking of 57 places →

More science & technology data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is public payphones in Kenya?
Public payphones in Kenya was 4,681 in 2009, according to International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates.
What is the highest public payphones recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 9,964 in 2003.
What is the lowest public payphones recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 2,189 in 1985.
How does Kenya rank for public payphones?
Kenya ranks 19th out of 51 countries with data for 2009.
Is public payphones rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is down 47.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Kenya data come from?
The figures come from International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates, published as part of Public payphones. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Public payphones in Kenya. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/public-payphones/kenya/

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About this data

Indicator
Public payphones
Source
International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
57 places, 943 data points, 1960–2011
Last refreshed

Please cite the International Telecommunication Union for third-party use of these data. Total number of all types of public telephones, including coin- and card-operated and public telephones in call offices. Publicly available phones installed in private places should also be included, as should mobile public telephones. All public telephones regardless of capability (e.g., local calls or national only) should be counted. If the national definition of "payphone" differs from that above (e.g., by excluding pay phones in private places), then respondents should indicate their own definition.