Amid the rising the rising cost of living, compounded by high taxes, Kenyans have diversified their sources of income. A new survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows a significant number of Kenyans rely on casual labor casual labor as their main source of livelihood in tough economic environment for many Kenyans.
The 2024 FinAccess Household Survey by KNBS revealed the number stood at 26.5 percent.
“While this result is consistent with the 2021 survey results, it was however lower than the proportion reported in 2021 of 30.1 percent. Reliance on agriculture as a source of livelihood dropped from 18.3 percent in 2021 to 17.9 percent in 2024, while employment saw an increase from 11.4 percent to 13.2 percent over the same period”, the survey expounds.
KNBS Findings on Kenyans Running Businesses
According to the survey, the proportion of respondents that derive livelihoods from operating businesses participation slightly rose from 15.0 percent in 2021 to 16.7 percent.
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Males predominantly engage in casual work (32.0 percent) and agriculture (18.7 percent) as their primary livelihoods, while females are more likely to rely on being dependents (30.3 percent) and own businesses (18.0 percent).
Employment is more common among males (17.0 percent) compared to females (9.7 percent), reflecting notable gender disparities in livelihood sources, it notes.
Gambling A Source of Livelihood in 2024
Furthermore, the survey also explored perceptions of gambling as a viable source of income where in 2024, 10.9 percent of respondents viewed gambling as a good income source.
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“Among these, urban respondents showed a slightly higher perception at 11.9 percent compared to rural respondents at 10.1 percent. Males had a higher perception (13.7 percent) compared to females (8.2 percent). However, the highest perception was observed in the 18-25 age group at 13.4 percent, followed by 26-35 age group at 12.7 percent,” it expounds.
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In addition, the report went on to find out the average amount spent on gambling across different demographics in 2024.
Overall respondents spent Ksh 1,825 on betting. Urban residents spent an average of Ksh 2,125 on gambling, significantly higher than rural residents, who spent Ksh 1,481. In addition, males spent more on average (Ksh 1,876) compared to females (Ksh 1,623).
The findings, combined with earlier findings showing a high perception of gambling as a potential income source among younger people, suggest that younger, urban, and educated individuals are more likely to invest in gambling, possibly due to optimism or a perceived income opportunity.
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