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Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Kenya

Kenya: Government spending on education as a share of GDP was 4.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
4.0%
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
108th
of 199 countries
All-time high
7.3%
in 2005
All-time low
3.9%
in 1971
Years of data
43
1971–2024

Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Kenya, 1971–2024

024681971199720241971: 3.9 % of GDP1972: 4.5 % of GDP1973: 4.7 % of GDP1974: 5.1 % of GDP1975: 5.6 % of GDP1976: 5.7 % of GDP1977: 5.1 % of GDP1980: 5.4 % of GDP1981: 5.9 % of GDP1982: 5.7 % of GDP1983: 5.4 % of GDP1984: 4.6 % of GDP1985: 5.2 % of GDP1986: 6 % of GDP1988: 6.6 % of GDP1989: 6 % of GDP1991: 6.6 % of GDP1992: 6.1 % of GDP1993: 6 % of GDP1994: 5.9 % of GDP1999: 5.3 % of GDP2000: 5.2 % of GDP2001: 5.2 % of GDP2002: 6.2 % of GDP2003: 6.5 % of GDP2004: 6.8 % of GDP2005: 7.3 % of GDP2006: 7 % of GDP2010: 4.8 % of GDP2011: 4.7 % of GDP2012: 4.9 % of GDP2013: 4.8 % of GDP2014: 4.7 % of GDP2015: 4.7 % of GDP2016: 4.9 % of GDP2017: 5 % of GDP2018: 5.1 % of GDP2019: 5.4 % of GDP2020: 5 % of GDP2021: 4.9 % of GDP2022: 4.5 % of GDP2023: 4 % of GDP2024: 4 % of GDP

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

The most recent figure for government spending on education as a share of gdp in Kenya is 4.0%, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and down 14.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending on education as a share of gdp in Kenya peaked at 7.3% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 3.9%, in 1971.

That places Kenya 108th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 43 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.9% 3.9% 5.7% 7
1980s 5.7% 4.6% 6.6% 9
1990s 6.0% 5.3% 6.6% 5
2000s 6.3% 5.2% 7.3% 7
2010s 4.9% 4.7% 5.4% 10
2020s 4.5% 4.0% 5.0% 5

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 105 Zambia 4.1% compare
  2. 106 Italy 4.1% compare
  3. 107 Mexico 4.1% compare
  4. 109 Georgia 4.0% compare
  5. 110 Philippines 4.0% compare
  6. 111 China 3.9% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More education data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending on education as a share of gdp in Kenya?
Government spending on education as a share of gdp in Kenya was 4.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest government spending on education as a share of gdp recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 7.3% in 2005.
What is the lowest government spending on education as a share of gdp recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 3.9% in 1971.
How does Kenya rank for government spending on education as a share of gdp?
Kenya ranks 108th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
Is government spending on education as a share of gdp rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is down 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Kenya data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending on education as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Government spending on education as a share of GDP
Unit
% of GDP
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
199 places, 5,187 data points, 1870–2025
Last refreshed

Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.