Destinations › Africa · The Destination Index · universal template · every figure sourced
Kenya.
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania. 580,367 sq km and 57,532,493 people, 536 km of coastline, varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior.
Region · AfricaPopulation · ~57,532,493Languages · Swahili and English (both official), Kikuyu, Luo, Luhya, Kalenjin, Kamba, SomaliEco Index · 70/100 · Passable
The Eco Index across 12 pillars · scored 0 to 5 · World Bank, OWID, WHO/UNICEF JMP, FiBL, Protected Planet, IUCN, UNESCO (2023-24)
Conservation
Wildlife
Water
Food & farming
Organic & clean
Climate & energy
Waste
Health
Heritage
Ownership
Governance
Future
The History of Kenya.
Kenya's heritage is exceptionally rich across more than forty communities. The Maasai adumu jumping dance and eunoto rites, benga music, and coastal Swahili taarab are all widely alive.
Where the name comes from
For Mount Kenya, which the Kikuyu call Kirinyaga and the Kamba Kiinyaa. The European spelling is an approximation of those names. Source: UK Permanent Committee on Geographical Names toponymic factfile.
The land itself: low plains rising to central highlands, split by the Great Rift Valley, with a fertile plateau in the west. Its high point is Mount Kenya, 5,199 m. Source: Survey of Kenya, the national mapping agency, with the UK Permanent Committee on Geographical Names.
Where it starts
Turkana, and the Land of Zanj
Australopithecus anamensis, dated between about 4.2 and 3.9 million years ago, has been recovered at Kanapoi and Allia Bay on Lake Turkana, part of one of the richest early hominin records anywhere on Earth. By the second century AD the trade centres of this coast, known to outside writers as the Land of Zanj, were connected to China, India, Indonesia, the Middle East, North Africa and Persia. By the ninth century the communities here were known as Swahili, people of the coast, with their own language and culture, and they built coral stone towns at Gedi and Lamu.
How it got here
Portuguese, Omani, British
Portuguese ships reached the coast in the 1490s and used Mombasa as a base to control Indian Ocean trade, until combined forces of Oman and the island of Pate expelled them in the late 1600s. Britain declared the East Africa Protectorate in 1895. The Mau Mau uprising from 1952 was met with mass detention and emergency rule, and Kenya became independent on 12 December 1963.
The timeline
3.9 to 2.9 million years ago
Australopithecus anamensis at Lake Turkana.
Fossils of the species that includes Lucy have been recovered at Lake Turkana, part of one of the richest early hominin records anywhere. ↗
c. 2nd century AD
The coast is already trading.
Trade centres on this coast, known to outside writers as the Land of Zanj, were connected to China, India, Indonesia, the Middle East, North Africa and Persia. ↗
c. 9th century
Swahili.
The communities of the coast, mixing African, Arab and Persian populations, become known as Swahili, people of the coast, with a distinct language, KiSwahili, and a distinct culture. ↗
11th to 15th century
Stone towns.
Coral stone towns are built along the coast, including Gedi and Lamu, trading with the Indian Ocean world. ↗
1490s
The Portuguese arrive.
Portuguese ships reach the coast and use Mombasa as a base to control Indian Ocean trade. ↗
Late 1600s
Oman and Pate push back.
Combined forces of Oman and the island of Pate expel the Portuguese from much of the coast. ↗
1895
The East Africa Protectorate.
Britain declares a protectorate in 1895, later a colony, and builds the railway inland from Mombasa. The highlands were reserved for European farmers, which is the origin of the land question that ran through the twentieth century. ↗
1952 to 1960
The Mau Mau uprising.
An armed independence movement is met with mass detention and emergency rule. ↗
1963
Independence.
Kenya becomes independent on 12 December 1963, after the Mau Mau uprising and the state of emergency that preceded it. Kenya had been settled by British farmers, and land was a central question at independence. ↗
National Museums of Kenya · National Museums of Kenya ↗ · UNESCO World Heritage, Lamu Old Town and Fort Jesus
Nature and Biodiversity in Kenya.
State protected areas cover about 14% of land but under 1% of the sea (World Bank, 2025), anchored by famous parks such as Maasai Mara, Amboseli and Tsavo and extended by a leading network of community conservancies. Anti-poaching and rhino protection are relatively strong, though marine protection lags well behind.
Is wild Kenya protected? 13.9% of the land is, against a 30% target for 2030
How protected is nature in Kenya?
Forest cover6.2%
Terrestrial protected area13.9%
Marine protected area0.7%
558 (mammals, birds, fish & plants) listed as threatened.
Recorded in Kenya and named in the open record. Endemic status is stated per species, not implied by this list.
Grevy's zebra
Gr
Hirola antelope
Hi
Sokoke scops owl
So
Tana River primates
Ta
The watchlist
ThreatenedBlack Rhino (Diceros bicornis)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Kenya in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedGyps africanusCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Kenya in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedCola porphyranthaCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Kenya in GBIF occurrence data (plant).
ThreatenedEastern Red Colobus (Piliocolobus rufomitratus)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Kenya in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedBeatragus hunteriCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Kenya in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedCercocebus galeritusCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Kenya in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedRuppell's griffon (Gyps rueppellii)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Kenya in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedNecrosyrtes monachusCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Kenya in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
What is still here, and what is gone?
Tap a species for the honest status.
Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis)Gyps africanusCola porphyranthaEastern Red Colobus (Piliocolobus rufomitratus)Beatragus hunteriCercocebus galeritusRuppell's griffon (Gyps rueppellii)Necrosyrtes monachus
.
Closest to being lost, by name
Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Kenya. GBIF holds 7 verified occurrence records.
Gyps africanus
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Kenya. GBIF holds 301 verified occurrence records.
Cola porphyrantha
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Kenya. GBIF holds 4 verified occurrence records.
Eastern Red Colobus (Piliocolobus rufomitratus)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Kenya. GBIF holds 5 verified occurrence records.
Species named here are drawn from GBIF occurrence records for Kenya filtered to the IUCN Red List threatened categories. Species are listed where GBIF holds occurrence records for them in this country. Record counts are not published here because the figure cannot be reproduced from a public GBIF query.
National park in Taita–Taveta, mapped and named in the open record for Kenya. OpenStreetMap.
Water and Ocean in Kenya.
Kenya is chronically water-stressed, drawing on rivers, Rift Valley lakes and Lake Victoria but hit by recurrent droughts and uneven access, especially across the arid north. National figures for safely managed drinking water are not reliably estimated, and tap water is generally not safe to drink.
Does Kenya have enough fresh water? Yes, with headroom
Bottled water in Nairobi and on safari; altitude plus dry air means drink more than you think.
Cleanest water: Mount Kenya and Aberdare highland streams
How much fresh water does Kenya have, per person?
382 m³
Kenya
1,000 m³
the UN “water scarce” line
Kenya withdraws about 4,032 million cubic metres of fresh water a year (2022). That is 33.2% of the fresh water actually available to it, which FAO counts as medium water stress. Of what is taken, farming takes 80%, homes and towns 12%, industry 8%. Source: FAO AQUASTAT.
What are the rules on Kenya beaches?
✕Tap water: Not drinkable.
✓Plastic rules: 2017 plastic bag ban; 2020 single-use plastic ban in protected areas.
✕Solo travel: rated take care on the record for this destination.
✕Marine protection: 0.7% of the sea is protected. The 30x30 pledge for 2030 is not met yet.
Named on the open map: Dunga Beach, Tagache Beach, Galu kinondo beach, Mavi mavi beach, Shelly beach. That is 5 named beaches in the public record for Kenya, each one a place you can look up before you go. OpenStreetMap.
Where does the sewage go?
35.8%
of people have safely managed sanitation
35.8% of people here use a safely managed sanitation service, meaning waste is contained, emptied and treated rather than reaching the ground or the sea untreated (2024, World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP, SDG 6.2.1). The rest is what the rivers and the coast receive.
How is the sea around Kenya doing?
One cross-section, every answer measured.
Surface
What the coast carries
Dry Jun–Oct and Jan–Feb are safari prime; the long rains are Mar–May.
Nearshore
Protected water
0.7% of territorial waters are protected, against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Cleanest
Where the water is cleanest
Mount Kenya and Aberdare highland streams.
The record
Measured
Kenya is chronically water-stressed, drawing on rivers, Rift Valley lakes and Lake Victoria but hit by recurrent droughts and uneven access, especially across the arid north. National figures for safely managed drinking water are not reliably estimated, and tap water is generally not safe to drink.
Sea protected
0.7%
Against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Threatened species
558 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
Mammals, birds, fish and higher plants on the IUCN list.
Cleanest water
here
Mount Kenya and Aberdare highland streams.
How hard is the water supply being pushed?
Of every 10 buckets nature refills, 2 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 19.5% of what Kenya renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is inside the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply has headroom.
When is the best time to visit Kenya? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
.
How much fresh water does Kenya actually have?
Nature renews about 382 cubic metres of fresh water per person per year here. That ranks Kenya 27 of 208 countries measured, placing it among the 30 driest countries on Earth per person. The UN treats anything under 1,000 cubic metres as water scarce, and this is below that line. World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT.
Kenya is a deeply agrarian country where farming supports a large share of livelihoods, self-sufficient in its maize staple and a major grower of tea, coffee, vegetables and cut flowers, while importing wheat, rice and more in drought years.
Where does the food in Kenya come from?
16.3% imported
about US$3,514m a year
On the plate: Ugali (maize), beans, sukuma wiki, rice, chapati
How often each food is on the plate
Share of people eating each one regularly. These overlap, so they do not add up to 100%.
Beans51%
Sukuma wiki42%
Rice33%
Chapati24%
2 of 10
bites are imported
The island buys in more food energy than it eats. About US$3,514m a year leaves the country to pay for it. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
About 16.3% of everything Kenya buys in from abroad is food, roughly 2 in every 10 imported items on the dock (2024, World Bank). Farming itself is 23.2% of the economy and 49.5% of the land is agricultural, of which 11.4% is arable. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
What is killing people in Kenya? The imported diet.
Cause of death, and the diet behind it.
Non-communicable diseases, all combined37.8%
Diabetes3.1%
Adults living with overweight or obesity. 33.7%.
Can Kenya feed itself?
11.4%
Arable land
49.5%
Agricultural land
11,315,122
Farmers
16,388,396
Arable acres
23.2%
Agriculture, share of GDP
Harvest: Long-rains harvest around August to October; short-rains harvest early in the year
Feeding itself
Kenya is a deeply agrarian country where farming supports a large share of livelihoods, self-sufficient in its maize staple and a major grower of tea, coffee, vegetables and cut flowers, while importing wheat, rice and more in drought years.
Certification
Certified organic land is about 0.4% of agricultural area (FiBL, 2020 data), though much smallholder farming is low-input and Kenya has a notable certified organic export sector.
Water for crops
Kenya is chronically water-stressed, drawing on rivers, Rift Valley lakes and Lake Victoria but hit by recurrent droughts and uneven access, especially across the arid north. National figures for safely managed drinking water are not reliably estimated, and tap water is generally not safe to drink.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certified-organic farmland is not separately reported for Kenya, and that is a certification gap rather than proof nothing is grown cleanly. What the official land record does show: 49.5% of the country is agricultural land and 11.4% is arable (2023, World Bank). Certification is paid for per farm per year by a foreign body, which prices out smallholders, so the organic number reads worse than the practice.
The plant-based kitchen here is not an import. By tonnage, the largest crops grown in Kenya are sugarcane, maize, tea leaves, potatoes and bananas (FAO, FAOSTAT crop production, 2024). That is what the land itself puts on a plate.
Buy direct where residents buy: Aboke Uwai market, Adam's Arcade Market, Embu Market, Jodongo Yuko Market, Kahawa Farmers City Council Market, Kalawa Market. Each is a mapped, named marketplace, so the money stays with the seller rather than the importer. OpenStreetMap.
Kenya runs one of the cleanest electricity systems in the world, with renewables supplying close to 90 per cent of generation from geothermal fields at Olkaria, the Lake Turkana wind farm and hydropower. Emissions are very low at around 0.4 tonnes of CO2 per person. Its climate pledge targets a 32 per cent cut in emissions by 2030 and it aims for a fully clean power grid. A low emitting economy running on genuinely clean and largely domestic power places Kenya at the top of this pillar.
What powers Kenya?
Renewable 90%Fossil 10%
Climate pollution per person
The safe amount, what the planet can absorb
2 tonnes
One person here
0.38 tonnes
The world average, for comparison
4.7 tonnes
The worst it ever got
0.38 tonnes
The grid
Kenya runs one of the cleanest electricity systems in the world, with renewables supplying close to 90 per cent of generation from geothermal fields at Olkaria, the Lake Turkana wind farm and hydropower. Emissions are very low at around 0.38 tonnes of CO2 per person.
Pollution
Kenya introduced one of the world's strictest plastic bag bans in 2017 and barred single-use plastics from national parks, beaches and forests in 2020. Ambient PM2.5 averages about 20 µg/m³ (World Bank, 2023), with continuing challenges from Nairobi traffic and the Dandora dumpsite.
Water stress
Kenya is chronically water-stressed, drawing on rivers, Rift Valley lakes and Lake Victoria but hit by recurrent droughts and uneven access, especially across the arid north. National figures for safely managed drinking water are not reliably estimated, and tap water is generally not safe to drink.
What pollutes most here
1The gridThe share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.21.9%
2IndustryCharcoal production and forest clearance.named
3AirModelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.20.3 µg/m³ (PM2.5)
4On the recordKenya introduced one of the world's strictest plastic bag bans in 2017 and barred single-use plastics from national parks, beaches and forests in 2020.
What has Kenya promised on climate?
Electricity renewable today78.1% (2021)
Land protected, against a 30% target13.9% by 2025
Sea protected, against a 30% target0.7% by 2025
Measured on delivery, 78.1% of electricity is already renewable (2021, World Bank), so 21.9% of the grid is still to be converted. The pledge on file is measured here against what has actually been delivered, not taken on its own (UNFCCC NDC Registry, CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3).
The biggest line item
One return flight against a whole year of living.
A resident's entire year0.38 t CO2e
Safe-climate budget, per year2 t CO2e
Los Angeles return, economy2.8 t CO2e
Sydney return, economy2.19 t CO2e
New York return, economy2.13 t CO2e
Singapore return, economy1.35 t CO2e
London return, economy1.23 t CO2e
How much CO2 does flying to Kenya emit?
Tap where you would fly from. One return flight, economy.
Every prompt runs on a machine in a building on somebody’s grid. What that costs the planet depends less on the prompt than on what is burning to power it. Here is what would power one in Kenya.
Data centres
14
Registered colocation and interconnection facilities, PeeringDB, 2026
Grid renewable
90.0 %
What a machine here runs on.
What powers a data centre in Kenya?
Running AI here is about as clean as it currently gets.
Renewable 90%Fossil 10%
Cooling water. Every one of those halls runs on the national grid, which is 78.1% renewable today (World Bank). A data centre is only as clean as the electricity behind it, so the same figure that decides this country's climate score also decides the footprint of the AI running inside it. Cooling water use is not separately published by facility, and no operator here reports it.
The rules. Kenya has 14 colocation and interconnection facilities on the public PeeringDB register, concentrated in Nairobi (6), Mombasa (2), Karen (2), alongside 8 internet exchanges (KIXP - Nairobi, KIXP-Mombasa, Asteroid Mombasa, Asteroid Nairobi). Named sites include SEACOM Mombasa CLS, Africa Data Centres, Nairobi NBO1, Kenya, SimbaNET Nairobi, icolo.io Mombasa One (MBA1).
Where the cables land. 3 landing points · Mombasa, Mtwapa, Nyali
97% residents to 3% visitors across a year. 2,049,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 57,532,493 people who live here (2025, World Bank / UN Tourism).
Where a visitor dollar goes in Kenya
2,049k
Visitors a year
0.0
Visitors per resident
How deep in debt is Kenya?· for every $100 Kenya earns in a year, it owes…
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · today
$ 72What is owed now, for every $100 of national income (2026).
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · projected 2031
$ 75The IMF's own forecast has this rising to $75 by 2031.
IMF World Economic Outlook projection, 2031signed, the forecast
For every $100 Kenya earns in a year, it owes $72 (2026, IMF World Economic Outlook). The interest on that is paid before schools, clinics or coastline get their turn.
Where does a tourist dollar actually go in Kenya?
Play one tourist dollar around the board. Every square is a measured fact from this page.
START!
1
GO: a visitor lands
$100 goes on the table. 2,049,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 57,532,493 residents, one visitor a year for every 28 residents (World Bank / UN Tourism).
$100 in play
2
The bed
Who owns the largest places to stay in Kenya is not published in the records we can check, so this square is left open rather than guessed. Where a listing names its owner, it is shown in the ownership table below.
not published
3
The plate
Food is 16.3% of everything Kenya imports (2024, World Bank), so a large part of every restaurant bill is paid to a supplier abroad. Eating what the land here actually grows, sugarcane, maize, bananas, tea, potatoes, cassava, cabbages, mangoes/guavas, keeps that money with the grower.
sails in
4
The power
78.1% of the electricity is renewable (2021, World Bank), so the energy on the bill is mostly generated inside the country rather than shipped in.
made at home
5
What actually stays
On the parts that can be measured, the plate leaves and the power stays. It is genuinely a coin toss, decided by what you book.
split
6
Pay the bank first
Kenya owes $72 for every $100 it earns (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). The interest is paid before anything else on this board.
$72 per $100
7
A spread hand
The largest single export, coffee, tea and spices, is 22.7% of the total (2023, UN Comtrade). No one shock can take the whole board.
top export 22.7%
8
Community chest
Tourism earns 15.4% of everything Kenya makes from exports (2019, World Bank / UN Tourism). That is how much of the economy depends on the game continuing.
15.4% of exports
9
The flight
Getting here is usually the biggest single line on the bill. From Los Angeles a return economy seat is 2.80 t CO2, on the UK Government's published conversion factors. It is the one part of the trip this board cannot reduce.
2.80 t CO2
10
Back to GO
The economy turns over about US$147 billion a year (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). Every lap of this board is a choice about how much of it stays.
US$147bn
GDPUS$135.9bn
Agriculture, share of GDP23.2%
Visitors a year2,049,000
Visitors per resident0
Residents~57,532,493
Agriculture
Farming is 23.2% of the economy. Kenya is a deeply agrarian country where farming supports a large share of livelihoods, self-sufficient in its maize staple and a major grower of tea, coffee, vegetables and cut flowers, while importing wheat, rice and more in drought years.
Natural materials
Natural-materials traditions are strong, including sisal, cotton, the Maasai shuka and beadwork, kikoi cloth and hand-woven kiondo baskets. Many remain everyday working crafts and livelihoods.
Energy
Kenya runs one of the cleanest electricity systems in the world, with renewables supplying close to 90 per cent of generation from geothermal fields at Olkaria, the Lake Turkana wind farm and hydropower. Emissions are very low at around 0.38 tonnes of CO2 per person.
Who owns the biggest hotels in Kenya?
By rooms · company records and press.
Solio Lodge · ~6 roomsIndependentnot published
Cottar’s 1920s Camp · ~11 roomsIndependentnot published
Visitors, over time
20141,350k
20151,181k
20161,340k
20171,449k
20182,025k
20192,049k
International tourism receipts run at about US$1.76 billion in 2019 (World Bank / UN Tourism). That is 15.4% of everything the country earns from exports.
How much of your money actually stays here?
Tap the holiday you are planning.
All-inclusive resortForeign-owned hotel and tourist restaurantsLocally owned stay and local restaurantsGuesthouse, markets and public transport
Resort guest, villa renter, family, nomad or backpacker. The honest playbook for each, from the same sourced numbers.
Already booked a resort? · the rescue list
Five swaps that move your money back on-island
1. Eat where the country eats Choose kitchens cooking ugali (maize), beans, sukuma wiki, rice, chapati over imported menus. The checked list →
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays. Eco tours →
3. Stay somewhere locally owned Ownership decides where the room rate books. Eco stays →
4. Use the transport residents use Matatus and buses, the SGR railway from Nairobi to Mombasa, domestic flights and safari transfers
5. Buy the craft, not the souvenir Natural-materials work made here pays the maker directly; imported gifts pay a shipping line.
swipe →
First time here
Kenya runs one of the world's greenest electricity grids and a pioneering community conservancy model alongside spectacular wildlife, balanced against water stress, low safe-water access and a still-forming recycling system.
Best time: Dry seasons; migration river crossings July to October
Getting around
Matatus and buses, the SGR railway from Nairobi to Mombasa, domestic flights and safari transfers
Transport is where the fare either stays or leaves.
Eating here
The everyday plate is ugali (maize), beans, sukuma wiki, rice, chapati. Everyday Kenyan food leans on ugali, beans, githeri, sukuma wiki (collard greens), maize and vegetables, so unprocessed plant eating is cheap and normal.
Eating what the country grows is the cheapest way to cut the import bill.
Good to know
M-Pesa is king; cards in cities; KES. Safari lodges take cards.
Rate my hotel. Tap yours for the honest verdict.
Ownership from company records and press.
Solio LodgeCottar’s 1920s Camp
.
Who owns the places to stay
Solio LodgeIndependent · 6 rooms
Cottar’s 1920s CampIndependent · 11 rooms
None of the 2 properties listed here publishes who ultimately owns it, so no claim is made either way. Ownership is what decides how much of a room rate stays in the country, which is why we show it when a listing states it.
Society and Governance in Kenya.
How well is Kenya actually run?
Governance, measured · World Bank WGI
Four measured answers, none of them opinion. Averaged across corruption control, delivery and accountability, Kenya scores 43 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That matters here because every pledge on this page is only as good as the machinery meant to deliver it.
How well is Kenya run? · each scored out of 100, higher is better
Clean government, scored 32 of 100
Control of corruption scores 31.6 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That is below the halfway mark of governments measured.
32
Freedom and rights, scored 51 of 100
Voice and accountability, which measures free expression, free media and the ability to choose a government, scores 50.6 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Citizens have some room to question their government.
51
Government effectiveness, scored 46 of 100
Government effectiveness, which measures the quality of public services and how well policy is actually delivered, scores 45.5 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Delivery is rated below average, so a pledge on paper is not the same as a pledge kept.
46
Income equality, scored 39 of 100
The Gini index of income inequality reads 38.5 (2022, World Bank). Zero is perfect equality and 100 is one person holding everything. Below 40 is the level usually treated as manageable, and Kenya sits inside it.
39
LGBTQ+ status: IllegalSolo female travel: Take care82.2% adult literacyIndustry to avoid: Charcoal production and forest clearance
Getting around, breathing, throwing away, learning. The honest checklist.
TransportAirWaterWastePower
✓How you get around Matatus and buses, the SGR railway from Nairobi to Mombasa, domestic flights and safari transfers
✓Air quality, measured Modelled annual mean 20.3 µg/m³ (PM2.5). The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³.
✓Where the air is cleanest Highland conservancies and the Aberdares away from Nairobi
·Tap water Not drinkable
✓What to drink Bottled water in Nairobi and on safari; altitude plus dry air means drink more than you think.
✓Plastic rules 2017 plastic bag ban; 2020 single-use plastic ban in protected areas
✓Sockets and voltage Type C/D/M, 230V
82.2%
literacy. Public spending on education runs at 4.0% of GDP and 28.5% of all government spending, and secondary enrolment stands at 84.3% gross (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2023 to 2025).
Made in Kenya.
Natural-materials traditions are strong, including sisal, cotton, the Maasai shuka and beadwork, kikoi cloth and hand-woven kiondo baskets. Many remain everyday working crafts and livelihoods. Every step of processing done at home is value that stops leaving the country.
What Kenya actually sells the world
The single biggest thing Kenya sells the world is coffee, tea and spices, 22.7% of all exports in 2023 (about US$1.63 billion, UN Comtrade). The next four are live trees, plants and cut flowers at 10.2%, mineral fuels and oils at 5.1%, fruit and nuts at 3.4%, animal and vegetable fats and oils at 3.1%.
Made now · natural materials
Sisal
Worked in Kenya from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Cotton
Worked in Kenya from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Maasai shuka
Worked in Kenya from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Beadwork
Worked in Kenya from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Kikoi cloth
Worked in Kenya from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Hand-woven kiondo baskets. Many remain everyday working crafts
Worked in Kenya from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Buys in · 6.9% of imports
Machinery and mechanical appliances
Kenya imported US$1.29 billion of machinery and mechanical appliances in 2023, 6.9% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 6.8% of imports
Cereals
Kenya imported US$1.27 billion of cereals in 2023, 6.8% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 4.8% of imports
Electrical machinery and electronics
Kenya imported US$0.90 billion of electrical machinery and electronics in 2023, 4.8% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 4.7% of imports
Vehicles
Kenya imported US$0.87 billion of vehicles in 2023, 4.7% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
The maths for an entrepreneur. Kenya produces about US$136 billion a year, which is roughly US$2,363 per person (2025, World Bank). Farming is 23.2% of that, while food is 16.3% of everything the country imports. With 11.4% of the land arable, the raw material for that is already in the ground.
A living tradition of Kenya, still practised rather than archived.
Eunoto rites
A living tradition of Kenya, still practised rather than archived.
Benga music
A living tradition of Kenya, still practised rather than archived.
Swahili taarab
A living tradition of Kenya, still practised rather than archived.
Isukuti drumming of the IsukhaA living tradition of Kenya, still practised rather than archived.
IdakhoA living tradition of Kenya, still practised rather than archived.
Does Kenya protect its heritage by law?
Partly, and the gaps say as much as the protections.
What is kept alive. Kenya's heritage is exceptionally rich across more than forty communities. The Maasai adumu jumping dance and eunoto rites, benga music, and coastal Swahili taarab are all widely alive. Isukuti drumming of the Isukha and Idakho is inscribed by UNESCO, as are the Mijikenda kaya sacred forests, where ancestral traditions are still observed.
Who it belongs to. Kenya has strong living indigenous cultures, including Maasai and Samburu communities, and its community conservancy model channels tourism and conservation income directly to local landowners, one of the better examples of money reaching residents despite past land-rights tensions.
Only here. Lake Turkana, the world's largest permanent desert lake and a cradle-of-humankind fossil site.
Three futures for Kenya, every one run forward from measured data.
Every measured trend on one line
Run forward at the pace already recorded.
-10%
Forest cover
1995: 6.87 % → 2023: 6.22 %
-13%
Renewable electricity
1995: 89.3 % → 2021: 78.1 %
+51%
CO2 per person
1995: 0.253 t → 2024: 0.383 t
+110%
Tourist arrivals
1995: 974 k → 2019: 2049 k
-3%
Protected land
2013: 14.3 % → 2025: 13.9 %
-25%
Farm workforce
1995: 61.1 % → 2025: 45.8 %
-13%
Protected sea
2013: 0.8 % → 2025: 0.7 %
+3%
Agricultural land
1995: 47.9 % → 2023: 49.5 %
+73%
Urban population
1995: 18.6 % → 2025: 32.2 %
+36%
Air pollution
1995: 14.9 µg/m³ → 2023: 20.3 µg/m³
-51%
Fresh water per person
1995: 778.1 m³ → 2022: 381.6 m³
+141%
Adult overweight
1995: 14 % → 2022: 33.7 %
+1319%
Electricity access
1995: 5.4 % → 2024: 77 %
+595%
GDP per person
1995: 340 → 2025: 2363
+116%
Population
1995: 26602 k → 2025: 57532 k
-13%
Renewable energy use
1995: 78.2 % → 2021: 67.7 %
+18%
Energy per person
1995: 457.7 kg → 2024: 539.3 kg
-2%
Protected area, total
2013: 12.1 % → 2025: 11.8 %
+14%
Life expectancy
1995: 55.9 yrs → 2024: 63.8 yrs
+0%
Cereal yield
1995: 1753 ha → 2023: 1758 ha
+250%
Fertiliser use
1995: 14.4 ha → 2023: 50.5 ha
-17%
Rural population
1995: 81.4 % → 2025: 67.8 %
+29%
Water productivity
1995: 18.3 $/m3 → 2022: 23.5 $/m3
+20%
Health spending
2000: 3.62 % → 2023: 4.35 %
-8%
Forest area
1995: 39099 km2 → 2023: 36111 km2
+48%
Electric power use
1995: 132.1 kWh → 2024: 195.3 kWh
+96%
Emissions: Agriculture
1990: 27.3 e → 2023: 53.3 e
+114%
Emissions: Building
1990: 5.4 e → 2023: 11.6 e
+188%
Emissions: Electricity/Heat
1990: 0.43 e → 2023: 1.24 e
+167%
Emissions: Energy
1990: 10.4 e → 2023: 27.9 e
+442%
Emissions: Industrial Processes
1990: 0.76 e → 2023: 4.12 e
+208%
Emissions: Manufacturing/Construction
1990: 1.43 e → 2023: 4.41 e
+275%
Emissions: Transportation
1990: 2.8 e → 2023: 10.4 e
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 6.9% to 6.2% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.ZS
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 89.3% to 78.1% across 26 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 0.3 t to 0.4 t across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 974k to 2049k across 24 recorded years.
World Bank ST.INT.ARVL
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 14.3% to 13.9% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.LND.PTLD.ZS
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 61.1% to 45.8% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS
How much sea is protected?
Protected sea moved from 0.8% to 0.7% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 47.9% to 49.5% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.AGRI.ZS
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 18.6% to 32.2% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 14.9 µg/m³ to 20.3 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 778.1 m³ to 381.6 m³ across 27 recorded years.
World Bank ER.H2O.INTR.PC
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 14.0% to 33.7% across 27 recorded years.
World Bank SH.STA.OWAD.ZS
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 5.4% to 77.0% across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 340 to 2363 across 30 recorded years.
World Bank NY.GDP.PCAP.CD
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 26602k to 57532k across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.POP.TOTL
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 78.2% to 67.7% across 26 recorded years.
World Bank EG.FEC.RNEW.ZS
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 457.7 kg to 539.3 kg across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.PCAP.KG.OE
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 12.1% to 11.8% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.PTD.TOTL.ZS
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 55.86 yrs to 63.83 yrs across 29 recorded years.
World Bank SP.DYN.LE00.IN
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 1753 kg/ha to 1758 kg/ha across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.YLD.CREL.KG
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 14.42 kg/ha to 50.46 kg/ha across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.CON.FERT.ZS
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 81.42% to 67.79% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.RUR.TOTL.ZS
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 18.25 $/m3 to 23.51 $/m3 across 27 recorded years.
World Bank ER.GDP.FWTL.M3.KD
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 3.62% to 4.35% across 23 recorded years.
World Bank SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 39099 km2 to 36111 km2 across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.K2
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 132.1 kWh to 195.29 kWh across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.ELEC.KH.PC
How have agriculture emissions moved?
Agriculture emissions moved from 27.25 to 53.34 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have building emissions moved?
Building emissions moved from 5.41 to 11.58 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have electricity/heat emissions moved?
Electricity/Heat emissions moved from 0.43 to 1.24 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have energy emissions moved?
Energy emissions moved from 10.43 to 27.9 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have industrial processes emissions moved?
Industrial Processes emissions moved from 0.76 to 4.12 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have manufacturing/construction emissions moved?
Manufacturing/Construction emissions moved from 1.43 to 4.41 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have transportation emissions moved?
Transportation emissions moved from 2.76 to 10.35 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
Worst caseCurrent pathBest case
Worst case
Every measured decline continues at the pace already recorded. The weakest pillar, organic farming at 2/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
Current path
Every line above is a recorded World Bank series for this country. The current path is simply those series continuing at the pace already measured.
Computed from: recorded series, no policy change assumed
Best case
The pledges are met on their own stated timetables and the weakest pillars are lifted to match the strongest. Kenya already shows it can do this: heritage scores 5/5.
Computed from: each published target delivered on its own date
What the best case actually asks for
Lift organic farming
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Kenya's record. Certified organic land is about 0.4% of agricultural area (FiBL, 2020 data), though much smallholder farming is low-input and Kenya has a notable certified organic export sector. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift recycling
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Kenya's record. Formal municipal recycling is low and dominated by the informal sector, though PET and paper recovery and extended-producer-responsibility schemes are growing. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift water
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Kenya's record. Kenya is chronically water-stressed, drawing on rivers, Rift Valley lakes and Lake Victoria but hit by recurrent droughts and uneven access, especially across the arid north. National figures for safely managed drinking water are not reliably estimated, and tap water is generally not safe to drink. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in Kenya.
Who is in charge of Kenya now · office-holders and institutions as published by the state itself; scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024
William Ruto
President
William Ruto is the head of government of Kenya, in office since 13 September 2022. Every climate, protection and energy pledge on this page is delivered, or not, under this administration.
Public opinion, measured
Voice and accountability, the freedom to question government: 50.6 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Control of corruption: 31.6 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Political stability and absence of violence: 42.7 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Rule of law: 49 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Regulatory quality: 49.6 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
William RutoPresident
Parliament of KenyaLegislature, bicameral
Next election10 August 2027
Last election9 August 2022
Constitutioncurrent text dates from 2010
Government typepresidential republic
Kenya national goals: what has been pledged, and how far it has got · each pledge measured against this country's own recorded delivery
2030
30% of land protected
! behind
Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted by more than 190 parties in December 2022. Kenya currently protects 13.9% of its land, which is 46% of the way to the pledge. ↗
2030
30% of sea protected
✕ far behind
The marine half of the same 30x30 pledge. Kenya currently protects 0.7% of its territorial waters, which is 2% of the way there. ↗
2030
Paris Agreement pledge
on record
Kenya has a Nationally Determined Contribution lodged with the UNFCCC. The registry holds the current text, its target year and the sectors it covers. ↗
Plastic policy
in force
2017 plastic bag ban; 2020 single-use plastic ban in protected areas.
Grid, as it stands
78.1% renewable
Recorded renewable share of electricity output, the number every energy pledge is measured against. ↗
Plain Answers About Kenya.
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
swipe →
Is Kenya sustainable?
Kenya scores 70 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. Kenya runs one of the world's greenest electricity grids and a pioneering community conservancy model alongside spectacular wildlife, balanced against water stress, low safe-water access and a still-forming recycling system.
Is the water in Kenya safe and plentiful?
Kenya is chronically water-stressed, drawing on rivers, Rift Valley lakes and Lake Victoria but hit by recurrent droughts and uneven access, especially across the arid north. National figures for safely managed drinking water are not reliably estimated, and tap water is generally not safe to drink.
Can Kenya feed itself?
Kenya is a deeply agrarian country where farming supports a large share of livelihoods, self-sufficient in its maize staple and a major grower of tea, coffee, vegetables and cut flowers, while importing wheat, rice and more in drought years.
Is it easy to eat plant-based in Kenya?
Everyday Kenyan food leans on ugali, beans, githeri, sukuma wiki (collard greens), maize and vegetables, so unprocessed plant eating is cheap and normal. For most people meat features at celebrations more than at daily meals.
How much of Kenya is actually protected?
State protected areas cover about 14% of land but under 1% of the sea (World Bank, 2025), anchored by famous parks such as Maasai Mara, Amboseli and Tsavo and extended by a leading network of community conservancies. Anti-poaching and rhino protection are relatively strong, though marine protection lags well behind.
What wildlife is left in Kenya?
Kenya offers world-class biodiversity and iconic megafauna, from the Big Five to the annual wildebeest migration across the Mara, plus rarities such as Grevy's zebra, the hirola antelope and sitatunga. Rhino and elephant conservation are actively managed.
Is Kenya on clean energy?
Kenya runs one of the cleanest electricity systems in the world, with renewables supplying close to 90 per cent of generation from geothermal fields at Olkaria, the Lake Turkana wind farm and hydropower. Emissions are very low at around 0.38 tonnes of CO2 per person. Its climate pledge targets a 32 per cent cut in emissions by 2030 and it aims for a fully clean power grid.
How polluted is Kenya?
Kenya introduced one of the world's strictest plastic bag bans in 2017 and barred single-use plastics from national parks, beaches and forests in 2020. Ambient PM2.5 averages about 20 µg/m³ (World Bank, 2023), with continuing challenges from Nairobi traffic and the Dandora dumpsite.
Does recycling work in Kenya?
Formal municipal recycling is low and dominated by the informal sector, though PET and paper recovery and extended-producer-responsibility schemes are growing.
Is the farming in Kenya organic?
Certified organic land is about 0.4% of agricultural area (FiBL, 2020 data), though much smallholder farming is low-input and Kenya has a notable certified organic export sector.
Are there natural materials and craft in Kenya?
Natural-materials traditions are strong, including sisal, cotton, the Maasai shuka and beadwork, kikoi cloth and hand-woven kiondo baskets. Many remain everyday working crafts and livelihoods.
Is there living culture in Kenya?
Kenya has strong living indigenous cultures, including Maasai and Samburu communities, and its community conservancy model channels tourism and conservation income directly to local landowners, one of the better examples of money reaching residents despite past land-rights tensions.
What heritage does Kenya keep alive?
Kenya's heritage is exceptionally rich across more than forty communities. The Maasai adumu jumping dance and eunoto rites, benga music, and coastal Swahili taarab are all widely alive. Isukuti drumming of the Isukha and Idakho is inscribed by UNESCO, as are the Mijikenda kaya sacred forests, where ancestral traditions are still observed.
So is Kenya actually green? The measured answer
What is working: renewable electricity at 78.1%.
What is not: land protected at 13.9% against a 30% mark, sea protected at 0.7% against a 30% mark.
Kenya sits 28 of 77 at 70/100. Every name links to its own destination page, built exactly like this one. The full ranking →
What is Kenya particularly good at?
✓Energy, scored 5/5. Kenya runs one of the cleanest electricity systems in the world, with renewables supplying close to 90 per cent of generation from geothermal fields at Olkaria, the Lake Turkana wind farm and hydropower. Emissions are very low at around 0.4 tonnes of CO2 per person. Its climate pledge targets a 32 per cent cut in emissions by 2030 and it aims for a fully clean power grid. A low emitting economy running on genuinely clean and largely domestic power places Kenya at the top of this pillar.
✓Heritage, scored 5/5. Kenya's heritage is exceptionally rich across more than forty communities. The Maasai adumu jumping dance and eunoto rites, benga music, and coastal Swahili taarab are all widely alive. Isukuti drumming of the Isukha and Idakho is inscribed by UNESCO, as are the Mijikenda kaya sacred forests, where ancestral traditions are still observed. Pastoralist peoples such as the Maasai, Samburu and Turkana maintain living indigenous practice.
✓Culture, scored 4/5. Kenya has strong living indigenous cultures, including Maasai and Samburu communities, and its community conservancy model channels tourism and conservation income directly to local landowners, one of the better examples of money reaching residents despite past land-rights tensions.
Where does Kenya score worst?
✕Organic farming, scored 2/5. Certified organic land is about 0.4% of agricultural area (FiBL, 2020 data), though much smallholder farming is low-input and Kenya has a notable certified organic export sector.
✕Recycling, scored 2/5. Formal municipal recycling is low and dominated by the informal sector, though PET and paper recovery and extended-producer-responsibility schemes are growing.
✕Water, scored 2/5. Kenya is chronically water-stressed, drawing on rivers, Rift Valley lakes and Lake Victoria but hit by recurrent droughts and uneven access, especially across the arid north. National figures for safely managed drinking water are not reliably estimated, and tap water is generally not safe to drink.
Similar countries doing it better and worse
TanzaniaScored on the same twelve pillars as Kenya.75
EthiopiaScored on the same twelve pillars as Kenya.72
UgandaScored on the same twelve pillars as Kenya.70
EgyptScored on the same twelve pillars as Kenya.60
BotswanaScored on the same twelve pillars as Kenya.58
SeychellesScored on the same twelve pillars as Kenya.57
A note from the lens of mother natureswipe →
Energy, 5/5
Kenya runs one of the cleanest electricity systems in the world, with renewables supplying close to 90 per cent of generation from geothermal fields at Olkaria, the Lake Turkana wind farm and hydropower. Emissions are very low at around 0.38 tonnes of CO2 per person.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Kenya's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Food and farming, 4/5
Kenya is a deeply agrarian country where farming supports a large share of livelihoods, self-sufficient in its maize staple and a major grower of tea, coffee, vegetables and cut flowers, while importing wheat, rice and more in drought years.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Kenya's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Heritage, 5/5
Kenya's heritage is exceptionally rich across more than forty communities. The Maasai adumu jumping dance and eunoto rites, benga music, and coastal Swahili taarab are all widely alive.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Kenya's record, so it is where the score moves first.
The Kenya Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in Kenya, checked and listed.
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Government effectiveness
45.5 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Rule of law
49 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Political stability
42.7 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Voice and accountability
50.6 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Environmental Performance Index
36.9 / 100 · 146 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 146 of 180 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
49.2 / 100 · 97 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 97 of 180 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
43.8 / 100 · 112 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 112 of 180 countries assessed.
Air pollution
72.6 / 100 · 92 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 92 of 180 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
40.2 / 100 · 115 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 115 of 180 countries assessed.
Marine protected areas
59.9 / 100 · 77 of 131
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 77 of 131 countries assessed.
How Kenya Is Scored. The Throne Standard.
Every destination on the index is scored the same way, so a 4 in Barbados means exactly what a 4 means in Iceland. No self-declared data and no brochure claims are accepted. Every figure on this page carries its named source and year, and the history on each page names what empire took as plainly as it scores the present.
The 12 pillars every destination is scored on, equally weighted
01
Conservation
Land and sea actually protected, not pledged
02
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost
03
Water
Fresh water per person, and the ocean’s health
04
Food & farming
Whether the place can feed itself
05
Organic & clean
Certified land and pesticide reality
06
Climate & energy
Emissions per person, how the grid is powered
07
Waste
Where the rubbish goes, what comes back
08
Health
What people eat and die of
09
Heritage
Living culture, and what the law keeps standing
10
Ownership
Who owns the economy, how much of a dollar stays
11
Governance
Freedom, honesty, promises kept
12
Future
Measured trends run forward, pledges against pace
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
One index, every destination. This same sectioned page renders for all 77 scored destinations, each with its own researched history, comparison charts and three-way future. Read the full methodology
