Indicator 5.b.1 Proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex

Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Target 5.b: Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women

Indicator 5.b.1: Proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex

2024

4.4.1, 9.c.1, 17.6.1, 17.8.1

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics

Senior Manager, National Accounts, Tourism, Transport and ICT

National Accounts, Tourism, Transport and ICT Division

Collect, compile, analyze and disseminate statistics on National Accounts, Tourism, Transport and ICT

+254735004401, +254202911000, +254202911001

P.O. BOX 30266-00100 NAIROBI

macro@knbs.or.ke

Definition:

The proportion of individuals aged 15 years and above who own a mobile telephone, by sex is defined as the ‘share of the population who own a mobile phone for the relevant age group, by sex.

Concepts:

An individual owns a mobile cellular phone if he/she has a mobile cellular phone device with at least one active SIM card for personal use. Mobile cellular phones supplied by employers that can be used for personal reasons (to make personal calls, access the Internet, etc.) are included. Individuals who have only active SIM card(s) and not a mobile phone device are excluded. Individuals who have a mobile phone for personal use that is not registered under his/her name are also included. An active SIM card is a SIM card that has been used in the last three months.

A mobile (cellular) telephone refers to a portable telephone subscribing to a public mobile telephone service using cellular technology, which provides access to the PSTN. This includes analogue and digital cellular systems and technologies such as IMT-2000 (3G) and IMT-Advanced. Users of both post-paid subscriptions and prepaid accounts are included.

Percent (%) (of individuals)

Not Applicable

2010-ICT Survey, 2016-Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey (KIHBS) and 2019-Kenya Population Housing Survey (KPHC), 2019 KPHC analytical report on ICT Volume IV, 2022 Kenya Demographic Health Survey-Section 1:Respondent’s Background; Question 122

The 2022 KDHS employed a two-stage stratified sample design where in the first stage, 1,692 clusters were selected from the K-HMSF using the Equal Probability Selection Method (EPSEM). The clusters were selected independently in each sampling stratum. Household listing was carried out in all the selected clusters, and the resulting list of households served as a sampling frame for the second stage of selection, where 25 households were selected from each cluster. However, after the household listing procedure, it was found that some clusters had fewer than 25 households; therefore, all households from these clusters were selected into the sample. This resulted in 42,022 households being sampled for the 2022 KDHS. Interviews were conducted only in the pre-selected households and clusters; no replacement of the preselected units was allowed during the survey data collection stages. The method of data collection used was interviews where selected individuals aged 15 -49 were asked the question on whether they owned a mobile phone.

The data is collected during the ICT survey, KPHC, KIHBS, and the Kenya Demographic Health Survey. Each survey has its data collection cycle. The KPHC collects data every ten years while KIHBS and KDHS collects data after every five years.

2024/2025 KIHBS, 2027 KDHS and 2029 KPHC

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) is established under the Statistics Act, 2006 as the principal agency of the Government for collecting, analyzing and disseminating statistical data in Kenya as the custodian of official statistical information and promoting effective statistical coordination of the National Statistical System (NSS).

Mobile phone networks have spread rapidly over the last decade and the number of mobile-cellular subscriptions is almost equal to the number of people living on earth. However, not every person uses or owns a mobile-cellular telephone. Mobile phone ownership, in particular, is important to track gender equality since the mobile phone is a personal device that, if owned and not just shared, provides women with a degree of independence and autonomy, including for professional purposes. Several studies have highlighted the link between mobile phone ownership, empowerment, and productivity growth.

This indicator highlights the importance of mobile phone ownership to track and improve gender equality, and monitoring will help design targeted policies to overcome the gender divide.

1. The respondents were persons aged 15-49 years.
2. The age cohorts differ with what should be provided.

This indicator is calculated by dividing the total number of in-scope individuals who own a mobile phone by the total number of in-scope individuals multiplied by 100.

Before the release of the 2022 KDHS Report, the technical working committee organized a meeting together with stakeholders to validate the report before the launch and dissemination of the 2022 KDHS Report.

ITU Manual for Measuring ICT Access and Use by Households and Individuals 2020:

https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/publications/manual.aspx

The 2022 KDHS had 48 supervisors who were in charge of the various teams. Among their roles was in ensuring quality data collection were:

• Observation of interviews to ensure the research assistants administered the questionnaires properly and coded the right responses.
• The supervisors also conducted re-interviews of system generated households that were already interviewed by the research assistants to check for inconsistencies.
• The other element was the Field Check Tables that were shared with supervisors which flagged the errors/inconsistencies that reflected in the system.

The KNBS adheres to Kenya Statistical Quality Assurance Framework (KesQAF) that underlines principles to be assured in managing the statistical production processes and output.

Data consistency and quality checks are conducted through Technical Working Groups (TWGs) before publication and dissemination.

The KNBS adheres to KesQAF, ISO 9001:2015 and the Statistics Act 2006 and 2019 hence ensuring production of quality products and services.

Data availability:

Data available at National level and County level.

Time series:

2010, 2014/15, 2019 and 2022

Disaggregation:

Disaggregated by age, residence, education, wealth quintile and sex.

• The respondents were persons aged 15-49 years while the international standards dictate respondents should be all individuals who own mobile phones.
• The age cohorts differ since the 2022 KDHS starts with age cohort 15-19 and ends with 45-49 while the international standard starts with age cohort 0-4 and ends with 75+.

2010 ICT Survey, 2016 KIHBS, 2019 KPHC and 2022 KDHS

URLS

1. https://new.knbs.or.ke/national-ict-survey-report/
2. https://statistics.knbs.or.ke/nada/index.php/catalog/13/download/58
3. https://www.knbs.or.ke/2019-kenya-population-and-housing-census-reports/#:~:text=Volume%20IV%20%E2%80%93%20Distribution%20of%20Population,population%20by%20socio%2Deconomic%20characteristics
4. https://www.knbs.or.ke/download/kenya-dhs-2022-main-report-volume-1/