The County is located in the South-Eastern part of the Coastal region of Kenya. It covers an area of 229.9 Km2 excluding 65 Km2 of water mass which is 200 nautical miles inside the Indian Ocean. It borders Kilifi County to the North, Kwale County to the South West and the Indian Ocean to the East. The County lies between latitudes 30 56’ and 40 10’ South of the Equator and between longitudes 390 34’and 390 46’east of Greenwich Meridian. The County also enjoys proximity to an expansive water mass as it borders the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Indian Ocean to the East. Administratively, the County is divided into six sub-counties namely: Mvita, Nyali, Changamwe, Jomvu, Kisauni, and Likoni and thirty county assembly wards. These are further sub-divided into thirty locations and fifty seven sub-locations

Population size and composition

Population distribution and settlement patterns in the County are influenced by proximity to vital social and physical infrastructure networks such as roads, housing, water and electricity. Other factors that influence settlement patterns include accessibility to employment opportunities and security. Table 3 shows the county population projection by sex and age groups. The total population of the county in 2009 was 939,370 persons of whom 486,924 were male and 452,446 were female. The total population was projected to be 1,266,358 persons in 2018 and will rise to 1,433,689 persons by 2022.

The Gender Inequality Index (GII)

It reflects gender-based disadvantages in three dimensions-reproductive health, empowerment and the labour market. The index shows the loss in potential human development due to inequality between female and male achievements in these dimensions. It varies between zero (0) when women and men fare equally and one (1) where one gender fairs poorly in all measured dimensions. Kenya has an overall GII of 0.651 (Draft 7th Human Development Report). This is however, not equal everywhere as there are regional disparities with counties located in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) having high Gender Inequality Indices. In addition, there are certain groups which are more likely to experience poverty. These vulnerable groups include children living in poor households, the disabled and the youth. Improving equity in gender issues and reducing gender disparities will benefit all sectors and thus contribute to sustainable economic growth, poverty reduction and social justice.

Child Population

Under 1 Year (0-1): This population was 29,713 in 2009, and was projected to reach 37,444 in 2018, 38,933 by 2020 and 39,896 by 2022. The rate of increase for this group is commensurate with the rate of population growth in the county which stands at 3.5 percent. This implies that the post-natal care and immunization component should be given priority in the health sector as well as improving maternal health to reduce infant mortality and maternal mortality rates in the county.

Under 5 years (0-4): The population for this age group was 127,319 in 2009 and was projected to reach 160,481 in 2018, 166,828 and 170,952 in 2020 and 2022 respectively. This age group constitutes 13 percent of the total population according to the 2018 population projections. The expected increase will require the County to put up additional Early Childhood Development Centres (ECD) and improve the quality of service delivery through training more teachers and provision of more learning and teaching materials as well as the construction of additional educational facilities.

Primary School Age (6-13) years: The population for this age group was 145,739 in 2009 and was projected to reach 190,894 in 2018, 202,992 and 213,321 in 2020 and 2022 respectively. This age group constitutes 15 percent of the total population according to the 2018 population projections. The expected increase will require the County to increase the number of primary schools and improve the quality of service delivery through training more teachers and provision of more learning and teaching materials as well as the construction of additional educational facilities.

Population for people with disabilities

The projected population of PWD in Mombasa stands at 15,295. Kenya Human Development Report of 2009 introduced a new measure for youth development in Kenya, the Youth Development Index (YDI). The index was at 0.5817 nationally but also depicted variations across the regions. The index is a composite of education, income, and survivorship (health) dimensions. Therefore, it is critical to look at youth as a resource and a potential wealth for a nation. However, a large group of youth is potentially at risk of engaging in harmful anti-social behaviors, including risky sexual behavior, substance use, and crime. The constitution requires measures to be undertaken to ensure the youth have access relevant education and training, have opportunities to participate in political, social, economic activities and access to employment as well as protection from harmful cultural practices.