Nearly a quarter (24.4%) of young adults (18–25 years) lack an ID document, a rate 12 times higher than that of any other age group

  • Nearly 1 in 4 young adults (18–25 years) in Kenya lack an ID document.
  • This rate (24.4%) is 12 times higher than that of any other adult age group.
  • ID ownership rises sharply after age 25, reaching over 98% across all older categories.
  • Adults aged 36–45 years and above 55 years show the highest ID possession rate at 98.5%.
  • Closing the ID gap among the youth is essential to advancing financial inclusion, employment access, and digital service uptake in Kenya.

The 2024 FinAccess Household Survey revealed a significant gap in Kenya’s identity card (ID) ownership among young adults aged 18–25 years. While nearly all older Kenyans possess an ID, 24.4% of those aged 18–25 still lack one, making this group 12 times more likely to be without identification compared to other age groups. This is a key challenge in Kenya’s efforts to expand financial inclusion and access to government services, both of which often depend on formal identification.

The difference in ID access between younger and older adults highlights a critical transition challenge faced by Kenya’s youth. Many young adults struggle with delays or bureaucratic bottlenecks in obtaining IDs after reaching 18, especially those in rural areas or informal settlements.

Source:

Central Bank of Kenya — 2024 FinAccess Household Survey

Period:

2024
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The two youngest age groups (18–25 & 26–35 years) collectively account for over half (52.9%) of all Kenyan adults who own an ID document
  • 25.8 million Kenyan adults now own a national ID.
  • Youths dominate ID ownership, with 18–35-year-olds making up 52.9% of all ID holders.
  • The 26–35 age group leads the way, accounting for 30.1% of total ID owners.
  • Young adults (18–25 years) form 22.8% of all ID holders
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  • Kenya’s financial inclusion surged from 33.2% (men) and 20.5% (women) in 2006 to 85.7% and 84.1%, respectively, in 2024.
  • The gender gap in financial access has nearly disappeared, shrinking from 12.7 percentage points in 2006 to just 1.6 points in 2024.
  • Women’s financial inclusion grew faster, closing the gap primarily between 2009 and 2016, a period marked by mobile money expansion.
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  • Adults aged 26–35 years have the highest formal financial access in Kenya at 92.9%.
  • The 36–45 age group follows closely with 92.7% formal inclusion, highlighting strong access among the middle-aged population.
  • Young adults (18–25 years) remain the most financially excluded group, with 23.1% still outside the financial system.
  • Older adults (above 55 years) also show weaker inclusion, with 84.1% formal access and 9.7% exclusion.
  • Informal access remains relatively low across all age groups, signalling the dominance of formal channels.
Formal financial access among Kenyan adults has more than tripled since 2006, rising from 26.7% to 84.9% by 2024
  • Formal financial access in Kenya surged from 26.7% in 2006 to 84.9% in 2024, a threefold increase.
  • The share of financially excluded adults dropped drastically from 41.3% to 9.9% over the same period.
  • Informal access, through community-based and unregulated systems, has declined steadily as more people moved to formal systems.
  • Kenya achieved over 80% formal access by 2019, marking a turning point in its financial inclusion journey.
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  • Wealth-building dominates motivation: 45.4% cite “active wealth building” as their primary motive, and an additional 21.8% cite “long-term financial security”.
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