Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Kenya
Kenya: Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes was 6.74 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
6.74 million
Change on year
up 2.8%
World rank
17th
of 219 countries
All-time high
6.74 million
in 2023
All-time low
299,881
in 1970
Years of data
35
1970–2023
Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Kenya, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 6.74 million for enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in 2023. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 42.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Kenya peaked at 6.74 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 299,881, in 1970.
That places Kenya 17th out of 219 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 299,881 | — |
| 1971 | 324,167 | +8.1% |
| 1972 | 355,842 | +9.8% |
| 1973 | 381,342 | +7.2% |
| 1974 | 422,242 | +10.7% |
| 1975 | 468,408 | +10.9% |
| 1976 | 538,962 | +15.1% |
| 1977 | 572,210 | +6.2% |
| 1978 | 636,200 | +11.2% |
| 1979 | 683,591 | +7.4% |
| 1980 | 788,005 | +15.3% |
| 1981 | 800,062 | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 830,553 | +3.8% |
| 1983 | 902,333 | +8.6% |
| 1984 | 986,034 | +9.3% |
| 1985 | 1.28 million | +29.3% |
| 1986 | 1.31 million | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 1.44 million | +9.7% |
| 1988 | 1.47 million | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 1.82 million | +23.6% |
| 2000 | 1.91 million | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 2.00 million | +4.8% |
| 2002 | 2.06 million | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 2.20 million | +6.5% |
| 2004 | 2.42 million | +10.2% |
| 2005 | 2.47 million | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 2.58 million | +4.7% |
| 2007 | 2.73 million | +5.6% |
| 2008 | 3.11 million | +13.8% |
| 2009 | 3.20 million | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 4.73 million | +47.5% |
| 2016 | 4.99 million | +5.5% |
| 2021 | 6.15 million | +23.3% |
| 2022 | 6.56 million | +6.6% |
| 2023 | 6.74 million | +2.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 468,284 | 299,881 | 683,591 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.09 million | 788,005 | 1.47 million | 9 |
| 1990s | 1.82 million | 1.82 million | 1.82 million | 1 |
| 2000s | 2.47 million | 1.91 million | 3.20 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.86 million | 4.73 million | 4.99 million | 2 |
| 2020s | 6.48 million | 6.15 million | 6.74 million | 3 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More education data for Kenya
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 23.7 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 170,289 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 135,124 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 273,073 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 29.97 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 338,073 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 19.07 % change on previous year (2024)
- Theoretical duration of primary education (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Kenya?
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Kenya was 6.74 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in secondary education, both sexes recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 6.74 million in 2023.
- What is the lowest enrolment in secondary education, both sexes recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 299,881 in 1970.
- How does Kenya rank for enrolment in secondary education, both sexes?
- Kenya ranks 17th out of 219 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release