The most common challenges in Kenyan marriages
Every marriage has a hard season. These are the struggles couples named most often, and how they shift between the early years and later ones.
The most common challenges
Show the numbers
| Answer | People | % |
|---|---|---|
| Communication or constant fighting | 232 | 43.9% |
| Money and finances | 226 | 42.7% |
| In-laws and extended family | 173 | 32.7% |
| Unfaithfulness | 118 | 22.3% |
| Children or parenting | 62 | 11.7% |
| Job loss or business failure | 53 | 10% |
| Intimacy | 44 | 8.3% |
| Living apart (work or relocation) | 41 | 7.8% |
| Alcohol or other addiction | 35 | 6.6% |
| Infertility or loss of a child | 30 | 5.7% |
| Illness | 21 | 4% |
| Violence or threats | 18 | 3.4% |
| Faith or values differences | 17 | 3.2% |
| Other | 0 | 0% |
Based on 529 responses · updated 13 November 2026 · How we count
Challenges by years married
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| Under 3 years | 3-5 years | 6-10 years | 11-20 years | 21+ years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Money and finances | 54.2% | 41.6% | 43.5% | 39.8% | 44.1% |
| In-laws and extended family | 47.9% | 34.8% | 36.2% | 28.5% | 30.4% |
| Unfaithfulness | 20.8% | 20.2% | 18.8% | 25.3% | 20.6% |
| Communication or constant fighting | 45.8% | 40.4% | 58% | 39.4% | 46.1% |
| Children or parenting | Hidden (fewer than 10) | 12.4% | Hidden (fewer than 10) | 10.9% | 13.7% |
| Infertility or loss of a child | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | 5.4% | Hidden (fewer than 10) |
| Job loss or business failure | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | 8.1% | 12.7% |
| Living apart (work or relocation) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | 11.2% | Hidden (fewer than 10) | 7.7% | Hidden (fewer than 10) |
| Illness | 0% | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | 5% | Hidden (fewer than 10) |
| Faith or values differences | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) |
| Intimacy | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | 9% | Hidden (fewer than 10) |
| Alcohol or other addiction | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | 7.7% | Hidden (fewer than 10) |
| Violence or threats | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) |
| Other | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) | Hidden (fewer than 10) |
Based on 529 responses · updated 13 November 2026 · How we count