Active earth pressure on retaining structures supporting a narrow column of soil cannot be properly analysed using Coulomb's theory. Finite-element limit analysis (FELA) shows that the soil forms multiple failure surfaces if the soil column is sufficiently narrow. This paper proposes a framework for active earth pressure estimation for narrow soils by combining an arched differential element method and a sliding wedge method. The analytical framework considers both soil friction and cohesion, soil arching effects and shear stress between adjacent differential elements. The solution obtained is validated against experimental data and FELA results. Through parametric studies, the effects on the active earth pressure of the aspect ratio, soil friction, soil cohesion and wall-soil interface roughness are examined. To facilitate the use of the proposed framework in design, a modified active earth pressure coefficient and an application height of active thrust are provided.