A survey found that 56% of respondents across 32 countries ranked the cost of living as their biggest concern, up six percentage points from last Pokot residents collect spilled relief maize donated by Kenya Red-Cross at Lodengo in Tiaty Sub-county, Baringo County /FILE The rising cost of living has emerged as the biggest concern for citizens worldwide, with millions of Kenyans facing the risk of falling into poverty as higher fuel prices, expensive food and mounting economic pressures squeeze household budgets.
A new survey by global, data-driven non-profit foundation–Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute, in partnership with Ipsos, shows that 56 per cent of citizens across 32 countries, including Kenya, consider the cost of living their top priority. This is six percentage points higher than last year.
Food and energy costs have become the biggest cost-of-living concern, cited by 34 per cent of respondents, reflecting the growing pressure on household spending and the cost of running businesses. Kenyan households are already grappling with rising food and transport costs, with the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) this month cautioning that prices of essential commodities could climb further in the coming weeks.
The CBK's September 2026 Agriculture Sector Survey identified milk, maize flour, wheat products, sugar and vegetables among commodities facing potential price increases due to high fuel prices, rising production costs and prolonged dry weather. Annual inflation rose to 6.8 per cent in September, from 6.6 per cent in August and 6.5 per cent in July, driven largely by higher transport, food and non-food prices, with inflation expected to rise further this month on the back of escalating fuel prices.
World Bank has also warned that between one million and 2.4 million Kenyans could fall into poverty by the end of 2026, as inflationary pressures linked to conflict in the Middle East threaten to erode purchasing power. In its latest Kenya Economic Update, the bank said the poverty rate could rise by between two and 4.5 percentage points this year, potentially pushing millions more people below the poverty line.
The combination of rising household expenses and limited employment opportunities threatens to deepen financial insecurity, particularly among low-income families that spend a large proportion of their earnings on food, transport and other necessities.