Majority of Kenyans are struggling to make ends meet, an Infotrak survey has shown.
The survey shows that 55 per cent of Kenyans cannot get by due to the tough economic times.
The poll also shows that 18 per cent of Kenyans are in severe financial distress with only 5 per cent comfortably coping with the situation.
22 per cent of Kenyans are neither struggling nor comfortable.
A large number of those struggling are in the North Eastern region with 78 per cent followed by Coast at 76 per cent while Central is third at 74 per cent.
73 per cent of Kenyans in the Rift Valley cannot fend for themselves.
“A majority of Kenyans (73 per cent) are either in severe financial distress or struggling to make ends meet,” said Infotrak.
Respondents aged 18-26 years and those above 55 recorded the highest population by age of those struggling at 77 per cent.
According to Infotrak, Kenyans revealed that starting a side hustle and cutting back on non-essential spending were the two main coping mechanisms they used to deal with their economic difficulties.
The poll further revealed that fourteen percent of Kenyans have cut back on non-essential spending, while forty-five percent are actively working a second gig to augment their income.
According to Infotrak, 18% of Kenyans had borrowed money to make ends meet.
It also showed that 48% of Kenyans reported feeling more stressed and anxious as a result of their country’s financial difficulties.
The survey was conducted between December 18 and 19, 2023 with a sample size of 1,500.