Embu County
Introduction
Embu County is located in Eastern Province and had a total population of 662,000 people in 2025. According to the 2019 population and housing census, Embu had a total population of 608,599 people, comprising 182,743 households and an average household size of 3.3 people per household.
Embu has a total land area of 2,820.7 square kilometers and a population density of 216 people per square kilometer.
Embu County is bordered to the North by Tharaka Nithi, to the East by Kitui, to the South by Machakos, to the South West by Murang’a, and to the West by Kirinyaga.
Sub-counties in Embu County include Embu East, Embu North, Embu West, Mbeere South, Mbeere North, and Mt. Kenya Forest.
Embu County Economy
Embu County had an average Gross County Product at current prices of Ksh 194.8 billion in 2023, representing an average county contribution to Gross Value Added of 1.5% in the same period.
Embu County contributed, on average, 1.7% to agriculture, forestry, and fishing activities and 0.4% to manufacturing activities. It also contributed, on average, 1.2% to service activities.
Embu County had a GDP per capita of Ksh 300,392 in 2023.
Embu County Poverty Rates
Embu County had an overall headcount poverty rate of 24.3%, with a total of 158,000 people estimated to live in poverty. By comparison, Kenya had an overall poverty rate of 39.8% in 2022.
The hardcore poverty rate in Embu was 0.4%, with roughly 3,000 people estimated to live in extreme poverty in 2022. The hardcore poverty rate in Kenya during the same year was 7.1%.
Embu also had a food poverty rate of 23.7%, with 154,000 people estimated to live in food poverty. Kenya, on the other hand, had a food poverty rate of 31.7% in 2022.
The map below shows the distribution of poverty by constituency in Embu County in 2019: Manyatta 25.6%, Mbeere North 27.1%, Mbeere South 22.7%, and Runyenjes 46.1%.
The mean monthly food and non-food expenditure in Embu County was Ksh 4,038 and Ksh 3,448 in 2022. The percentage share of the mean monthly food expenditure in the county was 58%, while the share of the non-food expenditure was 42%.
The major sources of household food consumption in Embu County were purchase or stock, accounting for 76.7%; own production, 15.8%; and gifts, 7.5%.
The mean and median per adult equivalent consumption expenditure in Embu County were Ksh 7,202 and Ksh 5,400, respectively, in 2021.
Embu County Demographics
Embu County had a total population of 608,599 people in 2019, consisting of 304,208 males, 304,367 females, and 24 intersex. Embu had a median age of 23 years in 2019.
The table below shows the population distribution in Embu County by sex and sub-county.
|
Sub county |
Male |
Female |
Inter sex |
Total |
|
Embu East |
64,571 |
64,991 |
2 |
129,564 |
|
Embu North |
39,665 |
39,888 |
3 |
79,556 |
|
Embu West |
63,125 |
63,966 |
9 |
127,100 |
|
Mbeere South |
83,311 |
80,159 |
6 |
163,476 |
|
Mbeere North |
53,517 |
55,360 |
4 |
108,881 |
|
Mt. Kenya Forest |
19 |
3 |
0 |
22 |
|
Total |
304,208 |
304,367 |
24 |
608,599 |
Marital Status
The percentage of women aged 12 and above in Embu County who were never married in 2019 was 35.6%, while those who were married monogamous were 49.9%. The distribution of women in Embu married polygamous was 1.2%, and the widowed were 7.5%. The divorced and separated in Embu County were 1.1% and 4.7% respectively.
Among women aged 12 and above in Embu, those who were never married in 2019 were 45.5%, while those married monogamous were 47%. The distribution of men in Embu who were married polygamous was 1.2%, while the widowed were 1.4%. The divorced and separated in Embu County were 0.8% and 4.2%, respectively.
According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, the median age at first marriage among women aged 25-49 in Embu County was 21.9 years in 2022, while the median age at first marriage among men aged 30-54 was 26.7 years.
Polygyny in Embu County
The percentage of married women aged 15-49 in Embu County who had one or more co-wives in 2022 was 3.8%. Those without a co-wife were 90.7%, while those with one co-wife were 3%. The share of women with more than two co-wives was 0.8%.
Among married men aged 15-49 in Embu County, 99.2% had one wife, and 0.8% had more than two wives in 2022.
Marriage Registration
The percentage of currently married women in Embu County aged 15-49 whose marriage was registered with the civil authorities was 26.6% in 2022, while those whose marriage was registered and had a marriage certificate was 24.7%.
Teenage Marriages
The proportion of married males aged 12-15 in Embu County was 3.8% in 2019, while the proportion of married females of the same age group was 3.7%. Among females aged 12-18, the proportion married in Embu was 5.4% in 2019.
The teenage pregnancy rate in Embu County, consisting of women aged 15-19 who have ever been pregnant, was 14.4% in 2022.
Total Fertility Rate
Embu County had a Total Fertility Rate of 2.9 births per woman in 2019, a decline of 15% from 3.4 births per woman in 2009. Overall, Kenya's Total Fertility Rate was 3.4 births per woman in 2019, a drop of 28.6% from 4.8 births per woman in 2009.
The total youth fertility rate in Embu County was 0.9 births per woman in 2019, compared to a national youth fertility rate of 1 birth per woman.
The Crude Birth Rate of Embu County was 22.3 births per 1,000 population in 2019, a decline of 32% from 32.8 births per 1,000 population in 2009. Overall, Kenya had a Crude Birth Rate of 27.9 births per 1,000 population in 2019, a decline of 27.2% from a Crude Birth Rate of 38.4 births per 1,000 population in 2009.
Place of Birth and Notification Status
The share of recent births in Embu County occurring in a health facility was 94.7% in 2019, while those occurring in a non-health facility were 5.3%. In Kenya, the share of recent births occurring in a health facility in 2019 was 85.8%, while those occurring in a non-health facility were 14%.
The completeness of birth registration in Embu County was 89.9% in 2023.
Place of Death and Notification Status
In 2019, 69.1% of deaths in Embu County occurred in a health facility, while 30.5% occurred in the community. In Kenya, 59% of deaths in 2019 occurred in a health facility, while 40% did not occur in a health facility.
The completeness of death registration in Embu County was 45.9% in 2023.
Embu County had a Crude Death Rate (CDR) of 7.5 deaths per 1,000 population in 2019. Overall, Kenya Crude Death Rate was 10.5%.
Religious Affiliation
The majority of residents of Embu County are Protestant 221,437, followed by Catholics 163,196, and members of Evangelical Churches 137,315.
|
Catholic |
163,196 |
|
Protestant |
221,437 |
|
Evangelical Churches |
137,315 |
|
African Instituted Churches |
50,957 |
|
Orthodox |
3,603 |
|
Other Christians |
12,451 |
|
2,861 |
|
|
Hindu |
106 |
|
Traditionists |
363 |
|
Other Religion |
4,886 |
|
No religion Atheists |
6,873 |
Embu County Development
- The Rural Access Index (RAI) in Embu County was 86%, representing the percentage of the population living within two kilometers of an all-weather road in 2019.
- Household access to electricity in Embu County was 47.3% in 2019, up from 14.9% in 2009.
- Household access to improved sanitation in Embu County was 90.4% in 2019, up from 65.6% in 2009.
- Household access to safe drinking water in Embu County was 67.9% in 2019, up from 51.1% in 2009.
- Household access to piped water in Embu County was 49.3% in 2019, up from 37.3% in 2009.
- Embu had 97.1% of its public primary schools connected to electricity, ranking 20th nationally in 2019.
The share of the population in Embu County owning mobile phones in 2019 was 57%. Among women, 86.8% owned any type of mobile phone in Embu County in 2022, while 45.5% owned a smartphone.
In 2022, 83.9% of men in Embu owned a mobile phone, while 42.8% owned a smartphone. The percentage of men and women who used a mobile phone for financial transactions in the year preceding the 2022 KDHS survey was 85.8% and 85.5%, respectively.
|
Embu County |
||
|
|
57.00% |
Census 2019 |
|
85.35% |
KDHS 2022 |
|
|
85.65% |
KDHS 2022 |
|
|
% of the Population with Mobile Money Accounts |
83.90% |
2021 FinAccess Survey |
|
% of the Population Using the Internet |
14.70% |
Census 2019 |
|
% of Population who have Ever Searched and Bought Goods Online |
2.50% |
Census 2019 |
|
% of Population Using Computer/Tablet/Laptop |
9.40% |
Census 2019 |
|
% of the Population Using a Bank
|
35.70% |
KDHS 2022 |
|
23.30% |
2021 FinAccess Survey |
|
Embu County Finance
In the financial year (FY) 2024/25, Embu County approved a supplementary budget of Ksh 8.53 billion, comprising Ksh 2.82 billion and Ksh 5.71 billion allocation for development and recurrent expenditures, respectively.
Other highlights in the FY 2024/2025 included:
- Equitable share – Ksh 5.8 billion
- Conditional grants and additional allocations – Ksh 357.74 million
- Own Source Revenue – Ksh 399.24 million
- Cash balances – Ksh 188 million
- Expenditure on salaries/personnel emoluments – Ksh 3,690,080,000.
- Expenditure on operations and maintenance – Ksh 1,031,490,000.
- Embu County development expenditure – Ksh 1,631,350,000.
- The total expenditure – Ksh 6,352,930,000.
- Embu County outstanding bill – Ksh 1,763,100,000.
- Expenditure on Domestic travel – Ksh 193,480,000.
- Expenditure on foreign travel – Ksh 18,180,000.
- Total expenditure on travel – Ksh 211,660,000.
- The average MCA sitting allowance – Ksh 82,267.
HIV/AIDS in Embu County
The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Embu County was 1.48%. The number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Embu was 9,782, while the number of HIV-related deaths was 179.
|
HIV/AIDS in Embu County – 2025 |
|
|
HIV Prevalence (%) |
1.48 |
|
People Living with HIV (PLHIV) - Total |
9,782 |
|
People Living with HIV (PLHIV) - Children |
356 |
|
People Living with HIV (PLHIV) - Adults |
9,425 |
|
New HIV Infections - Total |
99 |
|
New HIV Infections - Children |
22 |
|
New HIV Infections - Adults |
77 |
|
AIDS Related Deaths - Total |
179 |
|
AIDS Related Deaths - Children |
13 |
|
AIDS Related Deaths - Adults |
165 |
See Also